Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-31
EDITED BY HAROLD KINGSLEY


his own decision until some other facts
appear. Teach him to consider the
matter, every matter which presents it.
self for decision, from as many sides as
possible. Then let him decide, and let
him consider the decision made, unless
new facts should arise. 1t is only in
this way that the habit of self-reliance
and of stability can be developed. On
the other hand, let him always be
ready to consider new facts; nor should
he be permitted to let the fact of his
decision be reason for refusing to
listen to other facts.
The most important place of inhibi-
tion among mankind is in the preven-
tion of the actions characteristic of
the passions. The acts of anger and
fear are not usually well judged. Even
the impulses of generosity are not al
ways wise or ultimately kind. 1t is in
dealing with the circumstances apt to
arouse feelings of various kinds that
the restraining influences are of great
est Importance. This restraint is not
to be held to preclude any expression
of feeling; it is only to be exerted suffi-
GENTLY long to permit the ultimate
action to be well judged. If any act
governed by feelings can be postponed
until even a slight judgment has been
passed, some good has been done. If
the furiously angry boy will only wait
long enough to judge whether his fight
should occur Immediately or should
await witnesses, he is less apt to injure
himself or his enemy. If the frightened
child decides that he will run to the left
rather than to the right, he has gained
some advantage But habit of choos-
ing the manner of the expression of
any feeling leads to the use of the val
liable strength gained from emotional
reactions, together with the guidance
of the memories and the judgments.
Let any child form a habit of finding
always opportunity for choosing be-
tween two or more possible acts
whether he is angry or frightened or
excited or what not. and he has taken
the first step toward wise and broad
character toward a personality which
Is we'll governed and is yet strong with
the force of those who are able to feel
deeply and yet choose wisely
There are habits of feeling as well
as of thinking. The way to form right
habits of feeling is always to act as
if one felt as he chooses to feel. Now
If any one wished to develop a ten
dency to anger, he should seize every
opportunity to act as if he were angry.
He should watch for otrenses and
should fancy them present when they
were not, and should magnify the triv-
ial affronts so readily found when one
chooses. Finding cause for anger, he
should express that feeling thorough
ly He should clench his fists and. set
his jaws hard and frown and speak
in gruff and disagreeable voice. Soon
he would find no need to imagine af-
fronts, they would appear at every eX-
cuse Also, the anger which at first
was more or less a pretense would be
real earnest and would cause him much
trouble in it's control. No one would
deliberately choose such a line of con-
duct yet there are people who follow
such a plan without choosing or think
ing about it at all. And there are too
many parents who cause their chill
dren to act in such a manner, through
their attitude to them.
Suppose any were to choose to be-
come happy. Such one should act
upon the same principle. He should
deliberately hunt excuses for the ex-
preston of happiness. He should not
greatly care whether he felt partic-
ularly happy or not. if he could find
an excuse for acting as If he We're
happy he should use it thoroughly.
If there should be reason for a smile,
he should use it; if there were reason
for a kind word, he should give it; II
he had any excuse for singing, he
should sing the cheeriest songs he
knows; he should seize every opportu-
nifty for expressing happiness. And If
he could really find no excuse for ex-
pressing happiness he should act as II
he were happy anyway, just to keep
himself in practice No one could fol-
low such a plan as this for more than
a day or two without finding real
reasons for happiness.
The expression of any feeling helps