BASELESS MAXIMS OF AGE

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3970, 14 October 1930, Page 7

BASELESS MAXIMS OF AGE

TOO YOUNG OR OLD it used to be said that a long word was an excellent substitute for a reason. \Vo have improved upon that, writes “An Observer” in the London • Daily Telegraph.’ One magic word will justify anything. Appeal to psychology, and you may defy common sense and common experience. Here is an odd example: “Those who have studied the human mind hold that unless a mind is loaded with considerable responsibility before the age of thirty it j s no use ever loading it with responsibility.” Voii will observe the bland assumption that the study of the human mind is limited to a select; hand. The obvious elementary fact that all intelligent people since the dawn of time ha\o been observing the ways of the human mind and making experiments to discover how they can get the best out of it is ignored. But nothing was known till the elect began to call themselves psychologists, and. to he sure, what they know now is very wonderful. The reasons why a person must never, never be trusted with responsibility unless he has had considerable responsibility bef ore he was thirty are even more surprising than the fact. “The physics and chemistry of the body discharge into the brain certain poisons which ultimately prevent the brain from expanding and developing.” But apparently if yon have grave responsibilities before you are thirty your physics and chemistry do not poison you. Here is a mystery indeed. Why should we he expected uy the twentieth century to believe in this or any other kind of magic? There are masses of evidence about the capacity of men to hear responsibility. Half the great men of action learnt how to use power by coining into power very young, the other half never had any heavy responsibility till they were middle aged. . Alexander went conquering the world as a hoy. Ciesar was only playing with life till he was bald. Napoleon commanded armies at a subaltern’s age. Cromwell was turned forty before he had a regiment. How are we to believe (hat to be given responsibility early is a certain means to the ability to bear it well? The Kaiser came to his throne in youth. Since the days of Behoboam, history lias been full of Kaisers. It is also full of Clemeneeaus, of men who were of small account in youth and saved the State in their old age. These contradictions have not persuaded ordinary people that responsibility is not good for youth. Long before psychology had a name the great discovery was made that a gradual training in responsibility was a necessary part of education. Schools and universities are organised on that principle. Every profession works by it. The normal rational parent uses it in bringing up his children. While we are all agreed, continues “ An Observer,” that responsibility is useful training, indeed that people only become fit for responsibility by bearing it. we arc equally agreed that it is dangerous to give responsibilities to those who are not old enough. But what is old enough, whether fifteen. or twenty-five, or thirty-five, or fifty? Yon find support for any opinion The Navy expects much of midshipmen. Tlie Annv has no use for boy officers The barrister just called, who will he a good deal more than a child, Is not considered the best adviser on a grave ease. In politics, middle age is irrespons ihle youth. In private life everybody has met rash young men at ho make a mess of their own and their i'amilv’s affairs by taking charge before their Capacity was equal to the burden. Since there is such great diversity .'on may suggest that it does not matter what is taught by “those who have studied the human mind ” ; they can hardlv he quite wrong. But they may be very clangorous il they porsumlo iiconic fo behove in general tides about Unman nature, whether it is this one that you must have responsibility before thirty, or that other that you are too old at fortv, or any such dogma. The one sound general rule is that there are no rules, but only exceptions. One man develops late, another early ; tj,i- fellow will hardly know himself till be is fortv.

If wc arc deluded into trotting men ;,!]] -Ilike we shall not get the host out of nnv of thorn. Life is not so easy that you can work it by handbooks ol maxims.