Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-15
fcontinued From First Page.l

editor of "The London Statesman"
that Europe today Is governed by OLD
naen-as he put it. VERY old and very
tired men,"
booming bigger and bigger on the nor.
izon of every civilized nation. England
has tried to solve 1t all with dole;
Germany has experimental with vari-
Gus types of old-age insurance; Russia
believes that in some mysterious way
her gigantic schemes OF social control
will meet it, while France Is trying to
buy more babies from nature instead
of spending this money in providing
for the old age Of those already born.
And in New York State, on January
/ of this year, the first pensions for
old people without support were paid
from the treasury of the State. While
this Is q temporary Stop-gap, Gov.
Roosevelt believes that much more
scientific legislation can be framed,
since the present system, he points out,
is merely the expansion Of the time
l1onored poor relief into State and
even a national institution. I think
every social student viii agree with this
belief
However, while the statesman, finan-
cier, philanthropist and social worker
are lending a hand toward the solution
of this portentous situation, 1t hap
pens that a new group OF students
has suddenly appeared from the labora-
tories of science, bringing with them
hope and encouragement from entirely
new angles-angles not of philanthropy
or legislation, but of mental attitude,
mental discovery and emotional adjust
ment These avenues of approach are
bound to aid the individual. in meet
tng-indeed, warding off-the day OF
heart-break age, that tragic day when
the employment manager says to the
applicant, I'm sorry, but you are too
old" They are also bound to aid IN
shaping legislation and both industrial
and philanthropic policy in solving this
problem which even the richest and
proudest may, through individual or
national misfortune, some day have to
meet.
Professions Are Entirely New.
The first of these new approaches
Is that of the pSychiatrtSt and con-
sulting psychologist. These are entirely
new professions, although the priest,
In their own way for ages have given
hope to the detected, courage to the
fearsome and rest to the weary and
heavy laden. But the consulting
psychologist, to whom you take your
mental difficulties nowadays just as
heretofore you have taken your bodily
ailments, has attacked this problem of
adjusting your mind to life and its
trials by scientific procedures, by show
ing you the unused laws of the mind
and by revealing to you new inner
sources of courage and strength. One
of the happieSt things / have ever
seen has been the transformation in
the mental outlook, the new peace of
mind and sense of fearlessness in facing
the world that some of these psycholo-
gtsts and psychiatristS have brought
to unhappy and discouraged people.
In this field DR.. Lorine Pruette of
the staff of the psychological clinic
of the Consulting Psychologists of New
York has recently made study of the
mental attitudes Of old people-mostly
those out of work or in fear of Icing
thrown out of work-and the new men
tai attitudes of hope and courage she
has been able to develop in many Of
them are among the most heartening
practical applications of science that
know. In fact, 1t was talking with DR..
Pruette about this research and some
of its happy results that the title of
this paper suggested itself, as she re-
marked that one Of the greatest prob
lens before the psychologist was 70
help adjust people to meet what we
break age"
This means not old age with family
and friends and q home, but old age
without money or self-support. In
many cases these psychologists flnd that
the mental anguish far exceeds the
actual physical wants and needs, and
they are often able, by adjusting the
mind to realities. to replace chronic fear
with chronic courage and I'LL the mind
with genuine, sustaining hope.
Ability to Learn Astonishing.
But the second and even more en-
eouraging outlook for heart-break age
comes from the astonishing revelations
of the ability Of older people to learn
to learn new mechanical processes, new
methods OF conducting business, new
trades and professions, new languages
and modes of speech, new social and
political opinions, new religious con-
nections, new tastes for food-in fact,
anything new you need to learn or want
20 learn.
do not hesitate to say that nothing
In recent years has given me so much
personal encouragement. These new
and accurate studies on how easily and
fast we older people can learn anything
we want to do or want to know have
made me feel am just beginning my
education. Maybe it will encourage you
for me to say that am away past So
my, my, it won't be many years until !
am 60l-and learned the touch sys-
TEN of typewriting last Summer while
was taking a little vacation. While I
dictate nearly all my books and articles,
frequently want to write alone, and
after Straining my eyes and nerves for
80 years using the hunt" system-that
is. hunting for the keys-I bought an
instruction pamphlet for IS cents and
improved more in the first three days
than had improved In the previous 80
years. In fact, all these years had, as
the psychologists say. been "practicing
my errors" am convinced from these
recent studies by psychologists that
learned this touch system better than I
would have done at any age up to Is
or Is and about as well as at any time
Of life when I take into account my
great interest in 1t and passion to do
It right.
But, Of course, personal testimony Is
as nothing compared with experimental
results. and the unquestioned leader In
this field Of researches in 50 many
other fields of psychologists Prof. Ed
ward L. Thorndike of the Institute Of
Educational Research of Teachers Col
lege, Columbia University. Prof. Thorn
dixie and his colleagues spent nearly two
years, financed by a generous grant
from the Carnegie Corporation, in
studying this problem Of the ability Of
mature and old people to learn. The
results are so encouraging that we who
are past rs or 80 should take new heart
for our daily tasks and gain new conf
dence in our mental and physical
powers.
Prof. Thorndike has recently pub
hshed this extensive technical research
in book entitled Adult Learning"
4. L. a 49, g.
educators for many years to come. And
one Of its biggest results ought to be to