The Human Machine by Arnold Bennett
page 72 of 72 (100%)
page 72 of 72 (100%)
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when the brain and the heart come into conflict and the brain is
defeated. That transaction of the matches was a crime, you know. Lastly, the culture of the brain must result in the habit of originally examining all the phenomena of life and conduct, to see what they really are, and to what they lead. The heart hates progress, because the dear old thing always wants to do as has always been done. The heart is convinced that custom is a virtue. The heart of the dirty working man rebels when the State insists that he shall be clean, for no other reason than that it is his custom to be dirty. Useless to tell his heart that, clean, he will live longer! He has been dirty and he will be. The brain alone is the enemy of prejudice and precedent, which alone are the enemies of progress. And this habit of originally examining phenomena is perhaps the greatest factor that goes to the making of personal dignity; for it fosters reliance on one's self and courage to accept the consequences of the act of reasoning. Reason is the basis of personal dignity. I finish. I have said nothing of the modifications which the constant use of the brain will bring about in the _general value of existence_. Modifications slow and subtle, but tremendous! The persevering will discover them. It will happen to the persevering that their whole lives are changed--texture and colour, too! Naught will happen to those who do not persevere. THE END |
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