Walks and Drives 43 



this tantalize him and keep him ever on his guard against yield- 

 ing to it ? Why this wellnigh irresistible desire to go some other 

 way than along the walk laid out? Is it just human nature — or 

 is there a reason for it? 



Undoubtedly it is, just human nature; but there is a reason 

 for it, even so. And there is a way of getting at the reason — 

 which brings us to psychology, does it not? For this great 

 science of the mind is surely, after all, first the science of human 

 nature — the science of analyzing and classifying those curious 

 twists which individualize us. 



In this matter of walks it resolves again into the line of least 

 resistance. Indeed this is continually revealing itself as the 

 most compelling influence. Therefore the highest degree of 

 success attainable in mapping a walk lies in working with it — 

 in humoring whimsical human nature, which after all is not 

 altogether as unreasonable as it sometimes seems. In other 

 words, it Hes in placing a gate at the psychological point and a 

 walk along the psychological line. The walk or drive — I must 

 be understood as referring to both in all generalizations — that 

 carries a capricious human creature to a given point, without its 

 having occurred to him that a difference in direction here or 

 there would get him there with completer satisfaction to his soul, 

 is a success. That is unquestionably the supreme test. 



But how are we to determine this line? And will it not 

 interfere sometimes with a great many important things, if 

 literally followed? 



To the latter, yes it will— sometimes — if literally followed; 

 to the former, we are going to determine it by predetermining 

 just where it shall fall. That is, we are going to create the con- 

 ditions which will establish the direction we wish it to take, 

 instead of accepting the direction established by conditions as 



