if someone possesses no troublesome sensibilities, what does that mean?

Question

I got "possesses no troublesome sensibilities" from a book, and this is the whole sentence:

"he possessed no power of thought, no depth of feeling, no troublesome sensibilities; nothing in short, but a few common-place instincts, which, aided by the cheerful temper that grew inevitably out of his physical well being, did duty very respectably, and to general acceptance, in lieu of a heart.

what does this tell about the person? i don't really get it. This man is 80 years old and is an Inspector in a Customs House, and the book mentions that he eats a lot. Can someone please help me understand this person more? Thank You.

for a person like this (as described above), what do you think he would say if asked how should the government be supported?

Answer 1

To me it seems that the writer is trying to describe a person who is rather 'zombie'-like and has no outstanding attributes other than being alive.
"no troublesome sensibilities" would indicate to me that the person is completely AMORAL meaning he has no morals ...( good or bad ) , rather than someone who is IMMORAL. The type of person most of us see every day but never really see at all.
That's my take on it. Hope it helps.

If asked how he thought the government should be supported, he would probably say that he had no idea about politics. i.e no opinion or 'I don't know (or care)'

Answer 2

In this context "troublesome sensibilities" could refer to a wide variety of things, none of which are specifically mentioned so it is (purposefully) left up to the reader to imagine what is meant. Some examples might be:

Ambition
Greed
Thirst for knowledge
Need for romantic involvement

Basically its saying that this person is contented but simple, he doesn't worry about much due to a lack of interest in himself or the world around him. He's probably very boring to talk to.

Answer 3

"Troublesome sensibilities" is probably a sarcastic way for the narrator to say that not only is the character without any sensibilities, but the character also views them as detrimental.

Answer 4

It means that this person has a high self esteem and is very positive about the majority of things in life. These are the kind of people that have a strong personality and are prepared to face mostly anything in life.

Answer 5

can you plz describe "troublesome sensibilities" ....it depends whom they are troublesome for, you or the person?

Answer 6

He simply does not "judge" others and accepts life for what it is.