=Existence and Influence of Idea of Consequences Depends upon
Disposition.=--But the converse is equally true. Behind every concrete
purpose or aim, as idea or thought of results, lies something, some
passion, instinct, impulse, habit, interest, which gives it a hold on
the person, which gives it motor and impelling force; and which confers
upon it the capacity to operate as motive, as spring to action.
Otherwise, foreseen consequences would remain mere intellectual entities
which thought might speculatively contemplate from afar, but which would
never possess weight, influence, power to stir effort. But we must go
further. Not only is some active tendency in the constitution of the man
responsible for the motive power, whether attractive or otherwise, which
foreseen consequences possess, but it is responsible for the fact that
this rather than that consequence is suggested. A man of consistently
amiable character will not be likely to have thoughts of cruelty to
weigh and to dismiss; a man of greed will be likely to have thoughts of
personal gain and acquisition constantly present to him. What an
individual is interested in occurs to him; what he is indifferent to
does not present itself in imagination or lightly slips away. Active
tendencies, personal attitudes, are thus in the end the determining
causes of our having certain intentions in mind, as well as the causes
of their active or moving influence. As Bentham says, motives _make_
intentions.
=Influence of Interest on Ideas.=--"Purpose is but the slave of memory."
We can anticipate this or that only as from past experience we can
construct it. But recall, re-membering (rearticulation) is selective. We
pick out certain past results, certain formerly experienced results, and
we ignore others. Why? Because of our present interests. We are
interested in this or that, and accordingly it comes to mind and dwells
there; or it fails to appear in recollection, or if appearing, is
quickly dismissed. It is important that the things from the past, which
are relevant to our present activity, should come promptly to mind and
find fertile lodgment, and character decides how this happens.
Says James:[125]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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