Acquired Characters . 19 



individuals, others, seeing that an advantage 

 is derived, will imitate the deeds of the in- 

 ventors and acquire the stronger arms due 

 to increased use. Imitation will cause this 

 habit to spread and will keep in the commu- 

 nity the people who see the advantage of the 

 acquired character, and through use voluntarily 

 develop it. Children will also, through the 

 example of parents, submit to the discipline 

 needed to develop it, and thus it will be handed 

 down from generation to generation as an 

 acquired character. But not all the members 

 of the community, and especially not all the 

 children, will submit to the needed discipline, 

 but will follow their natural inclinations and 

 act in ways that do not develop the needed 

 character. As a result they suffer from the 

 lack of those articles of food obtained by its 

 means. To coerce them, and especially to 

 prevent children from suffering the conse- 

 quences of following their natural bent, moral 

 rules and local customs are devised which 

 force on all members of the community the ac- 

 quisition of traits and characters that, in the 

 opinion of the majority, are necessary toward 



