AUTOMATIC MENTAL ACTION. 27 
answering movements, both leave their traces behind them, which are capable of 
being revived on the occasion of similar impressions. A ganglionic center,whether 
of mind, sensation, or movement, which was without memory, would be an idiotic 
center, incapable of being taught its functions.” 
The educators of youth should never lose sight of the fact that their work is 
well done only when both mind and body have been trained to act with automatic 
readiness and precision. ‘This high degree of mental and physical power and 
specialization can be attained only by incessant repetition. Practice, and practice 
alone, makes perfect. 
All beginnings are difficult; but, by virtue of this capacity for automatic 
mental action, they become easy and pleasant, so as to require little or no effort of 
the will to spur the mind on to its accustomed work. After this form of mental 
action has once been acquired, the mind is no longer perplexed with the routine 
of petty details, but is left free to attend to the few unaccustomed matters which 
turn up during its regular work, and which require a distinct consciousness. 
The educator of youth, in availing himself of this spring of action, must take 
into the account the question of vital dynamics. Unless he does this, he is liable 
to err in two particulars: first, as to the extent to which this form of mental action 
should be carried ; second, as to the class of mental operations to which it should 
be confined. Automatism requiring long and laborious repetition must make a 
heavy draft upon the plastic energies of the brain. The consumption of all the 
nervous energy in organizing automatic forms of action would result in a deaden- 
jng of consciousness, and tend to reduce the mind to the level of a machine. 
Prof. Huxley says that he would not object to being thus reduced, provided that 
when wound up inthe morning, like a clock, he would run on with automatic 
precision, and never go wrong. But sucha result, if possible, would not be de- 
sirable, for the reason that it would put an end to all further mental progress in 
making new acquisitions. Mental operations by repetition tend to wear for them- 
selves a channel. The nervous mechanism embodies in its structure the im-— 
pressions made upon it as a part of its organic growth. But this mechanism of 
“nerves is truly a machine, governed by mechanical laws, and is hence capable of 
performing only a limited amount of work. If a certain amount of the brain force 
be consumed in impressing upon the organism a particular form of action, just so 
much less will be left as a stimulus for exciting the mind to other acquisitions. 
Hence, if automatism has been carried to excess, the effect upon the young and 
growing organism must be injurious. The rigid and automatic condition of the 
nervous mechanism produced by habit, brings on a corresponding rigidity and 
deadness of consciousness itself, thus rendering the mind incapable of further 
progress. Automatic action gives efficiency and ease of execution; but,if carried 
too far, renders it difficult and even impossible to make new acquisitions. 
It is also evident that automatic action should be confined to those mental 
and physical movements which will be of daily use, which look to the practical 
side of life, and which, from their nature, must be largely automatic to fulfill their 
