Feeling and thought are perfectly complementary. Feeling, being more spontaneous,
is an excellent beginning to the development of conclusions. And thought, being more deliberate,
provides a way to identify the best and most appropriate feeling. Both are natural.Thinking,
however, is less automatic than feeling. To do it well demands a systematic approach and guided
practice.
When the first edition of this book appeared in 1975, the dominant intellectual focus was still
subjectivity, feelings. That focus, the legacy of the 1960s, was originally a necessary reaction
to the rationalism and behaviorism that preceded it. Yet, despite its value, the focus on feelings
went too far. Like many other movements, what began as a reaction against an extreme view became
an extreme view itself.
First, because we live in an age of manipulation. Armies of hucksters and demagogues stand ready
with the rich resources of psychology to play upon our emotions and subconscious needs to persuade
us that superficial is profound, harmful is beneficial, evil is virtuous. And feelings are
especially vulnerable to such manipulation.
Secondly, because in virtually every important area of modern life—law, medicine, government,
education, science, business, and community affairs—we are beset with serious problems and complex
issues that demand careful gathering and weighing of facts and informed opinions, thoughtful
consideration of various conclusions or actions, and judicious selection of the best conclusion
or most appropriate action
The Influence of Time and Place
1 Not only are you a member of a particular species, Homo sapiens , but you also exist at a
particular time in the history of that species and in a particular place on the planet.
That time and place are defined by specific circumstances, understandings, beliefs, and customs,
all of which limit your experience and influence your thought patterns.
2 Living in a different age or culture would make you a different person. Even if you rebelled
against the values of your time and place, they still would represent the context of your
life—in other words, they still would influence your responses
The Influence of Ideas
1 When one idea is expressed, closely related ideas are simultaneously conveyed, logically and
inescapably. In logic, this kinship is expressed by the term sequitur, Latin for “it follows.”
Consider, for example, the idea that many teachers and parents express to young children as a
way of encouraging them: “If you believe in yourself, you can succeed at anything.” From this
it follows that nothing else but belief—neither talent nor hard work—is necessary for success.
The reason the two ideas are equivalent is that their meanings are inseparably linked.
The Influence of Mass Culture
1 Modern advertising typically bombards the public with slogans and testimonials by celebrities.
This approach is designed to appeal to emotions and create artificial needs for products and
services. As a result, many people develop the habit of responding emotionally, impulsively,
and gullibly to such appeals. Ads often portray play as more fulfilling than work,
self-gratification as more desirable than self-control, and materialism as more meaningful than
idealism.
2 The number of shifts within commercials ranged from 6 to 54 and averaged approximately 17 per
fifteen-second commercial. The total number of attention shifts came out to over 800 per hour,
or over 14 per minute.
This manipulation has prevented many people from developing a mature attention span. They expect
the classroom and the workplace to provide the same constant excitement they get from television.
That, of course, is an impossible demand, and when it isn’t met they call their teachers boring
and their work unfulfilling. Because such people seldom have the patience to read books that
require them to think, many publishers have replaced serious books with light fare written by
celebrities.
The “Science” of Manipulation
1 Attempts to influence the thoughts and actions of others are no doubt as old as time,
but manipulation did not become a science until the early twentieth century, when Ivan Pavlov,
a Russian professor of psychology, published his research on conditioned (learned) reflexes.
Pavlov found that by ringing a bell when he fed a dog, he could condition the dog to drool at
the sound of the bell even when no food was presented”
2 The more people hear a slogan or talking point, the more familiar it becomes. Before long,
it becomes indistinguishable from ideas developed through careful thought. Sadly, the packaging
is often done so effectively that the viewer, listener, or reader does not make up his own mind
at all. Instead, he inserts a packaged opinion into his mind, somewhat like inserting a DVD into
a DVD player. He then pushes a button and ‘plays back’ the opinion whenever it seems appropriate
to do so. He has performed acceptably without having had to think.
The Influence of Psychology
1 According to Frankl, the primordial anthropological fact is that being human is being always
directed, and pointing to something or someone other than oneself: to a meaning to fulfill or
another human being to encounter, a cause to serve or a person to love.A person becomes fully
human “by forgetting himself and giving himself, overlooking himself and focusing outward.
2 Whether we agree completely with Frankl, one thing is clear: Contemporary American culture
would be markedly different if the emphasis over the past several decades had been on
Frankl’s theory rather than on the theories of Maslow and the other humanistic psychologists.
being an Individual
In light of what we have discussed, we should regard individuality not as something we are
born with but rather as something acquired—or, more precisely, earned. Individuality begins
in the realization that it is impossible to “escape being influenced by other people and by
circumstance. The essence of individuality is ‘vigilance. The following guidelines will help
you achieve this:”
1. Treat your first reaction to any person, issue, or situation as tentative.No matter how
appealing it may be, refuse to embrace it until you have examined it.
2. Decide why you reacted as you did. Consider whether you borrowed the reaction from
someone else—a parent or friend, perhaps, or a celebrity or fictional character on
television. If possible, determine what specific experiences conditioned you to react this way.
3. Think of other possible reactions you might have had to the person, issue, or situation.
4. Ask yourself whether one of the other reactions is more appropriate than your first reaction.