The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-07-08
Culture Of The Mind An Imperative Factor

The culture of the mind, like the culture of
the field, must have an object. We cultivate the
field that we may get better crops from it; cu-
tivate the mind that it, too may yield better fruits
Nature in it's spontaneous workings gives us the
starting point in both cases. She supplies the
wild varieties of grain and other vegetable food
and man by his art improves her gifts, rendering
them more adapted to his own special needs. In
like manner the mind spontaneously working,
without any culture or training, lays hold of the
facts which nature presents to senses and inter-
prets them from it's own standpoint AS the in
depreciation becomes wider through experience,
new facts come into view, the knowledge and
thought increase with every step, The object of
all culture is, THEREFORE should be, to give the
power of broadly Interpreting the data of sense, to
place the individual in the most advantageous pos
ition possible for understanding the world in which
he lives and exerting useful action upon some
part of it. A culture that is severed from all ideas
of utility is altogether empty and nebulous;
may 20 further and say that it is something that
tends to corruption. What does the decay of
cieties through luxury-that staple and and by no
means unreal theme of moralizing historians
mean, if not corruption that comes of divorcing
culture from service? knowledge grows, art de-
velops wealth increases; and men forget that these
should have social destination and not merely be
made ministers to pride and vanity and lust. For
want of a healthy outlet for these forces pro-
cess of social decomposition sets in and an
other page of history draws to close. Every
man and woman, therefore, who seeks culture
should seek it with reference to some definite aim
in lfe and not to make it serve as mere intellect
ual fnery.
The time has not yet come when we can safely
intermit our efforts for the improvement of the
cia state: and all gifts and accomplishments be
pressed into the sevice of mankind, if only the mo-
tive for so employing them be present. 1t is when
we consider our talents or our knowledge as serv-
ing only for our glorification that they spoil
on our hands. What more pitiful can be imagined
than the small jealousy which is often found ami
mating literary artistic, and scientific crces9
1t is hard to say whether the mutual admiration or
the mutual depreciation of certain devotees of cul
ture is the more ridiculous. All this comes of the
culture for its own sake" theory. Give culture
Interior end, and it is at enobled and justi
fed The scholar, the man of science, the poet,
the painter, the SCULPTOR the musician will pursue
their several tasks with no less devotion or success
for thinking that, however little their work may be
comprehended by the world at large If a man
cannot think this-that is to say, not think it
truy-then his work does not make for culture
and might be profitably abandoned. Man lives by
his faculties; culture is the enlargement improve
ment of faculty in one direction or another and
makes thus for fuller life and deeper correspond
dence between the individual and the world.
Governed by social motive, it will seek to
extend its benefits to alas an ultimate aim-and
will thus be kept fresh, vigorous, and pure.
Governed by selfish motive, it will degener-
ate into self pleasing affection, and insncerity
and will never be far removed from moral corrup-
ton. The distinction is easily seized and may pro-
fitably be taken to heart.-Sel.