01-what is man-第13章

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Y。M。　　Yes；　I　did　my　honest　best。



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

or　think　about？



Y。M。　　It　was　this　question：　　If　A　owes　B　a　dollar　and　a

half；　and　B　owes　C　two　and　three…quarter；　and　C　owes　A　thirty…

five　cents；　and　D　and　A　together　owe　E　and　B　three…sixteenths　of

ofI　don't　remember　the　rest；　now；　but　anyway　it　was　wholly

uninteresting；　and　I　could　not　force　my　mind　to　stick　to　it　even

half　a　minute　at　a　time；　it　kept　flying　off　to　the　other　text。



O。M。　　What　was　the　other　text？



Y。M。　　It　is　no　matter　about　that。



O。M。　　But　what　was　it？



Y。M。　　A　photograph。



O。M。　　Your　own？



Y。M。　　No。　　It　was　hers。



O。M。　　You　really　made　an　honest　good　test。　　Did　you　make　a

second　trial？



Y。M。　　Yes。　　I　commanded　my　mind　to　interest　itself　in　the

morning　paper's　report　of　the　pork…market；　and　at　the　same　time　I

reminded　it　of　an　experience　of　mine　of　sixteen　years　ago。　　It

refused　to　consider　the　pork　and　gave　its　whole　blazing　interest

to　that　ancient　incident。



O。M。　　What　was　the　incident？



Y。M。　　An　armed　desperado　slapped　my　face　in　the　presence　of

twenty　spectators。　　It　makes　me　wild　and　murderous　every　time　I

think　of　it。



O。M。　　Good　tests；　both；　very　good　tests。　　Did　you　try　my

other　suggestion？



Y。M。　　The　one　which　was　to　prove　to　me　that　if　I　would　leave

my　mind　to　its　own　devices　it　would　find　things　to　think　about

without　any　of　my　help；　and　thus　convince　me　that　it　was　a

machine；　an　automatic　machine；　set　in　motion　by　exterior

influences；　and　as　independent　of　me　as　it　could　be　if　it　were　in

some　one　else's　skull。　　Is　that　the　one？



O。M。　　Yes。



Y。M。　　I　tried　it。　　I　was　shaving。　　I　had　slept　well；　and　my

mind　was　very　lively；　even　gay　and　frisky。　　It　was　reveling　in　a

fantastic　and　joyful　episode　of　my　remote　boyhood　which　had

suddenly　flashed　up　in　my　memorymoved　to　this　by　the　spectacle

of　a　yellow　cat　picking　its　way　carefully　along　the　top　of　the

garden　wall。　　The　color　of　this　cat　brought　the　bygone　cat　before

me；　and　I　saw　her　walking　along　the　side…step　of　the　pulpit；　saw

her　walk　on　to　a　large　sheet　of　sticky　fly…paper　and　get　all　her

feet　involved；　saw　her　struggle　and　fall　down；　helpless　and

dissatisfied；　more　and　more　urgent；　more　and　more　unreconciled；

more　and　more　mutely　profane；　saw　the　silent　congregation

quivering　like　jelly；　and　the　tears　running　down　their　faces。　　I

saw　it　all。　　The　sight　of　the　tears　whisked　my　mind　to　a　far

distant　and　a　sadder　scenein　Terra　del　Fuegoand　with　Darwin's

eyes　I　saw　a　naked　great　savage　hurl　his　little　boy　against　the

rocks　for　a　trifling　fault；　saw　the　poor　mother　gather　up　her

dying　child　and　hug　it　to　her　breast　and　weep；　uttering　no　word。

Did　my　mind　stop　to　mourn　with　that　nude　black　sister　of　mine？

Noit　was　far　away　from　that　scene　in　an　instant；　and　was

busying　itself　with　an　ever…recurring　and　disagreeable　dream　of

mine。　　In　this　dream　I　always　find　myself；　stripped　to　my　shirt；

cringing　and　dodging　about　in　the　midst　of　a　great　drawing…room

throng　of　finely　dressed　ladies　and　gentlemen；　and　wondering　how

I　got　there。　　And　so　on　and　so　on；　picture　after　picture；

incident　after　incident；　a　drifting　panorama　of　ever…changing；

ever…dissolving　views　manufactured　by　my　mind　without　any　help

from　mewhy；　it　would　take　me　two　hours　to　merely　name　the

multitude　of　things　my　mind　tallied　off　and　photographed　in

fifteen　minutes；　let　alone　describe　them　to　you。



O。M。　　A　man's　mind；　left　free；　has　no　use　for　his　help。　　But

there　is　one　way　whereby　he　can　get　its　help　when　he　desires　it。



Y。M。　　What　is　that　way？



O。M。　　When　your　mind　is　racing　along　from　subject　to　subject

and　strikes　an　inspiring　one；　open　your　mouth　and　begin　talking

upon　that　matterortake　your　pen　and　use　that。　　It　will

interest　your　mind　and　concentrate　it；　and　it　will　pursue　the

subject　with　satisfaction。　　It　will　take　full　charge；　and　furnish

