LET US THINK

Evening Star, Issue 23512, 28 February 1940, Page 7

LET US THINK

“ The majority of persons," says Canon Lindsay Dewar, in his ‘ Learning to Think,’ “ tend to take the lino of least resistance, and not to expend more effort than is essential in achieving any task. This lays them open to the temptation to slipshod thinking, specially that .variety of it which has been well described as tabloid thinking. Tin's'is partly, at any rate, the reason for the popularity of wih'at- are called slogans and catchphrases. “ If a person possesses himself of such a phrase it gives him a definite viewpoint from which to approach ft subject and saves him the trouble of having to do any further thinking on the matter. In this way he can dispose of complicated problems in a sentence. “Me can, for instance, sum np his political theories in the words ‘ Socialism.’ or 1 Communism.’ or ‘ Kascisim’ liy adopting either a positive or a negative attitude to such words as those he provides himself with a platform upon which he can stand and meet all comers. ! “ Ho can often pass muster in ordinary social life in this manner without being able to give an intelligible account of what it is that ho means by those words. Still less can he defend them against masoned argument. “ It can scarcely bo doubted that the widespread practice of habitual attendance at the cinematograph tends to foster this mental laziness which is so common. Hardly any intellectual effort is required to enjoy a cinematograph performance. Specially is this the case with those who visit tlie cinema day after day. They sit passively while ideas and pictures arc put into their minds. Hardly ever is any real demand made upon their thinking.”