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THE HAPPY MAN

W. Somerset Maugham

It is a dangerous thing to order the lives of others and I have
often wondered at the self-confidence of politicians, reformers and
such like who are prepared to force upon their fellows measures that
must alter their manners, habits and points of view. I have always
hesitated to give advice, for how can one advise another how to act
unless one knows that other as well as one knows oneself? Heaven
knows, I know little enough of myself: I know nothing of others. We
can only guess at the thoughts and emotions of our neighbours. Each
one of us is a prisoner in a solitary tower and he communicates with
the other prisoners, who form mankind by conventional signs that
have not quite the same meaning for them as for himself. And life,
unfortunately, is something that you can lead but once; mistakes are
often irreparable, and who am I that I should tell this one and that
how he should lead it? Life is a difficult business and I have found it
hard enough to make my own a complete and rounded thing; I have
not been tempted to teach my neighbour what he should do with his.
But there are men who flounder at the journey’s start, the way before
them is confused and hazardous and on occasion, however
unwillingly, I have been forced to point the finger of fate. Sometimes
men have said to me, what shall I do with my life? And I have seen
myself for a moment wrapped in the dark cloak of Destiny.
Once I knew that I advertised well.
I was a young man and I lived in a modest apartment in London
near Victoria Station. Late one afternoon, when I was beginning to
think that I had worked enough for that day, I heard a ring at the bell.
I opened the door to a total stranger. He asked me my name; I told
him. He asked if he might come in.
“Certainly.”
I led him into my sitting-room and begged to sit down. He
seemed a trifle embarrassed. I offered him a cigarette and he had
some difficulty in lighting it without letting go off his hat. When he
had satisfactorily achieved this feat I asked him if I should not put it
on a chair for him. He quickly did this and while doing it dropped his
umbrella.