The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1912-08-02
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT.

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT.
1--WE think we think, but a lot
of our thinking was done by our
great grandfathers. 1t
won't be a bad thing when we
start in to do our own thinking
and then some foolish customs
would go so fast they would get
dizzy" Opinion July IL, 1912.
Lots of truth in that, sure. 1t
reminds me, however, of one of
the first things that I can re-
member of myself. 1t was this
way. One early summer morning
I found in the kitchen garden
some beans which had got just
fairly up out of the ground. l
did some thinking and saw lin my
mind) that there had been a mis-
take and that those beans had
come up the wrong way to. So
l proceeded to put things to rights
by pulling them up and putting
them back into the ground with
the other end down, so that they
would grow Then l went into the
house and told all about it, how
/ had found the beans wrong and
set them right. But the beans had
gone so quick they were not ev-
en- dizzy" 1t also reminds me of
the Scripture which reads, "Seest
thou a man, wise in his own con-
ceit, there is more hope of a
fool than of him." Most boys go
through the period of superior
wisdom" when "the old man don't
know much" Some do not get
through it, but remain all their
lives Smart alexis" who know
it ALL" II a whole generation of
the human family should do its
own thinking after the style of
these two instances surely some
of our foolish-and other-cus-
toms would disappear very quick
ly, but what would be the gener-
al effect? What would be the re-
suit if we threw overheard the |
folly and wisdom and |
records and thoughts of the past
and started in new at the bot
tom and did our own thinking? |
Would it be otherwise, as to
thought, than a Titanic disaster
and an arrested development" of |
the thinking of the race? For
one, I am thankful that the Lord !
has so arranged affairs that nei-
Their the effervescences of imma-
turity nor the changelessness of
senility are in exclusive control.
They each have their folly and
their wisdom. Because we know
some more things, and are
younger" we may fancy that
our "cut loose" thinking would,
on the whole, be wiser than that
of our fathers, but would it?
c. J. Richardson.
Editors Comment.
1t certainly is interesting to
note the different meanings var
ious persons will read into the
same statement. When we penned
the editorial from which Mr.. Rich
ardson quotes, we had not the
slightest intention of referring to
the untried thinking of childhood
nor to the immature but absurd
y positive thinking of the "su-
oerior wisdom" age. When we
that some independent
linking might be a good thing,
We had in mind that our more ,
knowledge comes not
~ lazily accepting the conclusions
# generations gone, but by TAX ,
ng the premises from which they
rev their conclusions and by i
fitting them in the light of pres
mt day discoveries, find out if
re cannot get a larger and bet +
or truth for ourselves. No one
J so foolish as to think that the c
ternal verities are to be upset
y our thinking and no one would y
resume to imagine that it would Il
3 possible to get free of the past a
| thought to commence all over =
ew. The thinking of our fathers %
= as much a part of our mental n
ructure as our features, which "a
'avor" one ancestor or another, %
re a part of our physical organ
m. The most we can hope to do re
to use the vantage ground of a.
lie past to think our way into II \,
more logical present and this is
e can do only by being ready Il
nd able to reason out for our y
,lves the "whyfore" of things :.
hich are. h,
Customs, good at one time, are pa
lowed to continue beyond the n I.
,nditions which made them ne ~
,ssary and so often cease to be =
pod at all. But we continue some bl
them because it is custom, cl
inded down to us, and we have rt
1t taken the trouble to reason Of
out. 1t used to be the custom :
, shut up the parlor and open it
My for funerals or weddings.
here was some sense in that
hen the room was not needed
,tually as a living room and the
ouses had to be heated by fire
Iaces or stoves and lighted by
Illow dips made at home, be-
H., ,..,lI ,r~,I -