"THE SURVIVAL OF "THE FlTtESr 113 



versity is essential to complete development. It has been 

 well said that the surroundings which are most favorable to 

 progress are those which offer the greatest number and variety 

 of stimuli which will continually call into action all the powers 

 of the individual. A life of ease means lack of stimuli to ac- 

 tion, hence the full development of but few powers. Power 

 and efficiency come only through vigorous exercise, and 

 strength through struggle. Nature sifts out the weak-willed as 

 well as the weak-bodied. 



The obstacles may be so great that it is almost or quite im- 

 possible for the average form to overcome them and survive, 

 in this case few are spared. But progress comes only through 

 the steady testing and training of the growing power and com- 

 pelling it to accomplish to-day what was impossible a year 

 or millennium ago. 



" Suffering and hardship do not, as a rule, abate the love 

 of life; they seem on the contrary to give it a larger zest. 

 The sovereign source of melancholy is repletion. Need and 

 struggle are what excite and inspire us; the hour of triumph 

 is what brings the void." ^ 



Yet Nature's severity is really kindness. She is really con- 

 tinually spurring her favorites to a higher and keener enjoy- 

 ment. Idleness is unbearable to the healthy, lack of all hard- 

 ship unendurable to the strong. Normal exercise of any organ 

 always brings pleasure; the higher the power exercised the 

 higher the joy. This is one reason why the motives peculiar 

 to each higher plane of life supersede and dominate those of 

 the lower. 



Why has no form ever enjoyed dominance for a time and 

 then added the higher power and become also fit? Why did 

 not some ancient cat develop tooth and claw as long as these 

 were highly profitable and then devote its energy to develop- 

 ing a thinking brain? Fortunately no cat ever did this, other- 

 wise learned societies would have met on the back fence and 

 you and I have been spared the malady of thought. There 

 are many reasons. Only a very prophetic cat could have fore- 



1 126:47. 



