The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-06-09
HOW THE WORLD RECEIVES A
NEW IDEA

Keep your mind open to new ideas
As you read the history Of men and
Of science study the reception that
the world has given to its great bene-
factors
Almost invariably the new idea has
been received with universal ridicUle
and when occasionally a few believers
are found they are only a pitiful min
Ority and must bear their share Of the
worlds condemnation.
No man can estimate how much
the world has lost by the innate ten
dency in human nature to reject ey-
erything that is new
Not only does human nature reject
the truth when first presented-it re-
jects it with scorn ana hatred, as
though original thought were a crime
When Fulton tried TO talk to NapO-
leon about the steamboat which he
had invented, NapOIeOn's mind was
full Of a plan to cross the channel
and conquer England
His boats were at the mercy Of the
winds, he never did cross the chan
mel, and England eventually conquer
ed him
Fulton was the very; man who could
have solved NapOleOn's problem for
him But to Fulton Napoleon said
that he could give him just five min
utes-and at the end of the five min
utes even NapOleOn's extraordinary
mind rejected the new truth.
In this particular instance it was
perhaps just as well for US that con-
tempt for new ideas is not limited to
men Of towering genius especially
after they have passed the prime Of
life
Of course every reader is familiar
with this peculiar feature of our com
mon human nature. Tn combination
OF vanity, ignorance and mental petri-
faction impeIs US to reject and resent
that which is new.
The young child pushes away sus-
piciOusIy and angriIy the unfamiliar
fruit or other food that is offered.
In this instructive, childish mental
attitude, by the way. we see the other
side of this question There always is
another side.
1t is well, Of course, that humanity
should be conservative. It is a good
thing that the great majority OF US
should devote our energies to that
which we thoroughly understand, that
we should not launch of in all direc-
t:ons, constantly abandoning certain
ties for uncertainties, dropping ideas
OF proved value in pursuit Of every
thing new
Undoubtedly nature was wise in
making conservatism and a tendency
to routine so strong a feature in the
human temperament.
It requires years, and sometimes
even centuries, to work out a new
idea thoroughly. 1t would be q Gala
nifty, instead Of being Over-cOnserva-
tive, We're Over-creduIOus and accept
ed Invariably the new. Effort would
be scattered and less, perhaps, &C
cOmpIished in the long run
On the other hand, there is no
doubt that the opposition to new
thought has been, and still is, almost
insane in its Obstinacy.
Next 10 adding to the worlds know
ledge with a new invention OF a new
and clear statement Of truth, the
greatest thing that any man can do is
to encourage another who really has
a message that the world ought to
hear
It would not be desirable to change
human nature suddenly and have the
whole population rushing hither and
thither without discrimination in
pursuit Of that which IS new.
But we can each Of US improve in
usefulness by training our minds at
least to avoid prejudice and to give
fair hearing to new idea, however
foreign it may be to our own method
Of thought
incidentally it may be mentioned
that besides doing good to others and
encouraging originality many a man
has found his own welfare and pros
perity in an Open-minded tempera-
ment-
For instance, at a certain annual
gathering OF the steel and iron manu-
facturers Of England a gentleman
asked permission to submit a new
idea. He thought he had discovered
a cheap way Of making Steel.
Permission was grudgingly given
to him to read the paper which he
had prepared.
When he had finished reading it
was unanimously resolved not to have
any record Of his remarks on the
minutes of the convention, because
what he said was too foolish to ap-
pear among the proceedings Of a sen
sible body
The man whose new idea was so
cOntemptuOUsly rejected was the in
ventOr Of the Bessemer steel process,
destined TO reyOIutionize one OF the
greatest industries in the world
There happened to be one man at
that convention Of fronwOrkers with
an open mind. He told the despised
inventor that there might be some
thing in his idea, and even consented
TO take a little stock in the invention
This open-minded individual subse-
quentlx made ten millions OF dollars
ont Of the stock thus easily acquired
More important even than open
Kindness toward material ideas is
display OF interest and freedom pre-
judge toward new abstract thought
The steam engine and the steam
boat were both invented many years
before they were made practically
useful The original inventor OF the