NOTES AND COMMENTS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 15, 28 October 1938, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS

SEDENTARY CIVILISATION. AA'hy are we concentrating so much nowadays upon national health? asks Dr. R. Cove Smith, the former English Rugby captain, writing in the “Pathfinder.” AYell, the main reason is that the general trend of modern civilisation is leading us away from natural paths. Physical strain is being replaced by mental strain, nervous ailments are on the increase and our brains seem to be getting too big for our bodies. AVe must, therefore endeavour to equate the biological balance and release the human spirit from its bondage of neurosis. Plato tells us that “the mere athlete becomes too much of a savage and the mere musician is melted and softened beyond what is good for him —the two should therefore be blended in right proportions.” The Greek ideal of a citizen was something of an artist, of an athlete, of a soldier, of a statesman and a, philosopher all in one. A tall order, you will say. Yes! but the effects of Greek culture still exist, and one tiling that the Greeks have taught us is the importance of being an active participant. The industrial* revolution and the machine age have wrenched most of us away from those manual, handicraft tasks which gave us muscular activity and a margin of true play in making and fashioning things for our own use and amusement. Allround development such as the pioneer and the craftsman know is increasingly a tiling of the past. Repetition work and mass production scorn to be the keynotes of modern industry. Our jobs to-day are less active; in the office, we are sedentary and subject to the same routine for weeks on end, and even in the factory, where we may use our muscles, it is all too frequently the same set day in and day out. AY'e do less with our hands than our ancestors, we do not carry burdens, we ride instead of walk, wo live in urban communities, we no longer hunt for om food and develop an appetite in chasing it, we do not. need to defend ourselves from attack and no longer develop great muscular strength or endurance. A culture which, encouraged us to use what time and money we have, hv substituting new forms of play and personal development would be a wise culture.