the foundations of personality-第12章

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ted　with　an　uncertainty；　a　sense　of　unreality；　that　is　almost　agonizing。　As　the　effects　of　the　poison　wear　off；　which　even　in　favorable　cases　takes　months；　the　impressibility　returns　but　never　reaches　normality　again。　Unquestionably　there　is　an　inherent　congenital　difference　in　memory　capacity。　There　are　people　who　are　prodigies　of　memory　as　there　are　those　who　are　prodigies　of　physical　strength；and　without　training。　The　IMPRESSIBILITY　for　memories　can　in　no　way　be　increased　except　through　the　stimulation　of　interest　and　a　certain　heightening　of　attention　through　emotion。　For　the　man　or　woman　concerned　with　memory　the　first　point　of　importance　is　to　find　some　value　in　the　fact　or　thing　to　be　learned。　Before　a　subject　is　broached　to　students　the　teacher　should　make　clear　its　practical　and　theoretic　value　to　the　students。　Too　often　that　is　the　last　thing　done　and　it　is　only　when　the　course　is　finished　that　its　practical　meaning　is　stressed　or　even　indicated。　In　fact；　throughout；　teaching　the　value　of　the　subject　should　constantly　be　emphasized；　if　possible；　by　illustrations　from　life。　There　are　only　a　few　who　love　knowledge　for　its　own　sake；　but　there　are　many　who　become　eager　for　learning　when　it　is　made　practical。　The　number　of　associations　given　to　a　fact　determines　to　a　large　extent　its　permanence　in　memory　and　the　power　of　recalling　it。　In　my　own　teaching　I　always　instruct　my　students　in　the　technique　of　memorizing；　as　follows：　1。　Listen　attentively；　making　only　as　many　notes　as　necessary　to　recall　the　leading　facts。　The　auditory　memories　are　thus　given　the　first　place。　2。　Go　home　and　read　up　the　subject　in　your　textbooks；　again　making　notes。　Thus　is　added　the　visual　associations。　3。　Write　out　in　brief　form　the　substance　of　the　lecture；　deriving　your　knowledge　from　both　the　lecture　and　the　book。　You　thus　add　another　set　of　associations　to　your　memories　of　the　subject。　4。　Teach　the　subject　to　or　discuss　it　with　a　fellow　student。　By　this　you　vitalize　the　memories　you　have；　you　link　them　firmly　together；　you　lend　to　them　the　ardor　of　usefulness　and　of　victory。　You　are　forced　to　realize　where　the　gaps；　the　lacunae　of　your　knowledge　come；　and　are　made　to　fill　them　in。　Thus　the　best　way　to　remember　a　fact　is　to　find　a　use　for　it　and　to　link　it　to　your　interests　and　your　purposes。　Unrelated　it　has　no　value；　related　it　becomes　in　fact　a　part　of　you。　After　that　the　mechanics　of　memory　necessitate　the　making　of　as　many　pathways　to　that　fact　as　possible；　and　this　means　deliberately　to　associate　the　fact　by　sound；　by　speech　and　by　action。　The　advertised　schemes　of　memory　training　are　simply　association　schemes；　old　as　the　hills；　and　having　value　indeed；　but　too　much　is　claimed　for　them。　A　splendid　memory　is　born；　not　made；　but　any　memory；　except　where　disease　has　entered；　can　be　improved　by　training。　It　is　because　lectures　on　the　whole　do　not　supply　enough　associations　or　arouse　enough　interest　that　the　lecture　is　the　poorest　method　of　teaching　or　learning。　Man's　mind　sticks　easily　to　things；　but　with　difficulty　to　words　about　things。　To　maintain　attention　for　an　hour　or　so；　while　sitting；　is　a　task；　and　there　develops　a　tendency　either　to　a　hypnoidal　state　in　which　the　mind　follows　uncritically；　or　to　a　restless　uneasiness　with　wandering　mind　and　fatigue　of　body。　A　demonstration；　on　the　other　hand；　a　laboratory　experiment　with　short；　personal　instruction；　a　bodily　contact　with　the　problem　calls　into　play　interest；　enthusiasm；　curiosity；　motor　images；　the　use　of　the　hands；　and　is　THE　method　of　teaching。　There　are　at　present　excellent　psychological　methods　of　testing　out　the　memory　capacity。　Every　one　engaged　in　any　responsible　work；　or　troubled　about　his　memory；　should　be　so　tested。　While　there　are　other　qualities　of　mind　of　great　importance；　memory　is　basic；　and　no　one　can　really　understand　himself　who　is　in　doubt　about　his　memory。　In　such　diseases　as　neurasthenia　one　of　the　commonest　complaints　is　the　〃loss　of　memory；〃　which　greatly　troubles　the　patient。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　what　is　impaired　is　interest　and　attention；　and　when　the　patient　realizes　this　he　is　usually　quite　relieved。　The　man　who　has　a　poor　memory　may　become　very　successful　if　he　develops　systems　of　recording；　filing；　indexing；　but　his　possibilities　of　knowledge　are　greatly　reduced　by　his　defect。＇1＇　＇1＇　It　is　the　growth　of　the　subject　matter　of　knowledge　that　makes　necessary　the　elaborate　systems　of　indexing；　etc。；　now　so　important。　It　is　as　much　as　man　can　do　to　follow　the　places　where　the　men　work；　let　alone　what　they　are　doing。　This　growth　of　knowledge　is　getting　to　be　an　extra…human　phenomenon。　Of　this　Graham　Wallas　has　written　entertainingly。

