Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-11-22
grown. UP FOLKS
Average Soldier Had Intelligence OF
Normal IA Year Old.
EDISON MAKES some EXPERIMENTS
Change In System Of Education is
Fundamental Need--Growp Man ofr
ten Has Viewpoint and Tastes OF q
School Bow. Fl


Washington, Nov. 13.-Scientists,
studying the records here Of the intel
ligence tests applied to American SOL
diers, have reached the conclusion that
these mon had on an average the in
tellectual development which is con-
sidered normal for a boy 14I years oldA
This does not seem very fattering
to us as a nation, but 1t is borne out
known, has been conducting some in
telligence tests of his own on men
who apply to him for employment. He
expresses himself as amazed at the
low average of lntelligencs which his
tests have revealed. He says that not
more than two per cent. Of the adult.
population can understand, q self-evi-
dent fact when 1t Is put before them.
These disturbing opinions from high
authorities are borne out in q way by
the new school Of psychologists. Their
investigations tend to show that an
Individual who is not given proper op-
portunity to develop his mind and per-
sonality does remain a child in all
those respects in which his develop
ment is retarded. They would say
that the typical American man of bus
mess, while highly developed in his
special line, is "infantile' as a whole.
because he is undeveloped in so many
other ways.
This view, Of course, excites the an
tagonism of every good American, but
it is perhaps worth examining just
for the sake of understanding a point
of view we cannoS share.
In the first place 1t is to be noted
that this view gets good deal Of COR
roboration in everyday life. How Of
ten you hear it said of some man that
"he is just great big over-srown.
boy" That may, according to the
psychologists, be scientific description
Of his mind and personality.
Grown-Up Babies.
Many women are wont to remark
that their husbands, brothers, or even
their fathers are just big boys, but a
good deal Of evidence can be brought
forward to show that women are on
an average even more infantile than
men. Men, in order to make living.
have to achieve certain degree OF
maturity. They may have boyish
traits but they cannot afford to have
the helplessness of children. Women.
on the other hand, know that an ap-
pearance Of helplessness, If accom-
companied by good looks, is often
great asset in the pursuit OF o hus-
band. Thus society encourages wo-
men to hold on to any infantile traits
they may have. The "cuteness," the
helblessness, the ignorance, which so
many of them effect, are infantile.
The women may use these tricks con-
sciously in pursuit Of a. man, but the
mere fact that she uses such tricks at
all is an indicatioh according to the
psychologists, that She has never be-
como fully adult. This prevailing in
fantilism Of women is widely recoz-
nized in popular slang and popular
songs, which reveal far more of our
folk psychology than does our formal
literature. when grown-up ladies,
act like babies, I've just got to love
'em, that's ALL
The ladies know that. And II Is no
trouble at all for them to act like bab-
les because most of them have not
| grown mentally and morally nearly as
fast as they have grown physically.
say the scientists.
1t is not possible to summarize here
all of the evidence which might be
brought forward to prove that the
public as whole'has never grown up.
Our tastes in reading, movies and
| theater are specially significant, how
ever. The adult desires to understand
life. The child wishes to cultivate his
Illusions about it. Children read fairy
stories. Most Of the stories In our
magazines, nearly all Of our movies,
most of our novels and most Of our
stage pays are iaiiy toiSo AN SiANSS
That is, they all foster lovely illusions
about life, rather than study the truth
Of it. The American public Is nearly
always antagonized by any work OF
art which sets forth the truth about
life.
why write about such ugly things
when there are so many pleasant
things to write about?" is the formula
always used.
Tell me nice pretty story, Dad
dy," is what the same individual was
saying at the age of ten. How much
has his point of view changed, asks
the psychologist.
Do other nations differ from us in
this respect? 1t is probable that in all
parts of the world most mSn and wo-
men never grow up, but in the highly
civilized European nations there Is
probably a larger percentage of real
adults, as indicated by the much
larger number of persons who show a
mature taste in literature, drama, art
and music, and have a mature outlook
on life.
Education to Blame.
What then is the cause of our fall