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mine。 In this dream I always find myself； stripped to my shirt；
cringing and dodging about in the midst of a great drawing…room
throng of finely dressed ladies and gentlemen； and wondering how
I got there。 And so on and so on； picture after picture；
incident after incident； a drifting panorama of ever…changing；
ever…dissolving views manufactured by my mind without any help
from mewhy； it would take me two hours to merely name the
multitude of things my mind tallied off and photographed in
fifteen minutes； let alone describe them to you。
O。M。 A man's mind； left free； has no use for his help。 But
there is one way whereby he can get its help when he desires it。
Y。M。 What is that way？
O。M。 When your mind is racing along from subject to subject
and strikes an inspiring one； open your mouth and begin talking
upon that matterortake your pen and use that。 It will
interest your mind and concentrate it； and it will pursue the
subject with satisfaction。 It will take full charge； and furnish
the words itself。
Y。M。 But don't I tell it what to say？
O。M。 There are certainly occasions when you haven't time。
The words leap out before you know what is coming。
Y。M。 For instance？
O。M。 Well； take a 〃flash of wit〃repartee。 Flash is the
right word。 It is out instantly。 There is no time to arrange
the words。 There is no thinking； no reflecting。 Where there is
a wit…mechanism it is automatic in its action and needs no help。
Where the whit…mechanism is lacking； no amount of study and
reflection can manufacture the product。
Y。M。 You really think a man originates nothing； creates nothing。
The Thinking…Process
O。M。 I do。 Men perceive； and their brain…machines
automatically combine the things perceived。 That is all。
Y。M。 The steam…engine？
O。M。 It takes fifty men a hundred years to invent it。 One
meaning of invent is discover。 I use the word in that sense。
Little by little they discover and apply the multitude of details
that go to make the perfect engine。 Watt noticed that confined
steam was strong enough to lift the lid of the teapot。 He didn't
create the idea； he merely discovered the fact； the cat had
noticed it a hundred times。 From the teapot he evolved the
cylinderfrom the displaced lid he evolved the piston…rod。 To
attach something to the piston…rod to be moved by it； was a
simple mattercrank and wheel。 And so there was a working
engine。 ＇1＇
One by one； improvements were discovered by men who used
their eyes； not their creating powersfor they hadn't anyand
now； after a hundred years the patient contributions of fifty or
a hundred observers stand compacted in the wonderful machine
which drives the ocean liner。
Y。M。 A Shakespearean play？
O。M。 The process is the same。 The first actor was a
savage。 He reproduced in his theatrical war…dances； scalp…
dances； and so on； incidents which he had seen in real life。 A
more advanced civilization produced more incidents； more
episodes； the actor and the story…teller borrowed them。 And so
the drama grew； little by little； stage by stage。 It is made up
of the facts of life； not creations。 It took centuries to
develop the Greek drama。 It borrowed from preceding ages； it
lent to the ages that came after。 Men observe and combine； that
is all。 So does a rat。
Y。M。 How？
O。M。 He observes a smell； he infers a cheese； he seeks and
finds。 The astronomer observes this and that； adds his this and
that to the this…and…thats of a hundred predecessors； infers an
invisible planet； seeks it and finds it。 The rat gets into a
trap； gets out with trouble； infers that cheese in traps lacks
value； and meddles with that trap no more。 The astronomer is
very proud of his achievement； the rat is proud of his。 Yet both
are machines； they have done machine work； they have originated
nothing； they have no right to be vain； the whole credit belongs
to their Maker。 They are entitled to no honors； no praises； no
monuments when they die； no remembrance。 One is a complex and
elaborate machine； the other a simple and limited machine； but
they are alike in principle； function； and process； and neither
of them works otherwise than automatically； and neither of them
may righteously claim a PERSONAL superiority or a personal
dignity above the other。