A　second　fundamental　ability　of　living　tissue；　and　of　particular　importance　in　character；　is　habit　formation。　Habit　resides　in　the　fact　that　once　living　tissue　has　been　traversed　by　a　stimulus　and　has　responded　by　an　act；　three　things　result：　1。　The　pathway　for　that　stimulus　becomes　more　permeable；　becomes；　as　it　were；　grooved　or　like　a　track　laid　across　the　living　structure　of　the　nervous　system。　2。　The　responding　element　is　more　easily　stirred　into　activity；　responds　with　more　vigor　and　with　less　effort。　3。　Consciousness；　at　first　invoked；　recedes　more　and　more；　until　the　habit…action　of　whatever　type　tends　to　become　automatic。　There　is　in　this　last　peculiarity　a　tendency　for　the　habit　to　establish　itself　as　independent　of　the　personality；　and　if　an　injurious　or　undesired　habit；　to　set　up　the　worst　of　the　conflicts　of　life；a　conflict　between　one's　intention　and　an　automaton　in　the　shape　of　a　powerfully　entrenched　habit。　Habits　are　economical　of　thought　and　energy；　generally　speaking；　that　is　their　main　recommendation。　A　dozen　examples　present　themselves　at　once　as　illustrative：　piano　playing；　with　its　intense　concentration　on　each　note；　with　consciousness　attending　to　the　action　of　each　muscle；　and　then　practice；　habit　formation；　and　the　ease　and　power　of　execution　with　the　mind　free　to　wander　off　in　the　moods　suggested　by　the　music；　or　to　busy　itself　with　improvisations；　flourishes　and　the　artistic　touches。　Before　true　artistry　can　come；　technique　must　be　relegated　to　habit。　So　with　typewriting；　driving　an　automobile；　etc。　More　fundamental　than　these；　which　are　largely　skill　habits；　are　the　organic　habits。　One　of　the　triumphs　of　pediatrics　depends　upon　the　realization　that　the　baby's　welfare　hangs　on　regular　habits　of　feeding；　that　he　is　not　to　be　fed　except　at　stated　intervals；　as　a　result　processes　of　digestion　are　set　going　in　a　regular；　harmonious　manner。　In　other　words；　these　processes　may　be　said　to　〃get　to　know〃　what　is　expected　of　them　and　act　accordingly。　The　mother's　time　is　economized　and　the　strain　of　nursing　is　lessened。　In　adults；　regular　hours　of　eating　make　it　possible　for　the　juices　of　digestion　to　be　secreted　as　the　food　is　ingested；　in　other　words；　an　habitual　adjustment　takes　place。　If　there　were　one　single　health　habit　that　I　would　have　inculcated　above　all　others；　it　would　be　the　habit　of　regularly　evacuating　the　bowels。　While　constipation　is　not　the　worst　ill　in　the　world；　it　causes　much　trouble；　annoyance　and　a　considerable　degree　of　ill　health；　and；　in　my　opinion；　a　considerable　degree　of　unhappiness。　A　physician　may　be　pardoned　for　frank　advice：　all　the　matters　concerning　the　bowels；　such　as　coarse　foods；　plenty　of　water　and　exercise；　are　secondary　compared　to　the　habit　of　going　to　the　stool　at　the　same　time　each　day；　whether　there　be　desire　or　not。　A　child　should　be　trained　in　this　matter　as　definitely　as　he　is　trained　to　brush　his　teeth。　In　fact；　I　think　that　the　former　habit　is　more　important　than　the　latter。　The　mood　of　man　is　remarkably　related　to　the　condition　of　his　gastro…intestinal　tract　and　the　involuntary　muscle　of　that　tract　is　indirectly　under　the　control　of　the　will　through　habit　formation。　Sleep＇1＇　the　mysterious；　the　death　in　life　which　we　all　seek　each　night；　is　likewise　regulated　by　habit。　Arising　from　the　need　of　relief　from　consciousness　and　bodily　exertion；　the　mechanism　of　sleep　is　still　not　well　understood。　Is　there　a　toxic　influence　at　work？　is　the　body　poisoned　by　itself；　as　it　were；　as　has　been　postulated；　is　there　a　toxin　of　fatigue；　or　is　there　a　〃vaso…motor〃　reaction；　a　shif