THINK THE THING THROUGH.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7140, 30 May 1910, Page 12

THINK THE THING THROUGH.

Few people really think. M<x' >t people only think they think; and mast of the time wo fool ourselves in that way, too. Thought may be defined as "the conscious or purposive devJeopment of an idea in the mind." First comes the bare suggestion, either from somethin} r we have noticed in tho world about us or from some auto-suggestion from within, whose origin is often a mystery. By association the original idea attracts bothers, until finally it crystallizes _ itself and stands forth clear and sharp in our mind. Then we can put it in storage and it will keep. .1 know a good many people who do not make progress because they have to spend so much time in thinking the same things over and over again. But, don't you know, it is only necessary to think a thing once, if you only think it out through to a finish. Then you know it and can't forget it. My experience, and X have met some very pig-headed people, leads me to belive that tho vast majority of people, even those who disagree with us, are at heart fair-minded. They mean to be just, but they are often unfair, because, they reason falsely. . « The flaws in reasoning can bo grouped under three heads; those caused by imperfect perception or mistakes in observation, those due to prejudice or refusal to accept all the evidence, and those many, many errors traceable to "jumping at conclusions." Knowing this, by tactfully leading the other fellow's mind to put all tho essential facts- together and put them together in the right way, w© will find that, as X said, most people are glad to have one help them to be just. If you fell down that time, whose fault was it? .. .. , , Was it wise to give the customer only a partial account of your proposition and expect him to violate the laws of thought and jump at your conclusion? Did you make yourself clear in the first place ? ... e ~ Did you get hi» prejudice out or the way, or not?