01-what is man-第12章

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for　which　their　long　gestation　had　made　preparation。　　It　had

never　entered　the　head　of　Henry　to　rob　the　manhis　ingot　had

been　subjected　to　clean　steam　only；　but　George's　had　been

subjected　to　vaporized　quicksilver。







V



More　About　the　Machine



Note。When　Mrs。　W。　asks　how　can　a　millionaire　give　a　single

dollar　to　colleges　and　museums　while　one　human　being　is　destitute

of　bread；　she　has　answered　her　question　herself。　　Her　feeling　for

the　poor　shows　that　she　has　a　standard　of　benevolence；　there　she

has　conceded　the　millionaire's　privilege　of　having　a　standard；

since　she　evidently　requires　him　to　adopt　her　standard；　she　is　by

that　act　requiring　herself　to　adopt　his。　　The　human　being　always

looks　down　when　he　is　examining　another　person's　standard；　he

never　find　one　that　he　has　to　examine　by　looking　up。









The　Man…Machine　Again





Young　Man。　　You　really　think　man　is　a　mere　machine？



Old　Man。　　I　do。



Y。M。　　And　that　his　mind　works　automatically　and　is

independent　of　his　controlcarries　on　thought　on　its　own　hook？



O。M。　　Yes。　　It　is　diligently　at　work；　unceasingly　at　work；

during　every　waking　moment。　　Have　you　never　tossed　about　all

night；　imploring；　beseeching；　commanding　your　mind　to　stop　work

and　let　you　go　to　sleep？you　who　perhaps　imagine　that　your　mind

is　your　servant　and　must　obey　your　orders；　think　what　you　tell　it

to　think；　and　stop　when　you　tell　it　to　stop。　　When　it　chooses　to

work；　there　is　no　way　to　keep　it　still　for　an　instant。　　The

brightest　man　would　not　be　able　to　supply　it　with　subjects　if　he

had　to　hunt　them　up。　　If　it　needed　the　man's　help　it　would　wait

for　him　to　give　it　work　when　he　wakes　in　the　morning。



Y。M。　　Maybe　it　does。



O。M。　　No；　it　begins　right　away；　before　the　man　gets　wide

enough　awake　to　give　it　a　suggestion。　　He　may　go　to　sleep　saying；

〃The　moment　I　wake　I　will　think　upon　such　and　such　a　subject；〃

but　he　will　fail。　　His　mind　will　be　too　quick　for　him；　by　the

time　he　has　become　nearly　enough　awake　to　be　half　conscious；　he

will　find　that　it　is　already　at　work　upon　another　subject。　　Make

the　experiment　and　see。



Y。M。　　At　any　rate；　he　can　make　it　stick　to　a　subject　if　he

wants　to。



O。M。　　Not　if　it　find　another　that　suits　it　better。　　As　a

rule　it　will　listen　to　neither　a　dull　speaker　nor　a　bright　one。

It　refuses　all　persuasion。　　The　dull　speaker　wearies　it　and　sends

it　far　away　in　idle　dreams；　the　bright　speaker　throws　out

stimulating　ideas　which　it　goes　chasing　after　and　is　at　once

unconscious　of　him　and　his　talk。　　You　cannot　keep　your　mind　from

wandering；　if　it　wants　to；　it　is　master；　not　you。







After　an　Interval　of　Days





O。M。　　Now；　dreamsbut　we　will　examine　that　later。

Meantime；　did　you　try　commanding　your　mind　to　wait　for　orders

from　you；　and　not　do　any　thinking　on　its　own　hook？



Y。M。　　Yes；　I　commanded　it　to　stand　ready　to　take　orders　when

I　should　wake　in　the　morning。



O。M。　　Did　it　obey？



Y。M。　　No。　　It　went　to　thinking　of　something　of　its　own

initiation；　without　waiting　for　me。　　Alsoas　you　suggestedat

night　I　appointed　a　theme　for　it　to　begin　on　in　the　morning；　and

commanded　it　to　begin　on　that　one　and　no　other。



O。M。　　Did　it　obey？



Y。M。　　No。



O。M。　　How　many　times　did　you　try　the　experiment？



Y。M。　　Ten。



O。M。　　How　many　successes　did　you　score？



Y。M。　　Not　one。



O。M。　　It　is　as　I　have　said：　　the　mind　is　independent　of　the

man。　　He　has　no　control　over　it；　it　does　as　it　pleases。　　It　will

take　up　a　subject　in　spite　of　him；　it　will　stick　to　it　in　spite

of　him；　it　will　throw　it　aside　in　spite　of　him。　　It　is　entirely

independent　of　him。



Y。M。　　Go　on。　　Illustrate。



O。M。　　Do　you　know　chess？



Y。M。　　I　learned　it　a　week　ago。



O。M。　　Did　your　mind　go　on　playing　the　game　all　night　that

first　night？



Y。M。　　Don't　mention　it！



O。M。　　It　was　eagerly；　unsatisfiably　interested；　it　rioted　in

