How to Improve the Memory/Lesson 4
LESSON IV
OPPOSITION
BY opposition is meant the state of being opposite or opposed; a position, object, word, or thought confronting or opposing another; contrast; as,
Here we have a thought beautifully brought out by means of placing it in opposition with another thought. It is the speaker's intention to magnify the beauty and glory of the light of the soul, and in order to do this effectively, he contrasts it with the magnificence of the material light. It will be the simplest thing imaginable to commit to memory this beautiful passage if we will but only lay hold of the thought, and we are enabled to lay hold of the thought by means of the contrast. Let us take it up in this manner: The material creation was beautiful when the new-born sun burst forth in all his splendor and caused the darkness to flee away. This is the first part of the passage for us attentively to notice. Then comes the statement that beyond description is the light that rays forth from an awakened and educated soul. Here, then, is the contrast, and this it is that enables us to see, retain, and present the idea as set forth by the great educator. What follows is an amplification of his expressed opinion that the light of the soul outshines the light of the sun, and a presentation of some of his reasons for thinking so. Those reasons consisting of the light of the senses, which enables us to perceive the external beauty of objects; the light of reason, that reveals to us the hidden mysteries and glories of things; the light of conscience, that shows us the magnitude and the splendors of the moral world, permitting us to differentiate between good and evil, right and wrong. A careful scrutiny of this sublime passage will reveal the contrasting of the two lights, and as soon as this is perceived the thought is grasped and the matter easily memorized. Opposition, or contrast, is a valuable adjunct to memory.
By means of contrast, the beauties of nature, as well as the beauties of thought, are perceived. This fact was once impressed upon the author's mind by a personal experience. While visiting in the southland, he had many occasions to ride out into the country, and on one of these outings he passed through a section of level, sandy land, almost devoid of vegetation and unmarked for miles by sign of human habitation. To the right, some miles distant, stretched a large growth of tall pines, green with the vigor of life and magnified in size through being reflected upon the heavens beyond. Suddenly darkness spread over and around the towering pines, which appeared still taller because of the increased magnifying power of the light which shone from the sun, which was still shining in all his splendor at the spot where the traveler halted to gaze upon the picture. Rain began to fall beyond the stretch of trees, the rain clouds approached nearer and nearer, until they hung in the sky between the traveler and the towering spires. The sun, then forty-five degrees below the meridian, and slowly sinking to the west, was radiant in all his splendor. Then appeared one of the miracles of nature, a bow upon the face of Heaven. It was of immense proportions, spanning one-third of the sky, but what made it most impressive was that it shone above the dark green of the pines, and against the blackness of the clouds. The effect was so striking and spiritual that it seemed as though the Almighty had traced a message upon the firmament, and it so affected the traveler that he removed his cap as though in the immediate presence of the Most High, bowed his head in harmony with his soul, and worshiped the Creator through the magnitude of His work. What was it that made the picture so impressive? Contrast. The placing of the many-colored bow over and against the darkness of the trees and the blackness of the clouds had brought out and magnified its hues until every detail was plainly discerned and the picture in its entirety made fully manifest.
Thieves endeavor to live without work, honest men are willing to labor for a living.
Here is a clear case of opposition, as the two classes, thieves and honest men, are contrasted, and their two modes of gaining a livelihood, without work or by labor, are placed in direct opposition. Apply the rule of contrast to the following:
Good name, in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls:
Who steals my purse, steals trash, 'tis something, nothing—
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands:
But he that filches from me my good name,
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.[1]
—Shakespeare.
This passage may easily be memorized by means of noting the contrasts. In the first place, it is stated that a good name is the most valuable gem that either a man or a woman can possess; here we have the contrast between man and woman. Then, it is said that in stealing a purse, the thief steals trash, but in stealing a good name, he takes what is of inestimable value to the robbed, but utterly valueless to the robber. The third contrast is between something and nothing; and the fourth, between mine, and his and others. Let the student examine this passage carefully, mentally laying hold of the contrasts, and it will be found that the lines can be memorized without any difficulty and easily recalled to memory.
The French Revolution was undertaken by men and women who had been held in subjugation for centuries and who knew little of the science of government; therefore it failed. The American Revolution was launched by men whose ancestors had fought for centuries under such leaders as Hampden and Cromwell for the right of self-government, and these men had commenced to practice the science of government from the planting of the Colony of Jamestown in 1607, where the first legislative assembly in America convened,[2] and for these reasons it succeeded.
—Lawrence.
Here is a clear case of opposition—contrasting the reason for the failure of the French Revolution and the reason for the success of the American Revolution—and this important fact may be recorded in the mind by noting the absence of experience in the one instance and the presence of it in the other.
The political principles of Thomas Jefferson differ from those expounded by Alexander Hamilton. The former believed in a nation composed of sovereign states; while the latter favored a strong centralized government that should have general supervision over the states composing it.
—Lawrence.
No two men, living at the same period and in the same country, engaged in the same pursuits, and both working for the same object, the good of their country, ever differed to a greater extent in their physical, mental, and spiritual natures than did Jefferson and Hamilton. By keeping in mind the fact that they were opposed to each other in all things, it will require no effort of the mind to recall that the political principles of the one were not entertained by the other.
By means of contrast, the differences between things of like natures may be perceived, such as between men, buildings, and works of nature, their peculiarities noted, and their images implanted on the mind. Oratorically, there is no better way than that of opposition for making the meaning clear and definite, or for driving the thought home; and when it comes to strengthening the memory, it will be found that the application of the law of contrast will prove of great assistance.
It is believed that the examples cited in this lesson have made manifest the force of opposition, and it is urged that they be diligently studied by the student before he passes on to the next lesson. These lessons form a natural sequence, one helping the other, and if the student is to gain the desired help from this course in memory training, he must master the lessons in the order in which they are arranged. This is the fourth lesson of the course, and before taking up the fifth, all the preceding ones should be thoroughly mastered. Attention, remember, is one of the essentials to memory, so apply it in this instance and hearken to the advice of your instructor. Get to the soul of matter by laying hold of the thought.