Influence of Environment 239 



monly call "good environment" is frequently the worst possible, 

 what is often called a bad environment may be the best possible. 

 We are all strangely blind with regard to these matters. We 

 know of many cases in which men began their careers on a farm, 

 in the backwoods, on a flat-boat, amidst hardships and discom- 

 forts of every sort and yet who achieved great distinction. And 

 we speak of such men as winning in spite of disadvantages, for- 

 getting that often these very disadvantages, hardships, discom- 

 forts, have been stimuli which have given them sturdy bodies, 

 good judgments, good morals, and have called forth all their best 

 qualities. On the other hand under different circumstances or 

 with different men such conditions may prove to be too hard, too 

 severe, and the result be disastrous. But environment may be 

 too good as well as too hard. Food may be too rich and too 

 abundant for good health, life may be too easy and luxurious for 

 the development of character. Luxury, easy lives, refined sur- 

 roundings have less of educational value than we commonly sup- 

 pose and they may be a positive menace. Any environment is 

 bad, however cultured, refined or pleasant it may be, which leads 

 to the development of bad traits of body or mind. In general the 

 best environment is one which avoids extremes, one which is 

 neither too easy nor too hard, one which calls for sustained effort 

 and produces maximum efficiency of body and of mind. 



In education also we are strangely blind as to proper aims and 

 methods. Any education is bad which leads to the formation of 

 habits of idleness, carelessness and failure, instead of habits of 

 industry, thoroughness and success. Any religious or social in- 

 stitution is bad which leads to habits of pious make-believe, insin- 

 cerity, slavish regard for authority and disregard for evidence, 

 instead of habits of sincerity, open-mindedness and independence. 



Frequently the training of the human being, like the training of 

 a star-fish, consists in limiting his activities to particular lines. 

 Some physical defect which prevented a child from engaging in 

 ihe usual activities of children has often turned his attention to 

 scholarship. Galton says that great divines have usually had very 



