LECTURE ON CHARACTER.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 10527, 4 December 1916, Page 7

LECTURE ON CHARACTER.

The lasi of the short series of lectures by .Vie .kune Repeal l , was given at the Empire Hall last night to u good audience, in s.piii' of counter attractions. Tins was really a repetition of the first lecture given in Palmerston by that lady when she first arrived some five weeks ago. It was given by special request. 'The first part of the address dwelt on the various forces that acted its assets in the formation of individual bhafiielnr- Of ijiese fifiUiy [orceS the lecturess sclreied loiif, which she considered of the greatest import ante, viz... heredity, environment, education, and self-help. She clearly showed that however ad erse )o the individual the first three of these forces may be, there is the other force of “self-help” which consists of selfcontrol and self-development, and that this if exorcised by the individual can overcome all (he other detrimental, forces; in ft greater or leaser degree, according to the will and persistence of the individual. In the second part of the lecture she referred specially to character delineation by phrenology ■. physiognomy, and psychology. With re.-pect to phrenology, she said the study of (he shape of the head, as indicating character and capabilities, dates back to many hundred years before Christ. As recent jy as 10b years ago phrenology was look-

Ed on as an exact science. Even as late as 50 years ago hj was still absolutely believed ill by many people, and I lie aid of a phreno-logi.-t Was sought to assist the parent in deciding what career the child should ultimately follow. But these hist twenty or thirty years the belief in phrenology as an exact science has been altogether discarded by those most competent to judge, and it is now practised more as a hobby, and to determinate whether the shape of the head indicated wha( was already known about the subject than to give help towards the facts not known. And this is so, not bce.iusethe accuracy of some phrenological delineations was altogether doubted, but, that since so much more was known than formerly of anatomy (bone structure) wo are sure that many of the former conclusions obtained from phrenology were based on entirely wrong promises. It was once thought that the skull was practically an exact mould of tiie brain. If this were the case, the delineations would of necessity be accurate, as the brain itself shows the possession or nonpossession of every attribute—physical, moral, and mental—pertaining to the body. Now ir, was known that the skull is often not of uniform thickness, sometimes being abnormally thick in one part, and abnormally thin in another. Those abnormalities look to the phrenologist like a development, or a deficiency in development, of the brain underneath, and lie advise* accordingly. The advice is correct onlv when his surmise is true. When ii is not the advice may have the ell'ect of indueing_ the parent to give the child training in an oeciipali m wholly unsuited for his ability and disposition. As it is impossible to tell till after post-mortem the conditions of the skull and the real shape of the brain, it goes wiibout saying that delineation after death is ol little use to the subject. In speaking of physiognomy, the leclun-ss said that much the same objections may be made as in phrenology. That is to say. what is told by the shape, and size and relative positions of the features as indicating character is too indefinite to be of nine!) individual use. dims, the- squareness of the jaws is siippo-eil to indicate strength of will, and so it certainly does, lint tin- may be the admirable strength of wi.l < c-played by some (o aspire to their laudable ambition. or it may be the strength of will of the dishonest man t<> get what he seP out, for at any cost. Physiognomy does not state w Inch. Jn speaking of Madame p,ali expressed it a.- her opinion that of all the methods of delineation this is the only absolute! v reliable mol hod that can be of anv real help to the subject. By psychology eel ill the souse of character delineation, she says (hat everything that the subject dors or thinks is retained as an impression on the mind. The more constantly (Inaction or thought is repeated tin deeper will the mind-impression be. 1 bus: If the thought and action of cruelty is repealed frequently, that is the “mlnd-pict up red the. phychologist will sec most selfishness is the predominant action, that will lie tin 1 most-evident _ “mind picture.” The power of reading “mind pictures i- a distinct psychic gift—a sort of “other .-igiii —that can no | be acquired, and is possessed by few. A fault or vice indicated by the

shape of the adult lead v.ill a!" a thus bo indicated, even after urn adult is. by the strength of his will, overcome' the tendency to the evil. The shape of the head will not alter. But in the “mind pictures” there is a continual modification, or greater Impression, going on- according (o the self control and solf-dcv-Topnient exercised by the subject. ' .Madame Roprali leaves i’almerston North I in n few days, as advertised in another column.