TheConflictofWillsTheworldwagsinspiteofitsschoolsanditsfamiliesbecausebothschoolsandfamiliesaremostlyverylargelyanarchic:parentsandschoolmastersaregood-naturedorweakorlazy；andchildrenaredocileandaffectionateandveryshortwindedintheirfitsofnaughtiness；andsomostfamiliesslummockalongandmuddlethroughuntilthechildrenceasetobechildren。Inthefewcaseswhenthepartiesareenergeticanddetermined，thechildiscrushedortheparentisreducedtoacipher，asthecasemaybe。Whentheopposedforcesareneitherofthemstrongenoughtoannihilatetheother，thereisserioustrouble:thatishowwegetthosefeudsbetweenparentandchildwhichrecurtoourmemorysoironicallywhenwehearpeoplesentimentalizingaboutnaturalaffection。Weevengettragedies；forthereisnothingsotragictocontemplateorsodevastatingtosufferastheoppressionofwillwithoutconscience；
andthewholetendencyofourfamilyandschoolsystemistosetthewilloftheparentandtheschooldespotaboveconscienceassomethingthatmustbedeferredtoabjectlyandabsolutelyforitsownsake。
Thestrongest，fiercestforceinnatureishumanwill。Itisthehighestorganizationweknowofthewillthathascreatedthewholeuniverse。Nowallhonestcivilization，religion，law，andconventionisanattempttokeepthisforcewithinbeneficentbounds。Whatcorruptscivilization，religion，law，andconventionandtheyareatpresentprettynearlyascorruptastheydareistheconstantattemptsmadebythewillsofindividualsandclassestothwartthewillsandenslavethepowersofotherindividualsandclasses。Thepowersoftheparentandtheschoolmaster，andoftheirpublicanaloguesthelawgiverandthejudge，becomeinstrumentsoftyrannyinthehandsofthosewhoaretoonarrow-mindedtounderstandlawandexercisejudgment；andintheirhandswithustheymostlyfallintosuchhandslawbecomestyranny。Andwhatisatyrant?Quitesimplyapersonwhosaystoanotherperson，youngorold，\"YoushalldoasI
tellyou；youshallmakewhatIwant；youshallprofessmycreed；youshallhavenowillofyourown；andyourpowersshallbeatthedisposalofmywill。\"Ithascometothisatlast:thatthephrase\"shehasawillofherown，\"or\"hehasawillofhisown\"hascometodenoteapersonofexceptionalobstinacyandself-assertion。Andevenpersonsofgoodnaturaldisposition，ifbroughtuptoexpectsuchdeference，arerousedtounreasoningfury，andsometimestothecommissionofatrociouscrimes，bytheslightestchallengetotheirauthority。Thusalaborermaybedirty，drunken，untruthful，slothful，untrustworthyineverywaywithoutexhaustingtheindulgenceofthecountryhouse。Butlethimdaretobe\"disrespectful\"andheisalostman，thoughhebethecleanest，soberest，mostdiligent，mostveracious，mosttrustworthymaninthecounty。Dickens\'sinstinctfordetectingsocialcankersneverservedhimbetterthanwhenheshewedusMrsHeepteachinghersonto\"beumble，\"knowingthatifhecarriedoutthatprecepthemightbeprettywellanythingelseheliked。
Themaintenanceofdeferencetoourwillsbecomesamaniawhichwillcarrythebestofustoanyextremity。WewillallowavillageofEgyptianfellaheenorIndiantribesmentolivethelowestlifetheypleaseamongthemselveswithoutmolestation；butletoneofthemslayanEnglishmanorevenstrikehimonthestrongestprovocation，andstraightwaywegostarkmad，burninganddestroying，shootingandshelling，floggingandhanging，ifonlysuchsurvivorsaswemayleavearethoroughlycowedinthepresenceofamanwithawhiteface。Inthecommitteeroomofalocalcouncilorcitycorporation，thehumblestemployeesofthecommitteefinddefendersiftheycomplainofharshtreatment。Gratuitiesarevoted，indulgencesandholidaysarepleadedfor，delinquenciesareexcusedinthemostsentimentalmannerprovidedonlytheemployee，howeverpatentahypocriteorincorrigibleaslacker，ishatinhand。ButletthemostobviousmeasureofjusticebedemandedbythesecretaryofaTradeUnionintermswhichomitallexpressionsofsubservience，anditiswiththegreatestdifficultythatthecooler-headedcandefeatangrymotionsthattheletterbethrownintothewastepaperbasketandthecommitteeproceedtothenextbusiness。