

THE CHILD'S POWER OF LEARNING 395 



like the physical losses, exceed the gains. Compare the perfection 

 with which the young are able to acquire the manners of a society, 

 and every accent, inflection, and intonation of one or more 

 languages, with the imperfections displayed when the task is under- 

 taken later, and the superiority of the youthful powers of learning 

 at once becomes manifest. There are many things which we are 

 better able to acquire later in life than during infancy; for example, 

 mathematical knowledge; not, however, because our powers of 

 learning are greater, but only because we are able to build on 

 acquirements previously made. Similarly, while a child, whose 

 power of growing physically is so great, cannot in a few weeks or 

 months acquire the muscles of an athlete, a man, whose develop- 

 ment is sufficiently advanced, but who is less capable of growth, 

 may do so. It is sometimes said that an infant cannot make the 

 physical and mental acquirements which are possible to a child, 

 nor a child those which are possible to an adult, merely because the 

 anatomical developments of brain and body are not yet sufficiently 

 advanced. This statement is true, of course. But the hypothesis 

 it is meant to support that the developments which render 

 possible various actions arise independently of, not in consequence 

 of, previous use is not true. The question is easily tested. 

 Would a child who had not previously learned to walk or do 

 simple arithmetical problems, develop body and mind sufficiently 

 to enable it to play cricket and learn the calculus ? 



653. As we add to our mental stores our minds grow, but not 

 our memories, not our powers of learning. So, also, as we add to 

 our store of physical acquirements our bodies grow, but not our 

 power of growing physically. Systems for improving the memory, 

 of which many have been invented, do not improve it in the least. 

 They merely direct the attention more strongly to facts which 

 are considered worthy of remembrance, and, by making them form 

 mental associations with familiar objects or common happenings, 

 seek to secure their recall to mind. 1 



654. Our minds are as busy storing experiences when we are 

 merely ' passing the time ' as when we consciously endeavour to 

 memorize ; but in the former case there is so much that is almost 

 identical with other experiences that it cannot be recalled in detail. 

 On that account we can recall but few of the common, the unremark- 



1 See James, Principles of Psychology, vol. i. pp. 659, et seq. " No amount 

 of culture would seem capable of modifying a man's general retentiveness . . . 

 all improvement of memory consists, then, in the improvement of one's habitual 

 methods of recalling facts." 



