THE NORMAL GIRL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16625, 6 January 1922, Page 9

THE NORMAL GIRL.

D Olga; Bridgman, Professor of Psychology in the University of California, in a lecture to mothers and social workers, spoke of the normal gill.

The normal girl, first of all. most have a healthy body. It must be a machine that runs so smoothly that she is unconscious of having it- Then she must have normal intelligence, or tho ability to compete- with the average person with success. By ee normal ” I mean the qualities and characteristics that most persona possess—those which are universally recognised as belonging to the average person.

Tho modern girl possesses a composite group of senses, mental processes and instincts which hare come down from the beginning of the race. 6ho has the instincts of hunger, thirst, pugnacity, which need not be considered seriously psychologically unless unusual conditions are present. Then she has the complex instincts of selfdisplay, assertiveness, sympathy, selfadmiration and self-abasement. The future of the girl depends upon how she uses and controls these instincts. ALL SENSES NECESSARY. The individual lacking in one of the five senses lacks the power of making the most of her opportunities. The individual who has the keenest senses and makes the best use of them gains the greatest experience and knowledge of people and life. Every primitive race has had a code of maxims which guided its manner of living. Some of these have been discarded through time and some have come down through the ages. Our problem is how to train the girl to use her mind and her instincts so as to become one of those few individuals who transmit the best of one generation to another. During her formative year 3 the normal girl should be surrounded with the best and most beautiful things in life. She should be given opportunity to use her senses to the fullest and to be enabled to determine what is beet for her- She must have independent thought. She should be encouraged to use her active faculties to the utmost and to gain the power of discrimination. One of the most important factors is the development of the will. SHOULD HAVE BEST. The adolescent girl has a tendency to admix© and subject herself to others- This is illustrated in what is commonly termed “ crushes.” She fixes her admiration upon an older woman of poise, attractiveness and authority. The object of this crush ” is a tremendous force in dealing with 1 lie girl. The girl feels herself greatly inferior to the object of her admiration and is willing to subject herself to the older woman. Hi is admiration, if the older woman understands it, can be made a great power for good, but sometimes it can be misused. The girl should be made to understand that this is but a passing fancy. If tho older woman causes the girl to do certain things simply because of this admiration it may do the girl harm. The harm that can be done is illustrated in cases where the woman influences the girl to some good action just for her sake. The girl should be made to understand at the very outset that she is carrying out the good action lor hersolf, for her own benefit. If the woman realises that she is the object of the adoration of the girl for the time being only she can be of inestimable benefit to the girl. Th© normal child prefers bo be like other children. This tendency to be like other people should, be fostered. Individuality is a very good thing, bub the normal girl should never feel that she is “different.” Those who gain tho idea’ that they are “different” are, in the final analysis, found to be much liko the rest of us. After all, with all our little differences, we are all very much alike.