the　words　itself。



Y。M。　　But　don't　I　tell　it　what　to　say？



O。M。　　There　are　certainly　occasions　when　you　haven't　time。

The　words　leap　out　before　you　know　what　is　coming。



Y。M。　　For　instance？



O。M。　　Well；　take　a　〃flash　of　wit〃repartee。　　Flash　is　the

right　word。　　It　is　out　instantly。　　There　is　no　time　to　arrange

the　words。　　There　is　no　thinking；　no　reflecting。　　Where　there　is

a　wit…mechanism　it　is　automatic　in　its　action　and　needs　no　help。

Where　the　whit…mechanism　is　lacking；　no　amount　of　study　and

reflection　can　manufacture　the　product。



Y。M。　　You　really　think　a　man　originates　nothing；　creates　nothing。







The　Thinking…Process



O。M。　　I　do。　　Men　perceive；　and　their　brain…machines

automatically　combine　the　things　perceived。　　That　is　all。



Y。M。　　The　steam…engine？



O。M。　　It　takes　fifty　men　a　hundred　years　to　invent　it。　　One

meaning　of　invent　is　discover。　　I　use　the　word　in　that　sense。

Little　by　little　they　discover　and　apply　the　multitude　of　details

that　go　to　make　the　perfect　engine。　　Watt　noticed　that　confined

steam　was　strong　enough　to　lift　the　lid　of　the　teapot。　　He　didn't

create　the　idea；　he　merely　discovered　the　fact；　the　cat　had

noticed　it　a　hundred　times。　　From　the　teapot　he　evolved　the

cylinderfrom　the　displaced　lid　he　evolved　the　piston…rod。　　To

attach　something　to　the　piston…rod　to　be　moved　by　it；　was　a

simple　mattercrank　and　wheel。　　And　so　there　was　a　working

engine。　＇1＇



One　by　one；　improvements　were　discovered　by　men　who　used

their　eyes；　not　their　creating　powersfor　they　hadn't　anyand

now；　after　a　hundred　years　the　patient　contributions　of　fifty　or

a　hundred　observers　stand　compacted　in　the　wonderful　machine

which　drives　the　ocean　liner。



Y。M。　　A　Shakespearean　play？



O。M。　　The　process　is　the　same。　　The　first　actor　was　a

savage。　　He　reproduced　in　his　theatrical　war…dances；　scalp…

dances；　and　so　on；　incidents　which　he　had　seen　in　real　life。　　A

more　advanced　civilization　produced　more　incidents；　more

episodes；　the　actor　and　the　story…teller　borrowed　them。　　And　so

the　drama　grew；　little　by　little；　stage　by　stage。　　It　is　made　up

of　the　facts　of　life；　not　creations。　　It　took　centuries　to

develop　the　Greek　drama。　　It　borrowed　from　preceding　ages；　it

lent　to　the　ages　that　came　after。　　Men　observe　and　combine；　that

is　all。　　So　does　a　rat。



Y。M。　　How？



O。M。　　He　observes　a　smell；　he　infers　a　cheese；　he　seeks　and

finds。　　The　astronomer　observes　this　and　that；　adds　his　this　and

that　to　the　this…and…thats　of　a　hundred　predecessors；　infers　an

invisible　planet；　seeks　it　and　finds　it。　　The　rat　gets　into　a

trap；　gets　out　with　trouble；　infers　that　cheese　in　traps　lacks

value；　and　meddles　with　that　trap　no　more。　　The　astronomer　is

very　proud　of　his　achievement；　the　rat　is　proud　of　his。　　Yet　both

are　machines；　they　have　done　machine　work；　they　have　originated

nothing；　they　have　no　right　to　be　vain；　the　whole　credit　belongs

to　their　Maker。　　They　are　entitled　to　no　honors；　no　praises；　no

monuments　when　they　die；　no　remembrance。　　One　is　a　complex　and

elaborate　machine；　the　other　a　simple　and　limited　machine；　but

they　are　alike　in　principle；　function；　and　process；　and　neither

of　them　works　otherwise　than　automatically；　and　neither　of　them

may　righteously　claim　a　PERSONAL　superiority　or　a　personal

dignity　above　the　other。



Y。M。　　In　earned　personal　dignity；　then；　and　in　personal　merit

for　what　he　does；　it　follows　of　necessity　that　he　is　on　the

same　level　as　a　rat？



O。M。　　His　brother　the　rat；　yes；　that　is　how　it　seems　to　me。

Neither　of　them　being　entitled　to　any　personal　merit　for　what　he

does；　it　follows　of　necessity　that　neither　of　them　has　a　right　to

arrogate　to　himself　（personally　created）　superiorities　over　his

brother。



Y。M。　　Are　you　determined　to　go　on　believing　in　these

insanities？　　Would　you　go　on　believing　in　them　in　the　face　of

able　arguments　backed　by　collated　facts　and　instances？



O。M。　　I　have　been　a　humble；　earnest；　and　si