THE SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS 



of their own physical desires to the end, but they are the 

 rare and admirable exceptions. And even such self- 

 mastery consists essentially of a perennial capacity to 

 substitute good habits for bad ones. Indeed the en- 

 tire regulation of our physical needs is largely brought 

 about through the struggle to establish favorable habits 

 as against disadvantageous ones. In proportion as the 

 victory is won, does the organism gain a machine-like 

 capacity to work to best advantage and to make the 

 most of its opportunities. 



But you do not wish to be a mere machine, you say ? 

 Ah, but your wishes have nothing to do with the matter. 

 That was decided for you ages before you were born. 

 Your body is a machine, subject to well-known physical 

 and chemical laws; and your mind depends for its 

 operations for its very being on the operations of this 

 body. 



You have no choice as to that. 



Your only choice is as to whether you will make your 

 body a well-regulated, carefully tended machine, or 

 whether you will allow it to fall into a state of slovenly 

 disrepair; whether you will be the director of your 

 habits, or their feeble slave. Stated thus there can be 

 no question as to what should be your answer; surely 

 there is no question as to which line of action will tend 

 to make for greater happiness. 



[38] 



