252 Instinct, 



means are provided to aid in its solution. It can 

 only be approximately solved, at mature age, and af- 

 ter careful education, for its solution requires trained 

 powers and knowledge acquired by the experience 

 and observation of ourselves and others. On this 

 account, it is a natural thing for man to remain 

 under parental control, till this condition of acting 

 is reached. Nothing but a felt necessity for this, 

 would justify the long minorit}^ of young men. 

 They must be controlled by others, and be fur- 

 nished with knowledge by experience, and observa- 

 tion and instruction, because they have neither suf- 

 ficient knowledge nor self-control, instinctively, as 

 animals have, to enable them to reach the best re- 

 sults, when left to follow every natural impulse. 



This power of comprehension is generally exer- 

 cised in a very imperfect manner, in the act of 

 establishing those relations with the world, which 

 naturally determine the direction of a man's activ- 

 ities for life. Even under the best conditions of 

 society, the impulses are often followed bHndly for 

 awhile ; and then comprehension comes in, and find- 

 ing the work well begun, completes it, — or, finding 

 it wrongly commenced, abandons it and begins 

 anew ; or makes the best of a bad case, too far gone 

 to be rectified. In other cases, it never does its 

 appropriate work ; and the man floats through the 

 world like a stick of drift-timber. In other cases 

 still, where there is clear comprehension of rela- 

 tions and powers, and of desirable results, there 

 seems to be too little ability to restrain or con- 

 trol the lower powers, and make them servants ; 



