THE SCIENCE OF LIFE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20563, 14 May 1930, Page 14

THE SCIENCE OF LIFE.

LECTURE SERIES OPENED.

SUCCESS AND HEALTH-

A scries of public lectures on " humanology " was opened in tho Town Ilall concert chamber last evening by the noted American lecturer, Mrs. Elsie Lincoln Benedict. Tho hall was crowded and Mrs. Benedict, who is lecturing on behalf of tho International Opportunity League, proved an entertaining speaker with a large store of practical psychology behind her remarks.

After relating how she and her husband decided to give others tho benefit of their experiences through tho medium of tho Benedict School of Opportunity, Mrs. Benedict said her message was for people with aspirations and ambitions. People who did not wish to get on in life generally stayed in a rut. She was not propounding a new religion. Most religions travelled toward the sumo destination along different roads, but if people who talked so much for or against religion talked less and did more to livo up to tho simple tenets of their religion tho world would bo a much better place. Tho object of tho International Oppor-. tunity League was to pass 011 to people in their most useful form practical discoveries concerning tho ways and means whereby human beings could have more of the good things of life. Tho science of human life concerned tho present and was not taught in churches and schools. Churches dealt mainly with tho hereafter and although at school people were urged to mako their lives useful and happy they were not shown how to do so.

Several things were necessary for the ideal existence. Tho greatest essentia! was health, and after it camo friendship. Neither money nor success was more important. Sho would attempt to show people how to attain these and also how to find their right mates and their right work.

The statement was frequently made that success camo from hard work, and yet few of tho world's hardest workers were successful. Success came when hard work was coupled with brains, and the right work for any individual was work that was enjoyed so much that it became almost play. Human beings wore not designed for drudgery or idleness and neither drudges nor idlers could be truly happy and contented.

Sirs. Benedict saiil slio did not believe in auto-suggestion. In frequent, cases it was nothing more than deception. Nor did slio helieve in dogmas which bordered on fanaticism. Tlioso who said people should never eat meat were foolish, hut she knew that people could not, eat meat llireo times a day and stay well. One of (ho great things in life was energy. If a man learnt how not to gel tired ho had forestalled practically every disease.

Mrs. Benedict outlined (ho subjects to be discussed in (lie next three public lectures which are (o bo given this afternoon, to-morrow evening and Friday evening. At (ho conclusion of tho series a special training course will bo opened.