Again, it is certain that races of men capable of postponing the present to the future (even if such races were conceivable without an educated reason) would have had so huge an advantage in the struggles of nations, that no others would have survived them.
Bagehot posits that races capable of delaying gratification would have a significant advantage in survival and competition.
Share
More from Walter Bagehot
One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea.
And again, in political matters, how quickly a leading statesman can change the tone of the community!
But the Jewish advantage never did so; beginning in religion, contrary to a thousand analogies, it remained religious.
That a House of Commons may work well it must perform, as we saw, five functions well: it must elect a Ministry well, legislate well, teach the nation well, express the nation's will well, bring matters to the nation's attention well.
Other voices in this conversation
