THOUGHT-CULTURE
Thought-Culture is based upon two general scientific facts which may be
stated as follows:
I. The brain centres of thought may be developed by exercise. While we
do not assert that the brain and the mind are identical, it is
nevertheless a scientific truth that "the brain is the organ of the
mind" and that one of the first requisites for a good mind is a good
brain. It has been proven by experiment that the brain-cells concerned
in special mental activities multiply in proportion to the active use of
the special faculties employed in the mental operation. It has also been
ascertained that disuse of special faculties of the mind tends to cause
a process akin to atrophy in the brain-cells concerned in the particular
activity, so that it becomes difficult to think clearly along those
particular lines after a long period of disuse. Moreover, it is known
that the education and mental culture of a child is accompanied by an
increase and development of the brain-cells connected with the
particular fields of thought in which the child is exercised.
There is a close analogy between the exercise of the brain-cells and the
exercise of the muscles of the body. Both respond to reasonable
exercise; both are injured by overwork; both degenerate by disuse. As
Brooks says: "The mind grows by its own inherent energies. Mental
exercise is thus the law of mental development. As a muscle grows strong
by use, so any faculty of the mind is developed by its proper use and
exercise. An inactive mind, like an unused muscle, becomes weak and
unskilful. Hang the arm in a sling and the muscle becomes flabby and
loses its vigor and skill; let the mind remain inactive and it acquires
a mental flabbiness that unfits it for any severe or prolonged activity.
An idle mind loses its tone and strength like an unused muscle; the
mental powers go to rust through idleness and inaction. To develop the
faculties of the mind and secure their highest activity and efficiency,
there must be a constant and judicious exercise of these faculties. The
object of culture is to stimulate and direct the activity of the mind."
Experiments conducted by scientists upon dogs have shown that in the
case of dogs specially trained to unusual mental activity, there has
been a corresponding increase of the number of active brain-cells in the
particular parts of the brain concerned with those mental activities.
Microscopic examination of the brain tissues showed the greatest
difference between the brain structure of the trained dogs and untrained
ones of the same brood. So carefully were the experiments conducted that
it was possible to distinguish between the dogs trained in one set of
activities from those trained in another. Biologists have demonstrated
the correctness of the brain-cell development theory beyond reasonable
doubt, and ordinary human experience also adds its testimony in its
favor.
In view of the above, it will be seen that by intelligent exercise and
use any and all faculties of the mind may be developed and cultivated,
just as may any special muscle of the body. And this exercise can come
only from actual use of the faculties themselves. Development must come
from within and not from without. No system of outward stimulation will
develop the faculties of the mind--they may be cultivated only by an
exercise in their own particular field of work. The only way to exercise
any particular faculty of thought is to _think_ through that faculty.
II. Not only are the brain-cells developed by exercise, but it also
appears to be a fact that the mind appears actually to be _nourished_ by
knowledge of the outside world of things. The raw material of thought is
taken into the mind and there is digested by the thought-processes, and
is afterward actually _assimilated_ by the mind in a manner strikingly
similar to the processes of the physical organs of nutrition. A mind to
be at its best must be supplied with a normal amount of mental
nourishment. Lacking this, it tends to become weak and inefficient. And,
likewise, if its owner is a mental glutton and furnishes too much
nourishment, particularly of a rich kind, there is a tendency toward
"mental dyspepsia" and indigestion--the mind, unable to assimilate the
mental food furnished it, is inclined to rebel. Moreover, if the mind be
supplied with mental food of only one kind--if the mind is confined to
one narrow field of thought--it weakens and the mental processes become
impaired. In many ways is this curious analogy apparent.
Not only does the mind need development, but it also needs intelligent
cultivation. For it may be _developed_ by improper objects of thought
just as well as by the proper ones. A rich field will grow tares and
weeds as well as good grain or fruit. Thought-culture should not be
confined to the _development of a strong and active mind_, but should be
also extended to the _cultivation of a wise and intelligent mind_.
