How to Improve the Memory/Lesson 10
LESSON X
HOW TO CONTROL THOUGHT
BEFORE considering how thought may be controlled let us fully understand what thought is. In the first place, it is, in the sense in which it is here used, the power of thinking. It is the exercise of the faculty that enables us to compare, to contrast one thing with another, such as differentiating between right and wrong; the power of arguing from premises and drawing conclusions from the argument.
In order to be able to think, we must have knowledge; in order that knowledge may be of use, we must be able to conceive and apply it; in order that it may be so conceived and so applied, we must possess judgment—the power of reasoning. Thus we have come back to our first definition of the word thought, the power of thinking.
The thought faculty possesses three attributes or elements: (1) Conception, the ability to see with the mind; the faculty or mental power of conceiving so as to make known to the understanding; the ability to compare objects and arraign them for consideration. (2) Judgment, the ability to compare conceptions; power to choose between two or more things. (3) Reasoning, the capability of comparing judgments; ability to weigh one thing against another.
Thus it will be seen that we must have the powers of conception, judgment, and reason before we will be able to think; consequently, the more these elements of the thought faculty are developed, the stronger will be the power of thought.
Conception may be strengthened by comparing objects, noticing the difference between horses, dogs, houses, streets, fields, and men. If one would have a good memory, one must not walk about aimlessly, he must observe things, and the only way in which one can learn to conceive is by paying attention. You must look in order that you may see, because if your eye rests upon an object and your thought does not go with the eye, the object is not seen. Idiots roam from place to place, their gaze wanders from object to object, but because they lack the power of conception, they also lack that of memory. Therefore, if you would learn to control your thoughts, you must first learn how to give birth to them, and this can only be done by exercising the power of conception, the first element of the thought faculty.
The best way to develop conception is to note things as they appear to you, study them to see what they possess that has attracted your attention to them, compare their attributes or elements. In fact, give birth to a thought by bringing two objects or elements together. This is what is meant by the word conception.
Judgment means a comparison of the objects you have conceived, a weighing of thing against thing, of thought against thought. You cannot weigh one thing against another until you have at least two things, and you cannot possess two things unless they exist to you, consequently you must be able to conceive before you are capable of judging.
Reason is the mental faculty that enables us to discern the difference between real and imaginary things, distinguish between right and wrong, good and bad, just and unjust. In its fullness, it means the mental nature of man. It is one of the great possessions of man that distinguish him from the brute; it is the rational nature of the human animal as contrasted with the intelligence of the brute.
In the second place, thinking is the ability to dwell upon objects or thoughts, to examine them closely, to hold on to them firmly, to brood over them until they are thoroughly perceived and understood. It is this second aspect of thinking that should be considered carefully by all who would improve the memory, because until the faculty of hovering over a thought, or dwelling upon a subject, is mastered, it will be impossible to acquire a good memory.
This hovering over a thought should be practiced faithfully. When a name is heard for the first time, it should be repeatedly mentally, and wherever it can be done with propriety, it should be repeated orally. On being presented to a stranger, it is a good plan to repeat the name after the introducer, and then to take an instantaneous mental picture of the features of the person, at the same time associating the face and the name. During the conversation, make an opportunity to speak the name in addressing the party, and if these suggestions are followed, there should be no difficulty experienced in recalling both name and face. Look closely at matter that you read, gaze through the words upon the thought, weigh it, consider it carefully, lay hold of it and place it in the storehouse of memory, there to repose until you desire to call it forth. In reading a book, note the theme or story and put it orderly away in the keeping of memory. Be careful not to jumble it up; retain the order of the developing of the theme or the telling of the story, lay hold of the sequence, and it will then be easier to recall the details. In memorizing a speech, be particular to follow closely the order of its arrangement, the divisions of opening, body, and conclusion. Systematically arrange all that belongs in the opening and carefully consider the points the speaker produces or the facts he states. In the body of the speech judge his argument, censure or approve the picture he paints or the story he narrates. In the conclusion of the speech examine closely his deductions from the arguments on the points or the application of the picture or the story. By thus laying hold of the framework it will be a simple matter to retain the details and clothe the intellectual skeleton with words when it is desired to give utterance to the speech.
Thought should be conserved. Much thought energy is wasted through not being properly directed. By this it is meant that its forces are scattered, not focused with all their power upon the object or idea. (As a tiny flame, focused upon a plate of steel by means of a blow-pipe, will cut through it as a knife cuts through a piece of cheese, so will thought, concentrated upon an object or a passage of literature, cut through what would make either obscure and lay all bare to the understanding. Mental control is what makes the masterful man or woman, and this mastery over the mind can be secured by practice. Do not permit your mind to wander, but send it in the direction you wish it to go, and hold it there until it has discerned the object, examined the face, or found the meaning. Compel it to obey, make it work, keep it active when on duty, but give it frequent periods of rest. The only way to build up the mental faculties is by using them, but care must be exercised to make this use judicious, because it is easier to tear down than it is to build up, and many memories are ruined through being abused or overworked; therefore, the mental powers should not be taxed beyond their strength; they should not be compelled to work until they are tired out, but should be rested frequently.
The mind should not be burdened with a mass of words. The brain can only hold a certain amount, and unless matters that are not to be used immediately are stowed away in the inner passages of the brain, there to repose until they are needed, there will be no room close at hand for things which the mind desires to lay hold of at short notice. The brain is like a chest of many drawers, which, if systematically packed, will hold much, and the contents may be readily found when wanted; but if thrown in indiscriminately, they will hold but little, and that little, being in confusion, will require considerable time for sorting before it can be of avail. System means much to the memory; therefore make use of Sequence whenever you desire to remember faces, figures, or thoughts. Arrange all things in proper order before putting them away in the charge of memory, and then as soon as you lay hold of one thing of the series, all the members will come forth in their proper order. It is impossible to overemphasize this matter of systematizing, noting and examining all things that one desires to remember, because only by this means can an object or a thought be clearly perceived, and as perception is the first requisite to memory, particular attention should be paid to it.
The necessity of getting to the root of things, of examining objects carefully, of laying hold of the thought, is again strongly emphasized, and this necessity must be complied with before one can have a good memory. A strong, keen, perceptive, and retentive memory may be had by any one who possesses intelligence, but such a memory, remember, can be obtained only by labor. Therefore, if you desire to improve your memory, work diligently along the lines here set forth for your guidance.
the end