The Washington times., 1933-11-25
The Machine in Your Head
The Study of It's Working Is Called Psychology

be interested himself and investigate and try under
stand the queer thinking apparatus inside his skull.
In other words he ought to interest himself in psychology
which the study of the spirit the thinking and
ali that goes to make up human being, apart from his
physical body.
good book for those that would like condensed presen
taton of psychology is published by Holt Co. called
"A Textbook of Psychology" written by William James,
greatest American psychologist
Also you will be interested in William James book Talks
to Teachers Psychology and to Students Some Of
Life's Ideals"
Psychology you that the theories of Communists
however beautiful unselfsh in theory be
neny established at least until human nature shall have
changed completely.
Mems desire for private individual ownership individual
things begins when the child years DID, sometimes
earlier and ends when he being dressed for the coffin
William James tells teachers parents that it is mis-
take and injurious the child n9 insist much of the
old-fashioned learning by heart"
What merely the mind through the for
do possess When learn it by heart" actually
have it. The finest samples of good poetry should be thus
learned also good prose- But the poetry especially
teachers believe that learning by heart is out Of
date Nevertheless they compel children to learn the multi
pcaton table by heart and recte Thirty days hath Sep
tember April June and November when they want to
member the number of days in month.
Psychology tells you that the three emotions that have
greatest power fear the weapon by rulers
by teachers that do not understand better
method. Love- through which mothers have brought
from cannibalsm to their present state Of civilization
And curiosity, that makes all endeavor to explain to
ourselves do understand and thus increase
knowledge.
To the three you might add IMAGINATION that carries
forward into worlds and possibilities and then
AMBITION which, fortunately makes forever dissat
fled with what we have. Without ambition should still
be riding carts rather wouldn't even have OK
carts Like monkeys and other animals should still be
satisfied to around on our own feet
William James tells you that to make life happy and
full the important thing to establish good habits and
get rid Of bad habits and conquer unwise impulses
James tells of wise Austrian who advertised in nespa
per that pay fifty gulden to anybody who should
find him certain wine shop His advertisement kept him
out the wine shop and helped him to break bad habit
"The of the details of our daily lite We can
hand the efortless custody of dutOnatisn the
more higher powers of mind Oil be set free for
their proper work.
"There is n o miserable human being than
in uUon1 nothing habitual but LNDECISION, and for
uOhOrn the lighting of every cigar, the drinking Of
cup, the time of rising and going to bed every day
requires a special effort of the WiN."
William James put it in psychological language express
voitional deliberation"
It said of Lord Macaulay and the late Theodore Roose
welt both could read with extraordinary rapidty taking
in the meaning Of half page at glance That is exaggera
ton At glance you may whether quotation marks
names half page might interest you
But no reads half page at glance James says
"SOmc take four times as long Others to absorb
rule the best immediate recollcctOrs but the most
Intellectually capable Several highly distinguished
in science and literature turned out to be 'lOw
readers"
The business of the mind is take impressions through
eyes, the written word then think and do
thing.
Our use of will power decides destiny
One who would stop drinking would always find
for drink James. It is "a case Of not
wasting good liquor already poured out of not
being chursh and unsocabe when in the midst Of friends
or learning something at last about interesting
brand of whiskey, celebrating public holiday getting
strength enough to form another good resolution against
drink" Such will not stop drinking
should have many different interests in your life
possible such interests openings into the mind letting
in happiness.
Darwin regretted that he allowed himself to lose all interest
in poetry after the age of thirty Even as schooboy
took delight in Shakespeare especially in the hor
cal plays But for many years cannot endure to read
line of poetry. have also lost my taste for pictures
music
The great naturalist declared that his mind became "a kind
Of machine for grinding general laws out Of large collections
of facts
of letting particular interest destroy all Others
of -