SECTION 3. THE SCIENTIFICALLY UNTRAINED ADULT. 27 



the Opposition attributes it to the incompetence of the Govern- 

 ment, whilst Ministers of State ascribe it to the disturbing effect 

 on the market of the unwarrantable and partisan criticisms of 

 the Opposition. 



However, prejudice is immensely heightened by a mental 

 process the presence of which is habituaHy unsuspected, 

 namely, the psychological fact, to be discussed in Conclusion 7, 

 that only that which appeals to us tends to be recalled. For 

 this reason, the Musulman, the Jew, and the Christian; the Con- 

 servative, the Liberal, and the Socialist; the aristocrat, the 

 bourgeois, and the operative; the artist, the captain of industry, 

 and the man of the world, are each very often supremely con- 

 fident in their views. The opponent's contention, because of 

 the working of the psychic mechanism, has no justification for 

 them, and hence they feel immovably certain that their case 

 is strong, and that of their antagonist weak. In one limited 

 sphere alone the average man reasons scientifically, or nearly 

 so, namely in his avocation, where a knowledge of many of 

 the relevant facts and traditional methods resulting from dearly- 

 bought experience, frequently prevent slipshod observation, 

 reasoning, and generalisation. Since, however, he is not con- 

 scious 1 of the peculiarity of the method which he applies in 

 his avocation, this method is of no assistance to him in any 

 other department of life, especially because occasions vary 

 and divergent situations require relatively divergent treatment. 

 Nevertheless, even here, as the efficiency movement is daily 

 demonstrating, a multitude of blighting prejudices seriously 

 debases the value of his thought. 



The average individual of to-day is not only hampered by 

 ignorance, bias, and narrow sympathies; he generally lacks 

 the determinate and desirable qualities which efficient training 

 provides. When confronted with a perplexing problem, he just 

 stares at it, loses heart, or seeks to overcome it by attempts 

 ascribable to the most fugitive suggestions ; when he discovers 

 two or three trivial points, he deems that he has discovered 

 everything relevant ; when an unfamiliar theory is propounded, 

 he thinks of some, more or less plausible objection, and decides 

 at once that this disposes of the theory ; every novel suggestion 

 relating to practice he stigmatises as unpractical or as contrary 

 to human nature; when a solution does not quickly present 

 itself, he conjectures that no solution is possible ; he confounds 

 mere plausibility with sheer truth; each ephemeral symptom 

 he regards as an independent and fundamental fact, overlooking 

 thus what is really of moment and far-reaching; he believes 

 that if he only waits, the truth will automatically sail into 

 view ; he despairs of there being any truth at all in the matter ; 



1 An analysis of the nature of habit will be found in the author's The 

 Mind of Man, Ch. 3. 



