Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1918-03-24 | Page 29 | Common Sense and How to Use it

i iC Common Sense ense and now How to Use It Pertinent Suggestions Thought Out by a Man Who Did set of sense need a a. OES common DOES rules laid down for its tor-its its employ employ- 9 m ent not the tho gift itself teach it how to use uso fjUs possessors i Sense Sense How How A book called Common v to Exercise It edited by B B. Dangen Dangen- aneS a neS and published by Funk Wagtails Wag Wag- tails nalls Co New York proves that one oneat oneat DJan at least thought otherwise For Foro tho o volume Is largely large a translation from the Japanese of ot tf who was s He was one of 1 Japans Japan s most illustrious and wisest leaders founder of ot her first dynasty of Shoguns and ranked as one of ot tho the three greatest statesmen his country bas has produced He lived seven hundred 1 j jears ears ago and exercised a dominant J Influence over the minds of ot his people J It Itis is not every week that such a person per- per t feon son on offers offers' the fruits of or his experience We Wo ad ad- 5 to readers of this tilis Magazine rise you yon to read and ponder the Colt folY following fol- fol Y t WinS lowing selected passages from his pre pro precepts depts They all have to do with Common Cornmon Com Corn mon Sense for which faculty hid Iad a profound respect Enthusiasms Enthus ho he said once are brittle as i crystal C but common s sense sense is as durble duri dur- dur sole ble as brass i That Is Common Sense 1 lOMMON N sense is the desire for forY Y C 11 truth For people who poss possess s common sense everything is summed f up intone one unique perception perception The xue JU love ol 0 af directness and simplicity The preot pre pre- E ponds ranee of ot these two sentiments makes Itself felt In all resolutions il on sense enables us to elude F fear ear which always sel seizes e those whose lodgment judgment vacillates It indicates in- in t the correct attitude to assume f For r common sense varies in its char- char according to surroundings The Thet Ther t r common rommon sense of ot one class of or people Is t not the same ame as that of a n. neighboring b class I I t Many ny sentiments con er converge e to form it I The first of ot these is REASON I fl It is the tho habit of or reasoning to determine de- de deI I termine that which It It is wise to under- under ik take thus permitting us to judge what hould be set aside How could we wc ourselves through lifo life without wIthout t the ll light beacon of reason Ho lie who Dentures in the darkness and walks haphazard find himself suddenly confronted con con- fronted with obstacles which he was unable ble to foresee f He find himself frightened by forms boso nature he is unable to define i and end Is often orten tempted d to attribute sll- sll honett e s of ot assa assassins sins to branches of oC trees Instead of reco recognizing tho real jc who is watching him from the turner corner of ot the wild forest Life as well wen as the wildest wilderness wilderness wilder wIlder- ness Is strewn with pitfalls To think o of examining it rapidly wIthout without the lId Id of at that toi torch ch called reason would b le be imitating the man of whom we have Just fast t Many are arc the mirages which lead us us tc tc mistake dim shadows for disquieting disquiet disquiet- lug ing n realities unless we examine them critically for tor otherwise we can never ascribe scribe to them their real value Certain tain incidents on the other band hand which it t first sight seem to bo ho of ot small Im- Im assume a rf primordial value ben we have bate explained them by Beans of ot reasoning ITO i To reason reagon about a thing is to dissect If t to 10 examine It from every point of oC I cw W before adopting it it before deferring deferring deferring defer defer- ring to it or bc before ore rejecting It without without without with with- out out reason there Is no common sense I Importance of Moderation i Next Nest to reason follows MODERATION MODERA MODERA- MODERATION TION which is indispensable to the Attainment of or common commOD sense It Il is moderation which incites incHes us us to re- re our Impatience to silence our Inexplicable antipathies and aud to put a brake brake on our tempestuous enthusiasms A Japanese prince awakening ono one day demanded lazily of or his servants what kind of or weather it was Not wishIng wish wish- Ing to ralso tho the awnings which kept a l cool dim light in his room the servants ser ser- er- er rants went int into an adjoining room where there were were stained glass win win- dows One of ot them putting his Ws taco face close to a yellow-tinted yellow pane pano of ot glass exclaimed in Jn admiration of or tho beautiful beautiful beau beau- cau- cau garden bathed