1. THE TRIAL OF MAN

1. THE TRIAL OF MAN ~ 16 ~ another; sometimes it involves withdrawing from some position in recognition of another’s superiority; sometimes it is a question of showing respect for someone’s honour, by passing over a weakness of his which could have been exploited; sometimes it means holding one’s peace, and refraining from pouncing on some mistake that another has made; sometimes it entails siding with someone purely as a matter of principle, eschewing the immediate gain to be had from acting in an unprincipled way. These are all typical situations in which one person must bow to another. In all such cases, the one who accedes to the other is doing something very positive: he is giving something to the other. There are, of course, a number of mental barriers that have to be overcome before an individual can be completely just and right-minded in his attitude to others. In honouring one’s rival, one must often compromise with one’s own sense of prestige. This is what really makes it difficult to give precedence to a fellow human being. Yet this is the crucial test set for him by God. Without making this sacrifice, he cannot earn God’s favour. One who shirks