Maintaining Health (Formerly Health and Efficiency)Alsaker, Rasmus Larssen
Science
Maintaining Health (Formerly Health and Efficiency)
Alsaker, Rasmus Larssen
Diet; Hygiene
_Vacillation of mind_ is a common fault. Many small questions have to be
settled and a few important ones. Some are in the habit of deferring
their decisions from time to time, or making and revoking their
decisions. Then they decide over again, after which there is another
revocation. This is repeated until it is absolutely necessary to make a
final decision. By this time the mind is so muddled that the chances are
that the last decision will be inferior to the first one. No one who
leads an active life can be right all the time. He who is right six
times out of ten does pretty well, and he who can make a correct
decision three times out of four can command a fine salary as an
executive or build up a flourishing business of his own, if his mind is
active.
The doubt and uncertainty which result from unsettled questions, which
should be promptly decided, are more harmful than an occasional error.
The untroubled mind works most quickly and truly.
Related to this in minor key is the doubtful condition of mind where the
individual has to do things several times before he is sure they are
properly done. For instance, there is the man who must try the office
door several times to be sure that it is locked and after being
satisfied on this point he is obliged to unlock it and investigate the
condition of the safe door. Then it is necessary to attend to the office
door two or three times again. This kind of doubtfulness takes many
forms. It does no special harm except that it leads to much waste of
time. Such people should teach themselves concentration, thinking about
one thing only at a time, until they learn that when a thing is done it
is properly done.
_Judging_: Many insist on passing judgment on everything and everybody
that come to their notice. Every individual has to be placed with the
sheep or the goats. This is a great waste of time. Each one of us can
know so little about the majority of individuals we meet and of the vast
volume of knowledge that is to be had that if we try to judge everyone
and everything, our opinions become worthless. Wise people are never
afraid to say, "I don't know." If it is necessary to judge, let there be
kindness.
_Volunteering advice_: This is another annoying habit. It is very well
to give advice if it is desired and asked for, otherwise it is a waste
of time. Take a person with a cold, for example: If he meets twenty
people he may be told of fifteen different cures for it, ranging from
goose grease on a red rag to suggestive therapeutics. If he were to act
upon all the advice received there would probably be a funeral. It is
best to be sparing with advice. Those who have any that is worth while
will be asked for it and paid for their trouble. Free advice is
generally worth what it costs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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