It is the same with reading, writing, playing upon musical instruments,
the manipulation of all sorts of mechanical devices, the thousand and
one other muscular activities that become what we call _habitual_.

The moment one tries to make these habitual activities again dependent
on the conscious will he encounters difficulties.

"The centipede was happy quite,
Until the toad, for fun,
Said, 'Pray which leg goes after which?'
This stirred his mind to such a pitch,
He lay distracted in a ditch,
Considering _how_ to run."

_All these habitual activities are started as acts of painstaking care
and conscious attention. All ultimately become unconscious._ They may,
however, be started or stopped at will. They are, therefore, still
related to the conscious mind. They occupy a semi-automatic middle
ground between conscious and subconscious activities.




THE FALLACY OF MOST MEMORY SYSTEMS

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CHAPTER VI