THE W.E.A.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18791, 29 May 1923, Page 9

THE W.E.A.

LECTURE BY MR. A. ElUisT MANDER. “PUBLIC OPINION: HOW FORMED AND CONTROLLED” The first of a series of public lectures, to be given during the winter i under the auspices of the Workers’ > Educational Association, was delivI ered last Thursday evening by Mr. i A. Ernest Mander at the Technical I College. There was a good attendI ance of the public. ; Mr. C. P. Brown presided, and in | his introductory remarks stressed ! the good work that the W.E.A. was : doing. He said that the movement was gaining ground in New Zealand. | There were now 72 classes, with 2500 i enrolled students, and in the smaller I towns they had substantial classes. He hoped that in AVanganui the | W.E.A. would secure a firm footing, i and he was glad to see that the audiI ence present was drawn from all classes of the community. He thought that the use of the word “worker” in this connection was not particularly well chosen, unless the term meant any one who works, and not a particular section of the public. Mr. Mander’s address was short, compact, well reasoned and very interesting. The several points made were supported by many illuminating examples and the language was clear, simple and free from technical terms. By “public opinion” was meant the superstructure of belief, which, in the aggregate, makes the general opinion and belief of a people. Take the moral sentiments “honesty,” “courage,” “playing the game”— such ideas are passed on from generation to generation as desirable things, and are the basis of -public thoughts and sentiments. So also, the belief in “national superiority.’ 1 “the subjection of women’’ and relij gious beliefs are passed on as traditional beliefs, from generation to generation, and are picked up unconsciously and imparted by parent to child. The lecturer stressed the point that such ideas are acquired by the child, and by a process of unconscious imitation. They are absorbed and fixed in the mind of the young during the first seven years of life. It becomes a belief which is woven into the texture of our natures and whatever happens after, it can never be wholly destroyed. The saying attributed to the Jesuits—“lf we have a child until it is seven years old, we don’t care who has it after” is based on sound psychology. The sense of absolute conviction, arising from such a process in early life, is established, and can never be wholly eradicated. It corresponds to belief and practice of people around us. It is accepted as a matter of course. Mr. Mander illustrated his point by using the idea of national superiority that is so universally implanted in all peoples. The New Zealander is convinced that he is the finest type of man in the world. The Englishman has a similar notion. The Scot thinks he is “the salt of the earth.” The German believes lie is the “super-man,” and the Frenchman smiles in his own conception of his superiority. Each national thinks the same idea of himself and believes it to be true of himself only. The speaker went on to say that it is possible for two beliefs to exist together in the same mind. The early irrational belief of childhood is present. It may be submerged In the developed and reasoned belief ot maturity, but it is not absolutely destroyed. Even in the mind of ardent and convinced rationalists, the early religious beliefs are not lost. He illustrated the point by referring to the legend of Santa Claus. In childhood it is a reality. In manhood it is discarded, but only’ to be restored when it is passed on to our own children. We believe in ghosts, bogies and fairies when we are children. We laugh at such notions in manhood. But who does not tremble and look fearfully over one’s shoulder when walking alone at midnight through a graveyard, when the wind moans, and a dog bays dismally, and the black gloom depresses the mind? Such a sensation is not an instinct. It is the revival of the old childish belief that lurks within us.

The new phychology teaches that we must be very’ careful what ideas are implanted in the young child. Most of the beliefs that are felt to be certain, and which are thought to admit of no argument, are often merely the false ideas implanted in the days of youth. By all means implant general ideas of honesty and virtue but guard against repeating the prejudices that mature thought believes to be in error. At the close of the lecture many questions were asked. Some desired to know how far heredity’ influenced the child mind. Most of the questions were answered and some were left to be answered as the course of lectures on applied psychology developed the subject more fully.