Evening star., 1934-03-29

whose parents decree . technical
course for them; or who want TO be
bridge builders, yet are put at study
ing the piano.
Educational environments are 30
static, in the main, that the powers
of being ones self are taken away In
infancy, then later in life the child
has no escape from the influence OF
the crowd.
He wants what all want, often does
not even think he is enslaved to the
ideas and ideals of others, because he
has been so well trained to fall into
line that he thinks he is doing what
he is doing purely Of his own free
will.
A great deal Of talk goes on about
freedom, but often the freedom in
volved is purely theoretical and
scarcely exists.
The freedom to do as one pleases
does not exist for most people. be-
cause, in the very nature Of things
in society, there is no choice.
Pioneers had 1t easy in some ways,
since they must have escaped the
pressure Of the mob, the crowd, the
mass, the herd-call 1t what one will,
complimentary or uncomplimentary.
This pressure To think what others
think, to like what they like. not to
think what they do not think, not to
like what they do not like, or believe
they do not nke-this attacks all men,
;1I, lou @R&
vents them from being themselves in
an astonishingly efficient manner.
The thing has gotten so bad that
today many a man who has no idea
in the world that he is Suppressed"
in any way Is worse of than savages
living in slavery, because they have
no thinking minds, in a sense, whereas
our gentleman under discussion fondly
believes that he think his own
thoughts. But does he? Too often he
thinks what he knows will be pleasing
to others. II he will be candid with
himself, he may be astonished, from
time to time, to see how little he actu-
ally expresses what he thinks, how
often he expresses merely what others
think. or think they think.
Thus the civilized world Is in q
perpetual round of thinking the same
thing, for no better reason than every
one believes 1t will be pleasing to
others and attract less inimical at
tention. thus saving himself q great
deal Of wasted talk, etc. No wonder
civilization seems to get nowhere.
1t is only in the confidence Of q
personal letter, or in talk to a real
friend. that any one will be so honest
as to admit that when I was younger
l always had to try to be what I
wasn't and now I have to conceal
what I am"
"The floating world"-we are glad TO
be an exponent of it and to be thought
by some to be an expert in 1t.
To catch thoughts as they drift by
and to pin them down with words on
white paper is not as easy as it looks.
Working with what our correspondent
has termed chunks Of knowledge that
weigh you down" is vastly easier, espe-
cially for certain types of mind, and
It Will be found that all such instinc-
lively turn that way. They at least
know what they work with, because
they dig it up" and have it right
there staring them in the face all the
time they write.
He who lust catches things as they
float by" must make his tangibles out
OF intangibles, must keep his dream a
dream still, He works with a divine
soap bubble, which, If he can show its
colors as they are. though but for q
second. he has captured forever and
ever. Such Is his merit and his re-
ward