Strength and Wisdom should be combined. Moreover there should be sought
a harmonious and normal development. A one-sided, mental development is
apt to produce a "crank," while a development in unhealthy mental fields
will produce an abnormal thinker tending dangerously near to the line of
insanity. Some "one-idea" men have great mental power and development,
but are nevertheless unbalanced and impractical. And insane persons
often have strongly developed minds--developed abnormally.
Some authorities, holding special theories regarding the nature of mind,
hold that Thought-Culture is merely a _training_ of the faculties
rather than a _creation_ of new mental power, inasmuch as the mind
cannot be built up from the outside. This is a curious combination of
truth and error. It is true that the mind cannot be built up from
outside material, in the sense of creating _new mind_, but it is also
true that in every mind there is the potentiality of growth and
development. Just as the future oak is said to be in the acorn, so are
the potentialities of mind-growth in every mind waiting for nourishment
from outside and the proper cultivation. Brooks has well stated this, as
follows: "The culture of the mind is not creative in its character; its
object is to develop existing possibilities into realities. The mind
possesses innate powers which may be awakened into a natural activity.
The design of culture is to aid nature in improving the powers she has
given. No new power can be created by culture; we can increase the
activity of these powers, but cannot develop any new activities. Through
these activities new ideas and thoughts may be developed, and the sum of
human knowledge increased; but this is accomplished by a high activity
of the natural powers with which the mind is endowed, and not by the
culture of new powers. The profound philosopher uses the same faculties
that the little child is developing in the games of the nursery. The
object of culture is to arouse the powers which nature has given us into
a normal activity and to stimulate and guide them in their unfolding."
In connection with the objection above mentioned, it may be said that
while the development of the mind must come from within itself, rather
than from without, nevertheless, in order to develop, it must have the
nourishing material from the outside world in order to grow. Just as the
body can grow from within only by the aid of nourishment from outside,
so the mind, while growing from within, needs the material for thought
which can come only from without itself. Thought requires "things" upon
which to exercise itself--and upon which it is nourished. Without these
outside objects, it can have no exercise and can receive no nourishment.
Thought consists in the perception, examination and comparison of
_things_, and the consequent building up new combinations, arrangements
and syntheses. Therefore, the perceptive faculties are most necessary to
Thought, and their culture is most necessary in the general work of
Thought-Culture.
It must not be lost sight of that in Thought-Culture there is necessary
a variety of exercises and forms of nourishment. What will develop one
faculty will exert but a faint effect upon others. Each needs its own
particular kind of exercise--each its particular kind of mental
nourishment. While it is true that there is a certain benefit gained by
the entire mind from an exercise of any of its parts, this effect is but
secondary in importance. A man well developed mentally has been
developed in each faculty, each in its own way. The faculty of
perception requires objects of perception; the faculty of imagination
requires objects of imagination; the faculty of reasoning requires
objects of reasoning; and so on, each requiring objects of exercise and
nourishment of its own kind--in its own class. In some persons some of
the faculties are well developed while others are deficient. It follows
that in such a case the weak faculties should be developed first, that
they be brought up to the general standard. Then a further general
development may be undertaken if desired. Moreover, in general
development, it will be found that certain faculties will respond more
readily to the cultivation given, while others will be slow to respond.
In such cases wisdom dictates that a greater degree of exercise and
nourishment be given to the slower and less responsible faculties, while
the more responsive be given but a lighter development. In
Thought-Culture as in physical culture, the less developed and slower
responding parts should be given special attention.
* * * * *
In the following chapters we shall point out the methods and exercises
calculated to develop the several faculties of the mind to the best
advantage, in each case giving general advice along the lines of the
cultivation of the particular faculty which will serve as general
instruction regarding its culture. The student should carefully study
the entire work before he attempts to specialize in the development of
any particular faculty. The particular work may be aided by an
acquaintance with the entire field of Thought-Culture for many of the
faculties shade into each other in their activities and are always more
or less interdependent. For, be it remembered, the mind is a _whole_,
and not a mere aggregation of many parts. To understand the parts, one
must study the whole--to understand the whole, one must study the
parts.