Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

“BUT if having been once defeated, thou shalt say, The next time I will conquer; and then the same thing over again, be sure that in the end thou wilt be brought to such a sorry and feeble state that henceforth thou wilt not so much as know that thou art sinning; but thou wilt […]

THE underlying cause of all weakness and unhappiness in man, heredity and environment to the contrary notwithstanding, has always been, and is still, weak habit-of-thought. This is proven by the observed instances in which strong habit-of-thought has invariably made its masters superior to heredity, and to environment, and to illness, and to weakness of all […]

“WHENEVER a person wills, or, rather, professes to will, to imagine, he has in fact already imagined ; and, consequently, there can be no such thing as imaginations which are exclusively the result of a direct act of the Will.” Professor Upham. ” I am inclined to think it was his practice, when engaged in […]

I RETAIN a clear impression or image of everything at which I have looked, although the coloring of that impression is necessarily vivid in proportion to the degree of interest with which the object was regarded. I find this faculty of much use and solace to me. By its aid I can live again at […]

“SOMETHING more reliable than a mere impulse is needed to make a strong mind. Back of all must stand a strong Will, with the ability and disposition to use it. M. Marcel well says, ` The great secret of education lies in exciting and directing the Will.’ In later mental acquirements we recognize the omnipotence […]

“THE seat of the Will seems to vary with the organ through which it is manifested; to transport itself to different parti of the brain, as we may wish to recall a picture, a phrase, or a melody; to throw its force on the muscles or the intellectual processes. Like the general-in-chief, its place is […]

A DISTINGUISHED lawyer of an Eastern city relates that while engaged in an argument upon which vast issues depended he suddenly realized that he had forgotten to guard a most important point. In that hour of excitement his faculties became greatly stimulated. Decisions, authorities and precedents long since forgotten began to return to his mind. […]

“IT IS subject to the superior authority of the Ego. I yield it or I withhold it as I please ; I direct it in turn to several points ; I concentrate it upon each point as long as my Will can stand the effort.” Dictionaire Philosophique. THEORY OF CHAPTER Attention, become habituated, involves constant […]

“CARRYING any business or study in the mind all the time, day and night, morning and evening, does not really advance that business so much as forgetting it at intervals and letting the mind rest, as you allow your muscles to rest after any physical exertion. Mind allowed to rest gains new ideas and new […]

“THE most interesting fact about these experiments in steadiness is that the Will is to have a steady position, but the execution is defective. As the Will is exerted the steadiness of position is increased. This is sometimes so marked as to be visible to the eye directly. I have seen the scalpel tremble in […]