The Detroit times., 1917-07-17
Mental Slavery
nv "a. ADDINGToN BRYCE
Author ~ The Riddle OF Person
hiity." Psychology and
Parcnthood" etc.

There is slavery OF the mind as
well as slavery OF the body. The
latter form OF slavery has been al
most completely abolished from the
civilized world. Hut mental slavery
stiIl IL much i'm evidence.
Everybody Is a mental slave who
allows himself 20 be dominated in
HIS thinking and his conduct by un-
reasoning prejudices. N ne r.
blindly bitter against fellow men
as in matters OF race. religion. or
politics-he Is not free man but
slave.
There are some things which
arouse justifably bitter feelings
There are some prejudices. ground.
ed In intuitive moral standards.
which all right-thinking men ought
20 have.
Every man ought 10 feel preju.
diced. intensely pretudiced. against
those guilty OF broken faith. ruth
less cruelty. malicious and wanton
destruction OF life or property.
Against wickedness OF every kind
there is indeed reason for preju-
dice.
Hut 20 treat disdainfully another
human being simply because ne
happens 20 belong 10 particular
race or religious denomination or
political party Is evidence not OF
right thinking. but OF wrong think
ing perhaps | should say OF non
thinking
We all OF us know people who
thus behave Do we, by any sad
chance. thus behave ourselves7
/, f. question that every one of
Us ought 20 put 10 himself. And the
best way 20 get decisive and hon
est answer 20 II is 20 analyze our
attitude toward persons whom we
are ready 10 admit that we dislike.
DO We have any really valid rea-
sons for disliking them7 or. II
+ closely examined is our hostile atti.
I tude determined solely by some
such thing as the race 10 which
they belong. the religious faith they
hold or the political party with
which they are affiliated-
II this is the only ground we have
FOR disliking them. are We behaving
sensiblys
Are We behaving Ike men free
20 think for themselves and actual
" thinking for themselves
still more
Are not our blind preiudices harm
ful 20 our own best interests and to
the best interests of our country
The persons whom We unreason-
ably dislike may be talented.
Z l. 81
HON n would profit US 70 know in
timately We might learn from them
much that would help us 10 grow
In wisdom and usefulness.
Our unreasoning preIudices. in
deed. may go far toward account
INK for the fact that we are per
haps finding Il somewhat difHcult
70 make success of life. Certainly
there are many men 10 whom esti
mated merely on bread-and.b butter
basis. unreasoning preIudices are
costly
But they are always most costly
from the larger view OF individual
happiness and social solidarity
Show me man OF blind preiudices
and ! viii show YOU one who Is
neither as happy nor as good n citl-
zen as he ough, 10 be
Blind prejudices. 10 be sure, are
hard things 20 get rid Of Yet
once they arc recognized as pres
ent. earnest effort 10 get rid OF them
should be made.
To uproot them II Will be neces
sary 20 drill ourselves. as We have
never drilled before, in independent
thinking. We must become accus-
toned 20 reason for ourselves about
all things OF importance, TO think
them out slowly. carefully. logically
The more we strengthen our rea-
soning powers by regular exercise,
tho weaker will be the hold that
prejudice has on us, and the more
free mentally we shall become. -