In short, power to concentrate attention means power in all the mental
processes.

EXERCISES

Exercise I. "Watch a small dot so far away that it can just be seen.
Can you see it all the time? How many times a minute does it come and
go?" Make what inference you can from this regarding the fluctuation of
attention during study.

Exercise 2. What concrete steps will you take in order to accommodate
your study to the fluctuations of attention?

Exercise 3. The next time you have a lapse of attention during study,
retrace your steps of thought, write down the ideas from the last one
in your mind to the one which started the digression. Represent the
digression graphically if you can.

Exercise 4. Make a list of the things that most persistently distract
your attention during study. What specific steps will you take to
eliminate them; to ignore the unavoidable ones?




CHAPTER IX

HOW WE REASON