the　combinations；　you　implored　it　to　drop　the　game　and　let　you

get　some　sleep？



Y。M。　　Yes。　　It　wouldn't　listen；　it　played　right　along。　　It

wore　me　out　and　I　got　up　haggard　and　wretched　in　the　morning。



O。M。　　At　some　time　or　other　you　have　been　captivated　by　a

ridiculous　rhyme…jingle？



Y。M。　　Indeed；　yes！



〃I　saw　Esau　kissing　Kate；

And　she　saw　I　saw　Esau；

I　saw　Esau；　he　saw　Kate；

And　she　saw〃



And　so　on。　　My　mind　went　mad　with　joy　over　it。　　It　repeated　it

all　day　and　all　night　for　a　week　in　spite　of　all　I　could　do　to

stop　it；　and　it　seemed　to　me　that　I　must　surely　go　crazy。



O。M。　　And　the　new　popular　song？



Y。M。　　Oh　yes！　　〃In　the　Swee…eet　By　and　By〃；　etc。　　Yes；　the

new　popular　song　with　the　taking　melody　sings　through　one's　head

day　and　night；　asleep　and　awake；　till　one　is　a　wreck。　　There　is

no　getting　the　mind　to　let　it　alone。



O。M。　　Yes；　asleep　as　well　as　awake。　　The　mind　is　quite

independent。　　It　is　master。　　You　have　nothing　to　do　with　it。　　It

is　so　apart　from　you　that　it　can　conduct　its　affairs；　sing　its

songs；　play　its　chess；　weave　its　complex　and　ingeniously

constructed　dreams；　while　you　sleep。　　It　has　no　use　for　your

help；　no　use　for　your　guidance；　and　never　uses　either；　whether

you　be　asleep　or　awake。　　You　have　imagined　that　you　could

originate　a　thought　in　your　mind；　and　you　have　sincerely　believed

you　could　do　it。



Y。M。　　Yes；　I　have　had　that　idea。



O。M。　　Yet　you　can't　originate　a　dream…thought　for　it　to　work

out；　and　get　it　accepted？



Y。M。　　No。



O。M。　　And　you　can't　dictate　its　procedure　after　it　has

originated　a　dream…thought　for　itself？



Y。M。　　No。　　No　one　can　do　it。　　Do　you　think　the　waking　mind

and　the　dream　mind　are　the　same　machine？



O。M。　　There　is　argument　for　it。　　We　have　wild　and　fantastic

day…thoughts？　　Things　that　are　dream…like？



Y。M。　　Yeslike　Mr。　Wells's　man　who　invented　a　drug　that　made

him　invisible；　and　like　the　Arabian　tales　of　the　Thousand　Nights。



O。M。　　And　there　are　dreams　that　are　rational；　simple；

consistent；　and　unfantastic？



Y。M。　　Yes。　　I　have　dreams　that　are　like　that。　　Dreams　that

are　just　like　real　life；　dreams　in　which　there　are　several

persons　with　distinctly　differentiated　charactersinventions　of

my　mind　and　yet　strangers　to　me：　　a　vulgar　person；　a　refined　one；

a　wise　person；　a　fool；　a　cruel　person；　a　kind　and　compassionate

one；　a　quarrelsome　person；　a　peacemaker；　old　persons　and　young；

beautiful　girls　and　homely　ones。　　They　talk　in　character；　each

preserves　his　own　characteristics。　　There　are　vivid　fights；　vivid

and　biting　insults；　vivid　love…passages；　there　are　tragedies　and

comedies；　there　are　griefs　that　go　to　one's　heart；　there　are

sayings　and　doings　that　make　you　laugh：　　indeed；　the　whole　thing

is　exactly　like　real　life。



O。M。　　Your　dreaming　mind　originates　the　scheme；　consistently

and　artistically　develops　it；　and　carries　the　little　drama

creditably　throughall　without　help　or　suggestion　from　you？



Y。M。　　Yes。



O。M。　　It　is　argument　that　it　could　do　the　like　awake　without　help

or　suggestion　from　youand　I　think　it　does。　　It　is　argument　that

it　is　the　same　old　mind　in　both　cases；　and　never　needs　your　help。

I　think　the　mind　is　purely　a　machine；　a　thoroughly　independent

machine；　an　automatic　machine。　　Have　you　tried　the　other

experiment　which　I　suggested　to　you？



Y。M。　　Which　one？



O。M。　　The　one　which　was　to　determine　how　much　influence　you

have　over　your　mindif　any。



Y。M。　　Yes；　and　got　more　or　less　entertainment　out　of　it。　　I

did　as　you　ordered：　　I　placed　two　texts　before　my　eyesone　a

dull　one　and　barren　of　interest；　the　other　one　full　of　interest；

inflamed　with　it；　white…hot　with　it。　　I　commanded　my　mind　to　busy

itself　solely　with　the　dull　one。



O。M。　　Did　it　obey？



Y。M。　　Well；　no；　it　didn't。　　It　busied　itself　with　the　other　one。



O。M。　　Did　you　try　hard　to　make　it　obey？



Y。M。　　Yes；　I　did　my　honest　best。



O。M。　　What　was　the　text　which　it　refused　to　be　interested　in