Common Sense, How To Exercise It | Page 5

of ideas, clearness
of understanding would be seriously compromised and firmness of
judgment, by deteriorating, would cast aside the manifestation of
common sense.
"The spirit consistency is perhaps more difficult to conquer, for it is a

combination of many of the qualities previously mentioned.
"Its inspiration is drawn from the reasoning faculty, it cannot exist
without moderation and implies a certain amount of penetration,
because it must act under the authority of conviction.
"If you strike long enough in the same place on the thickest piece of
iron, in time it will become as thin as the most delicate kakemono [a
picture which hangs in Japanese homes].
"It is impossible to define the spirit of consistency more accurately.
"It is closely related to perseverance, but can not be confounded with it,
because the attributes of consistency have their origin in logic and
reason which does not produce one act alone but a series of acts
sometimes dependent, always inferred.
"The spirit of consistency banishes all thought derogatory to the subject
in question; it is the complete investiture of sentiments, all converging
toward a unique purpose."
This purpose can be of very great importance and the means of
attainment multiform, but the dominant idea will always direct the
continuous achievements; under their different manifestations--and
these at times contradictory--they will never be other than the
emanation of a direct thought, whose superior authority is closely
united to the final success.
Wisdom, continued the philosopher, should be mentioned here only as
the forerunner which permits us to analyze experience.
It is from this never-ending lesson which life teaches us that the
wisdom of old age is learned.
But is it really necessary to reach the point of decrepitude, in order to
profit by an experience, actually useless at that time, as is always a
posthumous conquest.
"Is it not much better to compel its attainment when the hair is black
and the heart capable of hope?
"Why give to old age alone the privileges of wisdom and experience?
"It is high time to combat so profound an error.
"Is it not a cruel irony which renders such a gift useless?
"Of what benefit is wisdom resulting from experience if it cannot
preserve us from the unfortunate seduction of youth?
"Why should its beauty be unveiled only to those who can no longer
profit by it?" This is the opinion of Yoritomo, who says:

"What would be thought of one who prided himself on possessing
bracelets when he had lost his two arms in war?
"It is, therefore, necessary, not only to encourage young people to profit
by lessons of wisdom and experience, but, still further, to indicate to
them how they can accomplish the result of these lessons.
"It is certain that he who can recall a long life ought to understand
better than the young man all the pitfalls with which it is strewn.
"But does he always judge of it without bias or prejudice?
"Does he not find acceptable pretexts for excusing his past faults and
does he not exaggerate the rewards for excellence, which have
accorded him advantages, due at times to chance or to the force of
circumstances?
"Finally, the old man can not judge of the sentiments which he held at
twenty years of age, unless it be by the aid of reminiscences, more or
less fleeting, and an infinitely attenuated intensity of representation.
"Emotive perception being very much weakened, the integrity of
memory must be less exact.
"Then, in the recession of years, some details, which were at times
factors of the initial idea, are less vivid, thus weakening the power of
reason which was the excuse, the pretext, or the origin of the act.
"This is why, altho we may honor the wisdom of the aged, it is well to
acquire it at a time when we may use it as a precious aid.
"To those who insist that nothing is equivalent to personal experience,
we shall renew our argument, begging them to meditate on the
preceding lines, drawing their attention to the fact that a just opinion
can only be formed when personal sentiment is excluded from the
discussion.
"Is it, then, necessary to have experienced pain in order to prevent or
cure it?
"The majority of physicians have never been killed by the disease they
treat.
"Does this fact prevent them from combatting disease victoriously?
"And since we are speaking of common sense we shall not hesitate to
invoke it in this instance, and all will agree that it should dictate our
reply.
"Then why could we not do for the soul that which can be done for the
body?

"It is first from books, then from the lessons of life that physicians learn
the principles underlying their knowledge of disease and its healing
remedies.
"Is it