| Show PROFESSOR PETERSON TALKS ON CHILDHOOD GIVES PHASES OF ADOLESCENT AGE Subject of Vast Interest Is Argued Argued Argued Ar Ar- ArI I gued Before East High Parent Parent- Parent Teachers CORRECT TRAINING VITAL Says Highest Function Is to Direct Di Direct Direct Di- Di Youth I to Great Truths of Life In Iii a meeting of ot the Teachers Parent-Teachers held hold In tho the East Cast SIdo High school Tuesday evening Prof Proto Joseph Peterson Peter Poter- son v who ho occupies occupieR the tho chair of ot ps psychology chol- chol ogy at the tho University of ot Utah spoke on Some Aspects of tho the Psychology of or Adolescence He said ald saidI aldI I desire to call attention to only a few tew of ot the most striking aS S tics of ot tho the adolescent mind In tho the first place the young oung man or young woman In the early part o of the tho adolescent adolescent cent period which begins begin at 12 to 14 years ars of ot age ago li is not limited In In Interests In- In b by economic necessity When hen tho student Is of this age tho the parents are ire still as a a. rule responsible econom econom- call for the expenses o of ln living and the youth has but little thought of ot the remote emote future futuro In tn this regard Tho The mind nind J Is free tree to bo be led Jed out In many directions to enjoy Intellectual activity for tor Its own sake That is to fla say the adolescent haInE hay hav hayag ing InE ag broken through the Interests In nero mere formality and technique charac charac- of the tho childhood period begins to o delight In various of or th the tho big problems lems ems concerning lifo life and reality This I is a tho the time to la lay the foundation for tor forthe i the lie Jar larger er outlook on life lito so eo essential to o the tho bl bigger cr humanity The Tho youth now nov shows a Q deep interest In nature peaking to him In her various tongues Literature biography and the larger Jarger aspects aspect 0 of i biology are excellent materials ma ma- I for tor the establishment o of the 1 bigger Ideals of ot life which are to give gl i perspective and Inspiration for the later I periods of ot more technical trainIng trainIng train train- In Ing I and tho the vocational activities to follow tollow rot I ow A Time of Expansion The second fact that I wish to point out ut is that at this time of ot the Individuals Individual's Individuals Individual's Indi Indi- vidual's life lito comes a wonderful expansIon expansion ex ex- of ot the social and religious consciousness con con- Attention always alwa's is di directed directed ii- ii to the places In our experience of or needed adjustments In early adolescence there marked are arc physiological logical changes Tho The relatively rapid growth of ot the heart at this ago In Increases In- In creases the blood pressure The son sen sensations and emotions resulting from this fact as aJ well veU as from the extremely extreme extreme- ly Jy rapid growth of ot tho the period lead to lo toa a n. heightened self Then Than there arc are the tho racial Instincts making their appearance and a n mystical In Interest Interest In- In terest Lorest In the opposite sex A wonderful wonder wonder- tul ful devotion as nearl nearly divine divino an as anything any any- thing Wing In life life excepting excepting probably the love lo of ot mother for tor her hor Infant child child child- awakens wakena tho Interest In tho the lives of I others thir th tho youth to an atti atti- I tude ude I of t seH- seH self and altruism I m. This Is well Illustrated d In the tho story tory of ot f Marlus and Cosetto Cosette In Victor Hugos Hugo's J Lee Les Miserable It is a n period o of sen sen- The world Is frequently spiritualized and nature seems at times s to be a great Ireat benign consciousness conscious conscious- ness or personality It Is a period of unusual religious awakening QUestions Questions Questions Ques QUes- of or Immortality of God and of ot reality In Its ultimate aspects arc in insistently insistently In- In Impatient impatient Im Im- im- im present The youth Is patient for the answers to these questions questions ques Ques- tlonA which nature cannot c ly h give ho even to the tho adult philosopher Self cOnsciOusness thus expands into a world consciousness which In turn re returns returns returns re- re turns upon the youth Ho becomes extremely ex ex- sensitive to others others' thoughts of ot him He Is sentimental extravagant extravagant extravagant gant In his thoughts of ot his own possIbilities possibilities Imagines himself making great discoveries In science receiving unusual unusual un un- un- un usual recognition and honor for his various accomplishments to be He HeIs HeIs HeIs Is a dreamer tho the universe seems to exist Jan largely elY for tor himself and the fair one who Is the object of ot his devotion de Alas he must learn that success does not come b by mere chance chanco discoveries but b by slow plodding at details and then only onh In small degree This Is tho the sad lesson to later adolescence that all must learn Tho The mere matter fact ness of ot parents may drive e the adolescent Into seclusion and Into Secret se secret Se- Se cret organizations The youth at this period IB is extreme J ly 13 sensitive of ot praise or blame Teachers Teach Teach- ers and parents that are human and show personal attention are arc admired and honored On the other othor hand tho sarcasm and personal slights of ot others develop a dislike even a hatred and may cause an nn impassable le gulf to arise between teacher or parent and the tho young oung man or woman Young women are more sensitive In n this this' sense than arc are young men Teachers and parents should not forget forget torget for tor- get this peculiarity of youth In minter later adolescence the oung young man Is 18 likely to begin developing professional in Ute while the young O woman whose nature calls for the tho life of tho the mother mothern In n the tho home Is liable to grow row restless and harassed by a sense of ot apathy I This condition is delayed or averted b by the tho young woman entering catering Into college life if It she Is fortunate In finding finding find find- ing inS a lino line of ot work vork suitable to her hor disposition dis die position This course be encouraged encouraged aged rather than early marriage and later disappointment A proper life lite In the tho high school and college Is more important than we wc usually suppose Plenty of sleep and of ot open-air open life should also aho ho he emphasized In adolescence D Dealing lloC With Doubt The Tho final point to note Is the doubtIng doubting doubt- doubt Ing of or tho the adolescent What shall wedo we wo wedo do with those doubts Some parents suppress and others encourage o them Suppression is liable to lead leid to distrust distrust dis die trust bf bt religious and social conventions conventions conventions conven conven- and doctrine to Inner friction and self condemnation for lack of ot sincerity It may do untold Injury to the young youn man or woman Doubting 1 i lit not bad or dangerous It t Is Oni only evidence ce of ot Intellectual honesty hon hon- esty Doubting Is a feeder of ot religious faith alth and of Intellectual sincerity It ItIs Itis Its Is s feared only by those who wish to In Indoctrinate Indoctrinate In- In indoctrinate Instead of ot to educate educato the tho child May there thero be few parents and teachers who will take It upon themselves themselves them them- selves thus to Impose upon the intel intel- intellectual and spiritual natures of ot their children and students As a teacher I conceive my function function tion lon to encourage Inspire and direct the ho youth to the great truths trutha of ot our world but the rl right ht Is his absolutely to b believe bellevo about them thorn a he can honestly honestly honestly hon hon- estly believe Otherwise I teach him to tobe tobe tobe be a a. hypocrite and to be suspicious of m my own doctrine o o |
