Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-08-19
Presence Of Mind.


THERE are few things which are less
understood than the nature of presence OF
mind. It has been supposed by some to
be mainly the result OF cool and lynn
phatic temperament. By others it has
been supposed to be mainly the result OF
fearlessness. But these are mistakes. A
single example will almost suffice to verify
the foregoing statements. The first
Napoleon possessed, in very high de-
mind. It is probable that he possessed it
in a much higher degree than any man in
his army. But he had by no means. a
cool and Emphatic temperament. On
the contrary, he was of a very excitable
and irritable nature, as most great men
are apt to be-. Again, it would be a very
bold thing to say, that he was more fear
less than any man in his army. Doubt
less there were many men as fearless as
he. ;ei4 ~ '--''''
We must look, therefore, for other
causes. I say Causes" because any
manifestation of human character is the
result, in general, Of several causes. But
if there is one predominant cause, it is
hopefulness. There are also minor causes
of much importance. Men differ very
much in the swiftness of their thinking
Men differ still more in their habits of
conc ntrating thought, and relieving their
attention from eXtraneous matters. But
great proficiency in, swiftness Of thinking,
| and in concentrating thought, would not
! give presence of mind, unless there were
hopefulness. 20 sa b1ssDoa' g Ss3-'''s ,''V
For man to have presence of mind he
| must be sure of these three things, that in
any difficulty or emergency there is al
| ways something to be done,r that this
/ something may be made the best thing to
be done, and, lastly, that there is nearly
| always time in which to do it. 90 r.
| loI will give a singular Illustration of This
one which have used before, but which
cannot do without on the present occa-
sion. To all those who have studied the
ways of serpents, tits known that these
| reptiles cannot spring at you when in q
state ofcoil; they must uncoil themselves
before they can make their spring upon
.you.s Now, man who knows this fact
| in natural history, if he should eomeupon
q coiled serpent which raises its head,
and as the man sees, means battle, this
man will have presence of mind, because
he has reason for hope that there is time
for him to do something. Accordingly it
| is worth his while to think; and, so in
conceivably rapid are the processes Of
thought, that he has time to think that it
1 is worth his while to think Shall he
move to the right, or the left?, Shall he
endeavor to get to that tree ?snf Shall he
| fire his revolver? If the man did not
know that he had time to think, he would
/ give himself up to despair, and, like q
frog or a rabbit, stupidity await the spring
of his enemy. 11daa, e 2 .ah d, 1o.,s,f s-5
In this particular case the. hope is borr
of knowledge; but in any man who is
concerned in great affairs, and who re-
ouires much presence of mind, there
| should be hopefulness, not depending
upon knowledge,-a habit of hopefulness
arising from the fact that hopefulness
generally carries the day. He should
look upon all dangers and difficulties as
| coiled serpents, which, by their nature,
i must uncoil, and give him some time be-
fore they can spring upon him.
At least, there is something comforting
in the foregoing view, because, if true, it
shows that presence of mind is thing
which may, to certain extent, be &C.
quired. We have been led a long way
out of the usual road when we have come
| to the conclusion that presence OF mind
mainly depends upon hopefulness,-in
fact, upon a sanguine temperament, but
| ~ l4t1J uOV W q wing Wf1yss- d.
Mr. Emerson quotes q conversation OF
Napoleon with Las Cases, in which the
great conqueror remarked, AS to moral
courage have rarely met with the two
o'clock-in-the morning kind I mean I'M
prepared courage, that which is neces-
sary on an unexpected occasion; and
which, in spite of the most unforeseen
events, leaves full freedom of judgment
of decision - and he did not hesitate to
| declare that he was himself eminently
endowed with this two,o'clock-in the
morning Courage, and that he had met
| with few persons equal to himself in this
respect. The reader will sae that, if /
am right in the foregoing analysis of pres
enee Of mind, Napoleon is wrong in at
tributingTit to courage, hButImen seldom
analyEe carefully the qualities which they
possess largely. Familiarity with these
| qualities of theirs renders them dull in
the analysis of Them Good lords al. l..