Character and Conduct – 28 January – Triviality

TRIVIALITY is the modern equivalent for worldliness, the regard for the outward and the visible.   The trivial mind is enmity with God, and it is of many kinds.   There is the triviality which concerns itself with ‘nothing,’ which gossips about ‘him’ and ‘her,’ and becomes serious over a form, a phrase, a dress, a race or a show.   There is the triviality to which the working people are forced by the cares of this life, who all day and every day have to think of the bread which perisheth, while their souls starve for lack of knowledge which endureth.   The cares of life as often choke the growth of the Word as the deceitfulness of riches.   There is also that most insidious kind of triviality which tends to haunt the more serious circles, wrapping itself in talk about social schemes, Church progress, policies and philosophies, passing itself off as serious, when all the time the concern of the talker is to achieve a wordy success or to get notice for his little self or his little system.

The Service of God, Canon BARNETT

I BELIEVE that the mind can be profaned by the habit of attending to trivial things, so that all our thoughts shall be tinged with triviality.

THOREAU

oooOOOooo

These quotes are from ‘Character and Conduct’ A selection of helpful thoughts from various authors arranged for daily reading.

Collected by Constance M Whishaw and first published in 1905 as a follow up to her volume of Daily Readings for members of the Being and Doing Guild who asked for an additional volume

In her preface Whishaw writes:

‘This collection of noble thoughts expressed by men and women of past and present ages who have endeavoured to leave the world a little better than they found it.’

It is my hope in publishing the her readers may be inspired to imitate the example of the authors.