in the early mornIng mornIng morning morn- morn Ing sunlight The second directing his gaze to a dark blue pane saw no sunshine The day was dreary and the tile clouds cast gloomy shadows sha Each then returned to relate his Impression of ot the weather and the could not understand the reason for tor the dIfferent different dif dIf- dlf- dlf ferent versions There Thero is what happens to people who do not practise moderation Those who see things through tho medium of ot enthusiasm enthusiasm enthusiasm en en- refuse to recognize that they could be deprived of ot brilliancy and beau beauty ty Others Olbers who look upon things from froma a pessimistic standpoint never find anything in them save pretexts for pouring out to their hearers tales of ot woe and misery All find themselves d deceptively allured some soma rush toward Illusion do not wish to admit 1 positive chances for success and both M ev yi yit r t y R 1 rr R O Ho He who walks hazard hap in to tho darkness is is tempted to attribute silhouettes of assassins to branches of trees lacking moderation they start from a basis of or false premises from which they draw deplorable conclusions thus future success Penetration and how It Is Acquired To reason reason and moderation should be added the tho faculty of PENETRATION which can and should be strengthened by will and discipline Great effects are produced many times Umes from rom seemingly seemingly seemingly seem seem- unimportant causes and It Is above aboe all to the tho significant details that the tho spirit of ot penetration should give unceasing and undivided atten atten- tion Everything around us can servo serve as asa asa asa a subject for careful study political events incidents which Interest family or friends all may serve as themes for earnest reflection But Dut it is preferable to confine confine ourselves to subjects in which wo we have no personal Interest thus we wo shall accustom ourselves to judge of persons and things This is the tho quality of or mind necessary to the perfect development I of penetration Consistency the thc he Jowl Jewel If Ie you strike long enough ml int the y 1 fl I t 4 He e who can r recall c in fB long life ought to to tov H v understand better thaman than tha 3 the young man all tho the 11 M. M Pitfalls with which it itis its t is IS s strewn J. J i ar Ku C- C I 1 t 4 I i 1 o I. I a 1 J M MJ J r ra a a Y samo same place on the tho thickest piece of ot Iron in tImo time it will become as thin as tho the most delicate sheet of ot paper It Jt Is 15 Impossible to define the spirit of consIstency consistency consistency con con- more ore accurately It is closely related to perseverance but cannot be confounded with it because the attributes attributes attributes of consistency have havo their origin In logic and reason which does oes not produce one ono act alone but a series of ot acts sometimes dependent always alwaY's in in- The spirit of ot consistency banishes all thought derogatory tory to tho the subject in question it is the complete Investiture ture turo of ot sentiments all converging toward a a. unique purpose tho the emanation emanation emanation emana emana- tion of ot a thought whose superior authority authority au au- is closely united to the final success Wisdom the the Pearl of All Price Finally there thero is WISDOM which permits us to profit by the tho lessons of ot experience It is from the tho never-ending never lesson which life lite teaches us that tho the wisdom of ot old age is learned But is it really necessary to reach the point of decrepitude in order to profit by an experience Why give to old age alone the privileges of ot wisdom Why should its beauty be bo unveiled on only y to those who can no longer profit by it What would be 00 the thought of ot one who prided himself on possessing bracelets when he had lost his two arms in war v vIt It is therefore necessary not only to encourage young people to profit by lessons of ot wisdom and experience but still sUll further to Indicate to them how they can accomplish the result of ot those lessons fIt f It is certain that he who can recall a 8 long life ought to understand better than the tho young man all an tho the pitfalls with which it is strewn strewn But Dut does ho he I always Judge of it without bias or prejudice Does ho he not find ac acceptable pretexts for excusing his past faults and docs does ho not exaggerate the reI rewards rewards re re- re- re I wards for e excellence which have corded him advantages due at times to chance or to the tho force torce of ot circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances This Is why although we may honor the wisdom of ot the aged I it t Is well to acquire it at a time when we may use It as a precious aid Get Wise While Youre You're Young Yoong To those