122 SAVAGE SURVIVALS 



feeling, as anger or joy, it shows itself in the face. 

 And if a feeling is repeated over and over and 

 over, it freezes — it becomes the common expres- 

 sion 01 the face. We can tell a grouch, a thinker, 

 an optimist, or a wit by the general condition of 

 mind which he advertises in his face. 



These habits deepen with the repetitions of the 

 passing years. In the early stages of the forma- 

 tion of a habit we may do a thing or not as we 

 choose. But in the course of time it becomes very 

 difficult or even impossible to act otherwise than 

 we have formed the habit of acting. The habit 

 becomes master. We form mental and moral hab- 

 its, just as we form bodily habits. We get into 

 the habit of thinking in certain ways and of be- 

 lieving certain things, and after we have thought 

 these things over thousands of times we can't 

 think any other way to save our lives. If we 

 should think that the moon is made of green cheese 

 a million times, we would probably never be able 

 to think differently, however long we might live. 

 You have each of you certain beliefs regarding 

 politics, religion, education, etc., which you have 

 because you grew up in a certain neighborhood 

 and family. In many ways these beliefs of yours 

 would be the very opposite of what they are if you 

 had come into existence in a different family or 

 neighborhood. It is a very serious business, this 

 choosing of our parents and our place of birth; 

 for what becomes of us as men and women de- 

 pends a great deal on what sort of influences beat 



