The Llano colonist. [volume] (Llano, Calif.) 191?-1937, 1922-12-30

" applying kIloWleQ8e we can
make our future what we wish il to be.
When we realize that our present char
acter. our present environment, our
present ability, our present physical
condition, are all the result Of our past
methods Of thinking, we shall begin to
have some conception of the value OF
knowledge. Z
10 many people it may be surpris-
ing 70 learn that their thinking has a
direct relation TO the unsatisfactory
state Of their health, Of their unpleas-
ant domestic relations, their economic
condition and harmful political affairs.
Nevertheless, its gospel truth just the
same, whether you believe it or not.
All human ills are self-inflicted, either
by harming ourselves through personal
bad habits or by wrong and detrimen-
tai actions to one another, or in any
way acting contrary to natural law.
When man first began to think, first
started to occupy himself seriously
with his surroundings, set his intellect
to work to ferret out, detect, discern,
uncover, and mentally grasp the invoIv-
ed processes by which natural phenom-
ena appear, manifest and function, he
gained and learned the first dependable
revelation that ever entered his life. A
certain recurrent regularity observed
IN phenomena is called law of nature.
his is not a mere opinion, but funda-
mental inherent fact of nature. Any
such law is uniform process that OPP
crates in certain line of manifesto
tons and has been definitely ascertain
ed in all similar instances of that kind,
and is therefore a generalization, So
called. There is nothing speculative
Or hazy about concretely-based gen
eralization. Every true natural scien-
list knows this concerning the field that
he is familiar with.
But many so-called scientists pre-
sumo competency of judgment on
subjects with which they are not famil-
lar, and their opinions on such matters
are absolutely valueless. Newcomb,
the then greatest living mathematician
twenty-five years ago, declared Wilbur
Wright's. idea of heavier-than-air fly-
ing machine as a natural impossibility;
but development proves that he was ig-
norant about the thing that he declared
impossible. Fifty years ago, a phys
lcian in California was sent to an in
sane asylum because he talked about
radio transmission Of intelligence, mu-
sic and SO on; but what must we think
OF the judge that sentenced him to such
fate2 Even Marconi himself was ex-
posed to such a danger.
That a man is a scientist and a
so-called authority in certain line,
does notlprevent him from passing an
erroneous judgment on things he is un-i
familiar with.
That bad habits are inimical toI
health every one has heard-and per-
haps experienced in his own case. But
perhaps in most cases the fact has been
overlooked that in the first instance
a bad habit is mental misconception
as to the proper use of faculty and
that all illness therefore has mental
origin. A low state of health, lack
of vitality, is always due TO wrong liv-
ing, bad habits, wrong thinking, err
roneous opinions, etc. And wrong liv-
ing will be persisted in as long as err
roneous opinions are persisted in. Let i
a plague Of any kind invade coun-
try; the influenza of few years ago,
for instance. Thousands pass through
it unscathed, because they are rich in
vitality, fearless and not susceptible to
its ravages, while others succumb BY
the thousands.
Wrong ideas can be discarded and
replaced by definite knowledge con-
corning right ways of living and Of
righteous adjustment in all the deal
Ings with our fellow men. who in turn
will reciprocate by giving us a square
deal.
Any bad habit can be obviated. oy- i
srcome, escaped from. by resolutely
.urning away from it at the very mo
nent when it first presents or suggests
Itself 'and by silencing it by the oppo-
lite insinuation. Persistent searching
for truth, right thinking and feeling.
will exercise the possibility of harmful
u destructive action.
The determining factor in every hui
nan life is the character. This thing
We call character is not a fixed UNI
disnosition. attitude. ar "a