Y。M。 In earned personal dignity； then； and in personal merit
for what he does； it follows of necessity that he is on the
same level as a rat？
O。M。 His brother the rat； yes； that is how it seems to me。
Neither of them being entitled to any personal merit for what he
does； it follows of necessity that neither of them has a right to
arrogate to himself （personally created） superiorities over his
brother。
Y。M。 Are you determined to go on believing in these
insanities？ Would you go on believing in them in the face of
able arguments backed by collated facts and instances？
O。M。 I have been a humble； earnest； and sincere Truth…Seeker。
Y。M。 Very well？
O。M。 The humble； earnest； and sincere Truth…Seeker is
always convertible by such means。
Y。M。 I am thankful to God to hear you say this； for now I
know that your conversion
O。M。 Wait。 You misunderstand。 I said I have BEEN a Truth…Seeker。
Y。M。 Well？
O。M。 I am not that now。 Have your forgotten？ I told you
that there are none but temporary Truth…Seekers； that a permanent
one is a human impossibility； that as soon as the Seeker finds
what he is thoroughly convinced is the Truth； he seeks no
further； but gives the rest of his days to hunting junk to patch
it and caulk it and prop it with； and make it weather…proof and
keep it from caving in on him。 Hence the Presbyterian remains a
Presbyterian； the Mohammedan a Mohammedan； the Spiritualist a
Spiritualist； the Democrat a Democrat； the Republican a
Republican； the Monarchist a Monarchist； and if a humble；
earnest； and sincere Seeker after Truth should find it in the
proposition that the moon is made of green cheese nothing could
ever budge him from that position； for he is nothing but an
automatic machine； and must obey the laws of his construction。
Y。M。 After so
O。M。 Having found the Truth； perceiving that beyond question
man has but one moving impulsethe contenting of his own spirit
and is merely a machine and entitled to no personal merit for
anything he does； it is not humanly possible for me to seek further。
The rest of my days will be spent in patching and painting and
puttying and caulking my priceless possession and in looking the
other way when an imploring argument or a damaging fact approaches。
…
1。 The Marquess of Worcester had done all of this more than a
century earlier。
VI
Instinct and Thought
Young Man。 It is odious。 Those drunken theories of yours；
advanced a while agoconcerning the rat and all thatstrip Man
bare of all his dignities； grandeurs； sublimities。
Old Man。 He hasn't any to stripthey are shams； stolen
clothes。 He claims credits which belong solely to his Maker。
Y。M。 But you have no right to put him on a level with a rat。
O。M。 I don'tmorally。 That would not be fair to the rat。
The rat is well above him； there。
Y。M。 Are you joking？
O。M。 No； I am not。
Y。M。 Then what do you mean？
O。M。 That comes under the head of the Moral Sense。 It is a
large question。 Let us finish with what we are about now； before
we take it up。
Y。M。 Very well。 You have seemed to concede that you place
Man and the rat on A level。 What is it？ The intellectual？
O。M。 In formnot a degree。
Y。M。 Explain。
O。M。 I think that the rat's mind and the man's mind are the
same machine； but of unequal capacitieslike yours and Edison's；
like the African pygmy's and Homer's； like the Bushman's and Bismarck's。
Y。M。 How are you going to make that out； when the lower animals
have no mental quality but instinct； while man possesses reason？
O。M。 What is instinct？
Y。M。 It is merely unthinking and mechanical exercise of
inherited habit。
O。M。 What originated the habit？
Y。M。 The first animal started it； its descendants have
inherited it。
O。M。 How did the first one come to start it？
Y。M。 I don't know； but it didn't THINK it out。
O。M。 How do you know it didn't？
Y。M。 WellI have a right to suppose it didn't； anyway。
O。M。 I don't believe you have。 What is thought？
Y。M。 I know what you call it： the mechanical and automatic
putting together of impressions received from outside； and
drawing an inference from them。
O。M。 Very good。 Now my idea of the meaningless term 〃instinct〃 is；
that it is merely PETRIFIED THOUGHT； solidified and made inanimate
by habit； thought which was once alive and awake； but it become
unconsciouswalks in its sleep； so to speak。