Books with title Tack : And How to Use It

Excerpt:IT is of the utmost importance that the individual develop, cultivate, and train his will so as to bring it under the influence of the higher part of his mental and moral being. While the will is used most effectively in developing and training the intellect and building character, it itself must be trained by itself to habitually come under the guidance of the intellect and under the influence of that which we call character.The influence of the trained will upon the several mental faculties is most marked. There are no faculties which may not be cultivated by the will. The first and great task of the will in this direction is the control and direction of the attention. The will determines the kind of interest that shall prevail at the moment, and the kind of interest largely determines the character of the man, his tastes, his feelings, his thoughts, his acts. Gordy says: "Coöperating with a pre-existing influence, the will can make a weaker one prevail over a stronger. * * * It determines which of pre-existing influences shall have control over the mind."

PSYCHOLO~Y is generally considered to be thescience of mind, although more properly it isthe science of mental states-thoughts, feelings,and acts of volition. It was formerly the customof writers on the subject of psychology to begin by anattempt to define and describe the nature of mind,before proceeding to a consideration of the subject ofthe various mental states and activities. But morerecent authorities have rebelled against this demand,and have claimed that it is no more reasonable to holdthat psych()logy should be held to an explanation of theultimate nature of mind than it is that physical sciencebe held to an explanation of the ultimate nature ofmatter. The attempt to explain the ultimate nature ofeither is futile-no actual necessity exists for explanationin either case. Physics may explain the phenomenaof matter, and psychology the phenomena of mind,without regard to the ultimate nature of the substanceof either.The science of physics hasTable of Contents I WHAT IS THE MIND · • 6; II To MECBANISM OF MENTAL STAT118 11; IlL THE GREAT NnVE CENTERS 17; IV CoNSCIOUSNESS • 24; V ATTENTION 29; VI PERCEPTION · • • 36; VII MEMORY • • • 46; YIIL MEMORY (eontinued) • 54; IX IMAGINATION • • • 62; X THE FEELINGS • '12; D THE EMOTIONS • • '19; XII THE INSTINCTIVE EMOTIONS • • 88; XIII; THE P ABSIONS • 96; -XIV THE SocIAL EMOTIONS • • 104; xv THE RELIGIOUS EMOTIONS · • 111; XVI THE )ESTHETIC EMOTIONS · • • 117; XVII Tn INTELLECTUAL EMOTIONS · 126; XVIII THE ROLE OF THE EMOTIONS • 131; XIX THE EMOTIONS AND HAPPINESS

Your Mind and How to Use It CHAPTER I. What is the Mind? Psychology is generally considered to be the science of mind, although more properly it is the science of mental states--thoughts, feelings, and acts of volition. It was formerly the custom of writers on the subject of psychology to begin by an attempt to define and describe the nature of mind, before proceeding to a consideration of the subject of the various mental spates and activities. But more recent authorities have rebelled against this demand, and have claimed that it is no more reasonable to hold that psychology should be held to an explanation of the ultimate nature of mind than it is that physical science be held to an explanation of the ultimate nature of matter. The attempt to explain the ultimate nature of either is futile--no actual necessity exists for explanation in either case. Physics may explain the phenomena of matter, and psychology the phenomena of mind, without regard to the ultimate nature of the substance of either. The science of physics has progressed steadily during the past century, notwithstanding the fact that the theories regarding the ultimate nature of matter have been revolutionized during that period. The facts of the phenomena of matter remain, notwithstanding the change of theory regarding the nature of matter itself. Science demands and holds fast to facts, regarding theories as but working hypotheses at the best. Some one has said that "theories are but the bubbles with which the grown-up children of science amuse themselves." Science holds several well-supported, though opposing, theories regarding the nature of electricity, but the facts of the phenomena of electricity, and the application thereof, are agreed upon by the disputing theorists. And so