Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-06-11
ENEMIES OF THE WILL
By H. Addington Bruce

A STRONG will is one of the most desirable Of
n possessions. But to maintain strength OF
= will is not always easy. The will has many
enemies.
Conspicuous among these is bodily weakness
Anything that lowers the muscular and nervous
tone has tendency TO lower the will power
For this reason it is imperative, in order to
keep gain a strong will, to put into practice the
principles of mental hygiene.
Thus many men weaken their wills by eating
too much, by exercising not at ALL by sleeping too
little, by denying themselves suffciency Of fresh
All these hygienic indiscretions affect the diges-
tion circulation etc. This means that they impair
the quality of the brains nutrition. AS a conse-
quence the will, in common with the reasoning
power is harmfully affected.
Inactivity physical mental. is another potent
enemy of the will. The idler. is inevitably weak
wiled, if only because he is an idler.
For effort, energetic effort, is indispensable to
continued well-being of the whole organism. And
energetic effort is precisely the thing most disked
Wherefore wealth must be listed among the
forces that often undermine will power. AS more
deliberately stated by the observant DR.. Robert s.
Carroll
Wealth, plenty, the unwise provisions Of an
cestry have removed from the lives of too many
the necessity for special effort sacrifice and So
in the midst of afhuence and surrounded by the
richest of opportunities, many willess, sptneless
limitations Of manhood and womanhood develop.
Absence Of effort means absence of will, and
the absence of will too frequently makes impossible
the effort directed by reason, and thus vicious
circle may be established"
Also there are distinctly psychic enemies Of the
will. Fear is one of these
Through unwise training in early life many
people are continually beset by fears OF all kinds
They allow themselves even to fear irrationally,
and in the grip Of their fears absolutely 1ncap-
able of exerting will power.
Such people need special treatment as truly as
those physically ill., They need treatment to ban1sn
their haunting breads and give reason an oppor-
tunity to open the door for the will development
they painfully lack.
Self-pity too is dire enemy of the will.
When man begins to pity himself-Whetner
for bodily malades financial reverses, what
ever it may be-that moment he puts blight on
his will power.
For the attitude of seIf-pity is essentially the
attitude of surrender And with surrender effort
ceases.
Lastly, self-indulgence must be rated among tne
worst of all enemies of the will.
The self-indulgent scracely know the meaning
of the word SACRIFICE" Yet without sacrifice VIII
power cannot be maintained. Again call on DR..
Carroll to bear testimony:
1.-The whole story of human and personal prog
ress is an unmitigated tale Of denials today-de-
malls rest denias of repCse and comfort and ease
and pleasure-that tomorrow may be richer.
Accordingly, for the development and conserVa-
ton of will power this formula may be suggested:
Practice personal hygiene, keep actively at
work think cour&geously, avoid self-p!ty and self
INDULGENCE practice self-denial Thus you most
surely can safeguard your will against its many
enemies.
Copyright, 1918, by the Associated Newspapers)
To German braggarts: Tell it to the marines.