before thought; each matter thought out, step by step, mere wish, as much as possible, being put out of the way, and the question, What is right or best? substituted; willingness held fast to give up when convinced. As an assistance, the mind should change its point of view, get into a new atmosphere of life, and bring about other physical conditions. Cultivate the Moods of Reason and Righteousness. 10. In general, the Will may be said to be diseased when the mind cannot patiently attend; when the mind cannot clearly and persistently exercise memory; when the mind cannot clearly and persistently exercise the imagination; when the mind cannot clearly and persistently exercise the powers of reasoning; when the mind will not call up, and reason in regard to, great moral principles. Because of these failures arise weakness, indecision, fickleness, want of perseverance, violence, obstinacy, headstrong willfulness and perversity. Cure: Resolute cultivation of the willing-mood, and faithful observance of all exercises suggested in Part III. BE MASTER. Be master! Of thy work: Or nerve or bone To capture crown and throne; Splendidly! Be master! Of thy place: In sooth, the case Must test thy soul Ne'er weakling wins the goal; Still,-bankrupt go Lord"Power" to know. Be master! Of one art: To prove this kingly quest; -THE AUTHOR, CHAPTER V. TRAINING OF THE WILL. HE great thing in all education is to make our nervous system our ally instead of our enemy. "For this we must make automatic and habitual, as early as possible, as many useful actions as we can, and as carefully guard against growing into ways that are likely to be disadvantageous. "In the acquisition of a new habit, or the leaving off of an old one, we must take care to launch ourselves with as strong and decided an initiative as possible. "Never suffer an exception to occur till the new habit is securely rooted in your life. "Seize the very first possible opportunity to act on every resolution you make, and on every emotional prompting you may experience in the direction of the habits you aspire to gain."- Professor William James. The power of person in Will may be trained and developed, as has been suggested. "By this statement is meant, not only that it may be exercised and strengthened by the various agencies of command, encouragement, and instruction" in the school-room, but that ability to originate a purposeful action, and to continue a series. of actions with an end in view, may be cultivated and disciplined by personal attention thereto, and by specific exercises undertaken by the individual. The need of such development and training is evident from the following facts: "Not unfrequently a strong volitional power originally exists, but lies dormant for want of being called into exercise, and here it is that judicious training can work its greatest wonders." In many persons Will-power is confessedly weak, life being very largely, so to speak, automatic. And in multitudes the Will exhibits the disorders mentioned in the chapter on "Diseases of the Will." It is singular that so little would seem to have been written on this important subject, and that the training of the Will should now receive, as it does, such scant attention in modern educational methods. In works on psychology and education, paragraphs may be found here and there indicating the importance of Will-training, but they are curiously deficient in suggestions of methods referring the matter to personal effort. "The education of the Will is really of far greater importance, as shaping the destiny of the individual, than that of the intellect. Theory and doctrine, and inculcation of laws and propositions, will never of themselves lead to the uniform habit of right action. It is by doing, that we learn to do; by overcoming, that we learn to overcome; by obeying reason and conscience, that we learn to obey; and every right action which we cause to spring out of pure principles, whether by authority, precept or example, will have a greater weight in the formation of character than all the theory in the world." Education of the mind's powers should not be left to hap-hazard methods. If the end of education is the evolution of these powers, methods of the direct gymnasium order are in demand. And, as all mental faculties are mutual in interaction, any scientific method which seeks, by specific gymnasium exercises, the development of one faculty, must result in cultivation of others, whether immediately or remotely related thereto. PRINCIPLES IN WILL-TRAINING. 1. Any direct effort to cultivate the perceptive powers must affect the growth of memory, imagination and reason. 2. Any direct effort to cultivate the memory must affect the growth of the perceptive powers, imagination and reason. 3. Any direct effort to cultivate the imagination must affect the growth of the perceptive powers, memory and reason. 4. Any direct effort to cultivate the reasoning powers must affect the perceptive powers, memory and imagination. 5. Any direct effort to cultivate the moral faculties must affect the growth of the perceptive powers, memory, imagination and reason. 6. And any direct effort to cultivate the perceptive powers, memory, imagination, reasoning or moral faculties must affect the growth of the Will. Yet the application of definite and scientific methods to the discipline and growth of the perceptive powers, the imagination, the memory and the reason seems to be largely wanting in all the schools. In what school to-day are classes formed for the education of the power of observation? Where is scientific attention given to the cultivation of the imagination? What college schedules any definite number of hours to the strengthening and training of the memory? Probably nowhere in the world are there any specific efforts made to increase and train the power of the Will. |