The Llano colonist. [volume] (Llano, Calif.) 191?-1937, 1922-09-02
THE ACHIEVEMENT OF MASTERY

on Sunday night, August ~, reviewed
the lesson on concentration and will,
that had monopolized the members at
tention for the past three weeks. "A
true conception of human concentra-
ton involves the voluntary undivided
attention given by a person to some
Iself-chosen subject or object. In this
connection we may quote H. Hoeff-
ding, who in his Outlines Of Psyche
logy'' says: "Volition proper is char
acterized psychologically by the end
the action and the means to its realiza-
ton, and by a vivid feeling of the
worth of that end"
Voluntary intelligent selection is the
pre-eminent characteristic index Of will,
and when thus mentally conditioned a
person can change readily from one OBJ
ject to another. always considering
each one and-all nationally, Analysing
each one impartially. unswayed by pre-
JUDGE or propensitional inclinations.
Being fixedly and firmly enthralled or
obsessed by any theory or supposed
truth is not sign of will, on the con-
trary it indicates the most degrading
slavery to the animal prepensities with
in man, which it is his office to con-
trol and utilize for the carrying out
of all lawful activities. Lawful in this
connection has no relation with or in
wolves the meaning of statutes enacted
| by men; on the contrary it means the
inherent, normal, natural processes and
functionings in every domain of being
and plane Of consciousness.
Genuine think ig consists in inteIIi-
gent recognition and consc.o under
standing of the world in which we live,
of our own constitutions and the -igh-
teous adjustment of all human relations
and when voluntarily poised in this
state Of consciousness. invisible forces
are set IN motion which irrisistibly
bring about conditions in correspond
ence with the thoughts thus entertain
ed.
But what has all this to do with CO.
operative colonization? some one may
ask. Why, it has everything to do with
it. If the principle Of reciprocity is
right, if the golden rule is right, if
everyone for himself or herself prefers
to get a square dcal, to be treated kind
lily and CONSIDERABLY at the hands Of
Ievery one whom he has dealings with,
it becomes necessary moral obligation
on his part TO assume such an attitude
and to so conduct himself to others
as he would have others conduct them
selves and act toward him.
If imbued with such moral attitude
and possessed of the necessary knowl-
edge to accomplish the work engaged
in, duly adjusted to the surrounding
circumstances, integral, all-around, and
complete cooperation cannot fail; all
prejudiced assertions to the contrary
Notwithstanding. People who have on
ly theoretical knowledge of the Roch-
dale system, and have never been en-
gagged in any actual, practical cooper
alive effort themselves, are not quail
flied, are not competent, as authorities
to decide as to what can be done by
cooperation and what cannot be done.
During the last hundred years any
number of things have been accom-
plished that seIf-deluded wiseacres as
serted couldn't be done. 1t cannot be
computed to what an extent the pro-
gress of mankind has been retarded by
conceited, malicious cyclists who never
did anything helpful for mankind them
selves, but bluffed the people by their
paraded virtue and impudence.
All the wonderful achievement in
industry, in machinery, means of tra-
vel and communication in the past had
to run the gauntlet of ridicule. denun-
citation and persecution. Narrow-mind-
ed cyclists not even stopping at GRIM
inaI libel in venting their spleen. Such
a case only recently happened IN Eng
land, when a cooperative enterprise
was attacked. and the offender was
heavily mulcted in a large sum for the
outrage committed. 1t remains to be
seen whether deliberate slanderers in
America can commit their outrages with
unwhipped Of justice.
Various people differ in their con-
ception and ideas as to the extent to
which cooperation should be engaged
in, or can successfully be carried on
this must remain optional with each
respective group. The cooperative
should not be disgraced by
narrow antagonist, pharisa-
ical denunciation Of one another, and
holier-than-thou attitude and persecu-
ton, such as characterized many reli-