The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1910-10-13
THINKING A DUTY.

THINKING A DUTY.
The words 'think'' and Thought" are
SO common on the lips of men that it might
reasonably be inferred that all men think.
So they do, perhaps, in the ordinary sense
in which the word is used, yet very few
men do any real thinking; nearly all accept,
ready made, the thoughts of other people.
Properly speaking, thinking is matter of
judgment. To form judgment that is of
real value one must have knowledge-the
facts upon which to base Judgment; he
must also have mind trained, at least to
some extent, to logical arrangement OF
those facts and, finally, the ideality which
will enable him to form conceptions of
things unseen. 1t is not to be expected that
all men shall be able to think in this sense,
vet all men should endeavor to think and
not merely repeat, parrot-ike, the thoughts
of others. To one who really thinks it is
quite amusing to sit apart and observe the
menta! processes of men who use the ex-
preston Il think" quite freely. A news
paper undertakes to get the impressions of
public men on some question of interest.
Each man who is approached begins his
remarks with the formula 81 Think" yet
that he does not think in the true sense
soon becomes evident because he expresses
a judgment or opinion that might just as
readily he made up for him by any one at
all conversant with his party affiliations.
His thought is a crystalized product of
thinking, perhaps, but it is no more a part
of his personality than the crystal he wears
as an ornament. The ability to think, like
other powers, may be developed by exer-
else; and, on the other hand, lack of use
weakens the power of the mind to form con-
cepts, to arrange them in logical order or
to draw conclusions, as in the making up
of Judgment. 1t is for this reason that
thinking is a duty. The powers of the mind
cannot be properly developed by reading
alone or by committing to memory certain
facts or favorite passages of others writ
ings. Some effort should always be made
to really think about what has been read
or heard. The first process in thinking is
that OF forming clear conception of the
object that is being considered; that being
accomplished, one may proceed to form a
judgment on it which completes hethought
Until that has been done one should not be
too ready to use the phrase 81 think thus
and So" 1t is better to be entirely honest
with ones self, as we'll as with others, anc
say: II have not thought upon the subject
but if compelled to give judgment woult
accept the conclusions of Blank, who say.
thus and So" That formula, or one like it
would generally express the real truth, ant
would keep constantly before the indiviua
his own shortcomings, and thus perhap
lead to efforts to break away from it, tina
he might be able to say on another occa
sion and with emphasis, 81 think" Al
acknowledgement of ignorance, as of othe
faults, is the first step toward repentance
and regeneration, and he who confesses
even to himself, that he does not think, i
prepared by that confession to amend hi
ways. To suggest the subject is calcu
lated to start thinking. If the reader vii
observe how frequently he is obliged to US
the words think or thought in ordinar
conversation, and then consider wha
slight meaning is usually attached to thos
words, he will realize the truth of the say
Ing that very few men do any real think
ing. A man cannot be expected to thin
out everything for himself any more tina
he can be expected to observe for himsel
all the phenomena of nature. He mus
accept certain concepts that have bee
developed as result of long continue
experience and mental action, just as h
accepts countless observations of othe
men until doubts are raised in his min
when he reviews the subject by observa
ton or experiment. But outside of thi
body of matured thought that has com
down to US from previous generations ther
is need for present thinking and specis
need for an acknowledgement that there
too much thoughtless use of the words s.
think
The Lake Charles American Press ia
vors:
The elimination of the Governors con
troll over the State Legislature by the com
plete abolition of his power to appoint
except as regards his private secretary.
Removal of the restriction, barring tn