A Reflection of Adam Smith's Writing

John McDaid

Dr. Herron

A situation may not always be seen and probably will not be seen in the way that you want it to be understood and processed in the mind of a bystander. Sympathy may be given to you or someone else. Sympathy for yourself may not be the strong and barely controllable emotion that is felt from a bystander.

Paragraph seven was very interesting to me because I could relate very well with the example and substance of the paragraph. “The furious behavior of an angry man is more likely to exasperate us against himself than against his enemies. As we are unacquainted with his provocation, we cannot bring his case home to ourselves” (Smith para. 7). In the heat of the moment sympathy may not be felt for you but rather your enemy. A bystander may not have seen what situation put you into this rage and anger, but rather may have only seen your enemy nervous, scared, and defeated. Naturally people would feel sympathy for the underdog and the weaker man. People feel sorry for what is going to happen to the mans enemy because all they may have seen was an angry and enraged man about to defeat someone. Naturally people shy away from conflict, so a bystander would take the side of the man who seems to not want to fight. People naturally sympathize for the mans enemy with fear and resentment.

I was put into a situation that was very similar. I was competing in a wrestling tournament and was beating one of my opponents at the time. For whatever reason, my opponent’s father was not all right with that. Numerous times he walked onto the mat and kept trying to break the match up. I continued to wrestle and later on won the match and placed 3^rd in the tournament. I was receiving my metal and my opponent’s father started an argument with my father. People broke it up and sent the man outside. Little did my father and I know that the man was waiting right outside the doors. My father and I headed to the exit to leave and as soon as we opened the door, the man jumped my father. I was pushed away and was helplessly watching my father fight over something so stupid but something so right for him to defend himself. He defeated the man and got out of the building but only ten yards from the building, he was stopped by a police officer to be questioned and accused of beating up a man for no reason. My father was accused of beating this man up because he did, but was accused of doing it for the wrong reason. All witnesses said that they only saw a man throw the first punch and continue to throw more. They didn’t know that he was only defending himself but also that he was jumped before the first punch was thrown. My father now looked like the bad guy because sympathy was shown for the wrong person.

There were passions that expressed excitement of sympathy, but the sympathy was shown for the wrong person. I don’t disagree with what people thought and said of the fight, because it is what they saw. I strongly agree with Smith and how in some situations there may be no passion that would trigger sympathy.