who insist that nothing Is equivalent to personal experience we point out that a n. just opinion can only be formed when personal sentiment Is excluded from rom tho the discussion Is it necessary to have havo experienced pain in order to prevent or cure it The majority of ot physicians have havo never been killed by the diseases they treat Then why could wo we not do for the mind that which can bo be done for tor tile the bod body It is first from books then from the lessons of or life UCe that physicians learn the principles prInciple underlying their knowledge la knowledge knowl knowl- owl owl- edge of ot disease and Its healing rem rem- edies edles We may y all possess wisdom if It weare wo we aro are willing to be bo persuaded that the experience of others Is as useful as our own Wake Up FIght Up-FIght right Against Illusions Common sense is the tho absolute antithesis an an- of ot dreamy imagination It is the sworn foe toe of ot illusion Common Commonsense Commonsense Commonsense sense is solid illusion is yielding During a struggle illusion endeavors vainly to display Its subterfuges and cunning illusions disappear one by byone one crushed by the powerful arms of ot their terrible adversary common adversary common sense The The man who allows himself to be bo In Influenced influenced in- in by vague dreams must bid farewell to common sense and reason for Cor he will experience so great a charm harm charmIn charmin harmIn In forgetting even for one moment tho the reality of or life liCe that he ho will seek seck to prolong this blessed moment lie will renounce logic whose whoso conclusions conclusions conclusions con con- are at times opposed to his his' desires and he will plunge himself Into that false delight of ot day dreams Those who defend this artificial conception conception con con- of oC happiness like to compare people of ot common sense to heavy In Infantry infantry In- In fantry soldiers marching along through stony roads while the they depict themselves them them- themselves selves Beles as pleasant bird fanciers giving flight nIght to the tho fantastic bearers of wings But Dut they do not tako take Into int account the fact tact that the birds for whom they open the cages fly away without the tho Intention of or returning leaving them thus deceived and deprived of ot tho the birds while tho the rough infantry sol sol- J. J y 1 diers after many hardships reach the tho end they had proposed to attain and realize the tho joys jOS of conquest Men cannot bo be too strongly warned against embellishing everything that concerns the tho heart life lite which is the Inclination of or most people Indolence is never a n stranger to illusion muston It Isso Isso is isso so delightful to foresee a 3 solution which conforms to our desires I IFor For natures stained with moral atrophy It is sweet to hope for Cor that which will be bo produced without pain One begins bogins by accelerating some somo achievement earnestly desired on ono one b becomes comes ac accustomed progressively to regard desires as a reality and aided by indolence to discount in advance I an easy casy success I Tho The greater number of ot skeptics are only tho the cd lovers of illusion their desires never nover being those capable oi of r re realization lz they have lost Q habit a of ot hoping for or a favorable termination of oC any sentiment Transforming Illusions Into Ideals There are arc however some somo imaginations imaginations which cannot be bo controlled by bythe the power of ot reasoning and which In spite of or everything escape toward the unlimited horizons of ot tho the dream Illusion Il Illusion Il- Il lusion can bo be beautiful on condition that it is not constantly debilitated But Dut to make It beautiful wo we must be be Its master that wo we may attempt Its conquest Great men act thus Before adopting adopt adopt- lug ing an Illusion as ns truth they have assured assured assured as as- themselves of ot the means by the aid lId of ot which they wore were permitted first to hope for Its Ita transformation and afterward be bo certain of ot their power to discipline it Illusion then thon changes its Us name and becomes tho the Ideal Instead of or rop roan ro- ro p an n. n Inaccessible math it Is la transformed into an entity for the creation creation creation cre cre- of ot good It Is tho the triumph of or common sense Bense to accomplish this tilis transformation and I Ito to banish empty reveries replacing them by creating a desire for the I BEST EEST which each ch ono can satisfy I without it lt When Ja is accomplished illusion will cease crose t. t I.- I. haunt tho the mind and will allow tho flower of or hope to blossom in tho the soul already alread filled with peace that peace that quality which Is born of ot reason and common sense Bens I