Man in the Light of Evolution 



unconsciously. He has learned to talk by imi- 

 tating his elders. He acquires at the same time 

 their peculiarities of dialect, idioms, pronuncia- 

 tion, and inflection. These acquisitions crystal- 

 lize in habits of speech. 



In later life he becomes conscious that some 

 of them are bad. He avoids the unfortunate 

 habit or idiom, and is on his guard against it. 

 But as soon as he relaxes his vigilance and be- 

 comes his real self, he will surely return to it. 

 Not only habits of speech and action, but prefer- 

 ences and aversions, prejudices and superstitions, 

 aesthetic and moral standards, and even religious 

 tendencies, arise and grow and take form as the 

 result of surrounding conditions, he knows not 

 how. But these habits of thought, speech, and 

 action soon become fixed and unchangeable, and 

 fashion his whole life. They have become so 

 deeply rooted that he believes that he has in- 

 herited them. He cannot imagine himself with- 

 out them. They are an inheritance, but not in- 

 nate. He was not born with them; they are the 

 result of early environment. 



The best-nurtured family of children has 

 gained thus an " out-populating " power, to 

 borrow Dr. BushnelFs expression. He says: 



140 



