The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1908-11-14
Self Culture.

|
We saw the advertisement of a work
on self-culture and having lacked the
opportunities for education such as
work and read the same. 1t told us
how to study arithmetic, grammar,
we earnestly desired, we procured the
the languages and the sciences at
home after working hours and brought
out a splendid array of eminent men
and women who had improved them
selvse by methods similar to these,
all OF which was very encouraging.
When we had completed the work we
meditated upon it long and earnestly,
and after some consideration of the
matter we have come to the conclu-
sion that the author is wrong. His
work was not properly entitled. He
should have called it experiments in
mental gymnastics. Self-culture is
something entirely different. His plan
was the mastery of certain sciences,
and self-culture is mastery of self. His
IDEA was the training of the mind to
90 certain things, just as we train the
hand, the eye, the foot, to perform
certain difficult and intricate stunts.
These are part of self. Our Ian
guage so expressed it. We say our
hand, our mind, our eye, all implying
that back of these is subtle some
thing which we denominate self.
And self-culture, then, must mean the
training of that something. And
what is self? Let us consult a few
expressions in every day use. We say,
Jim was angry" Il am angry" etc,
which shows that the self is the ego
that resides within and controls the
tcrces and movements of the mind and
body. That is the self. And self-cul-
ture, therefore, means the culture or
training of that inner being or thing
mat governs US and our actions. Then, |
THIS being true, books are unnecessary. |
1t does not mean the burning of the |
oil, the porting over books.
the writing of essays, the reciting. of |
lessons. 1t means the mastery of the
FORCES within by cultivation and con-
troll. This We may do every minnie
OF our time. We may suppress the
hnkind word, the ignoble action, the
lnlovely thought. We can plant in
heir stead their opposites. We can
enlarge the inner being until it rises
ABOVE everything mean and petty.
lhen we can become helpful, generous
ma loving. We can irridate an influ-
nee for good and make ourselves and ,
'thers happy.
This self-culture is going on every Ii
lay and is having it's influence upon [
ur IVes and actions. Everybody is
ducating self and educating it every q
noment of his life. Everybody 10
ullding up character, and as he Il
lods through life adds to it here a ]
title and there a little, until he finds
nat character his supreme master and n
e Is bound to it hand and foot and
lust follow 1t every day of his life
heresoeVer 1t may lead. Selfishness.
leanness, gluttony, envy, strife, bick- n
rings, designations, sensuality. is tho O.
esuit OF training, unconscious train lH
lg' and which results In base seryi- III
'ue. But in self-conscious training al
'mes self-mastery. freedom, indie
You lead your character hi
'out In chains. You finally grow in lkl
freedom.
On the first path lies sorrow and =,
lin and death. On the second lies 10
y and love and life. On the one hand 70
slavery, on the other freedom. III
Self-culture then is not the porinp
'er books, the burning of the mid ca
ght Oil. 1t is not worry, and irri- nj
ton. Rather, it is the substitution So
good for evil, health for sickness m
for sorrow, life for death. And in
can all practice this self-culture MI
om the king on his throne to the ST
asant in his hovel, and with self
nquering and self-control come ioy nj,
ace and heaven. Every day we NAV ge
Ike some advance. Everybody NAV
ow progress. 1t is in the reach sn
all. Every being is his own school in
his own teacher. When the toads so,