THE UNIQUE MAMMAL 45 



hundred times more than they do in their bodily build and 

 general physical make up. In simple judgments they appear to 

 be nearly 50 times more variable from individual to individual 

 than in size and shape. 



This wide variation among men in behavior, judgment and 

 such-like things furnishes the primary reason why human living 

 in this world today is so interesting, so exciting and at one and 

 the same time both so pleasant and so irritating. If we were all 

 as alike in our behavior as we are in our bodily build this would 

 be a dull world indeed. Boredom would not only be justified 

 but inescapable. As things are now the differences between 

 individuals stimulate them all to fuller and richer living, day 

 by day. Just because differences are irritating they are also stimu- 

 lating. Right now Mr. John L. Lewis and his C.I.O. irritate 

 profoundly a great many people. But can any sensible person 

 doubt that out of his activities is coming a searching reconsidera- 

 tion of the whole question of the relations of labor and capital? 

 Or that the very ones who hate him most heartily are being 

 driven to give their best thought to this matter? 



The wide-ranging variation among human beings in their 

 behavior and mental faculties is not, however, universally ac- 

 claimed as a benison. On the contrary there is abroad in the 

 world today, and rather rapidly spreading, a viewpoint that 

 has for its primary objective to reduce this variability as much 

 as possible. It aims to accomplish this result speedily, without 

 waiting for the slow results of interbreeding. It proposes so to 

 regulate and regiment human beings that they will all come to 

 think and act as nearly alike as possible. We are told by those 

 of this view that discipline is inherently a good thing — good for 

 soul and body. We are further told that if all men only will 

 act and think alike, and as ordered to think and act by some- 

 body who alleges, like papa, that ^^he knows best what is good 

 for little boys and girls," they will collectively be able to accom- 

 plish much more for the common welfare than if each goes his 

 own way, guided only by his own entirely inadequate capacities. 

 We are further told that all who do not subscribe heartily to this 



