Читать книгу The Pelman System of Mind and Memory Training - Lessons I to XII - Анон - Страница 46

2. Your power-house is made up of body and mind, the combined activities of which go to form what we call human energy. Physical health—we do not say muscular strength—is of course fundamental; and although there have been men so unlike as Richelieu and Darwin who have overcome the handicap of a feeble constitution, the general rule still holds good: that to achieve your aims there must be a sufficiency of bodily vigour. A careful investigation of the health of men of achievement, whether world-famous or not, shows a high percentage of health power; without this they would not have been able to bear the strain of ceaseless labour.

3. But, after all, mental ability is the more important constituent of the human powerhouse. That every-day phrase, “Brains win,” is a popular embodiment of a great truth; for a man may be a veritable Samson in physique and yet a comparative dwarf in the mind-power that is so necessary to distinctive success Mental ability in a general sense, as well as in a particular sense (witness the possession of a marvellous memory or a penchant for languages is too often regarded as a gift of the gods that may decline in efficiency but cannot be improved. Even a poor memory or a lack of the language gift is looked upon by some as an unalterable fact. They think that no improvement, whatever means are adopted, is possible. As against this, we claim that just as physical power can be developed and a weak body made into a strong one, so can mental power be developed; and a mind that is merely average can be raised to a much higher degree of efficiency. This hopeless feeling about the possibility of improving one’s intellectual gifts is difficult to explain: so many people are gripped by it against their own better judgment. They want to believe that an increase of brain-power can be brought about but they fear it is out of the question. We, on the other hand, know that in 95 per cent. of cases it is a realisable ideal. The lessons and exercises that follow are an expression of our belief in this respect, and we commend them to the student’s careful attention.