How to Become Rich | Page 7

be utterly incapable of those mental processes requiring delicate shades of thought.
[Illustration: Sol Smith Russell--Quality Responsive.]
The individual who unites the elements of strong and delicate quality will exhibit both power and fineness. He will be able to display more versatility of talent than the individual possessing the element of strength or delicacy alone. Those persons who have displayed great intelligence coupled with brilliancy, have uniformly united both of these elements.
The element of Responsiveness depends upon a certain sensitiveness of texture, resembling the resonance of a well tuned musical instrument, and a certain harmonious adjustment of parts which renders the individual capable of receiving a mental impression promptly and responding to its action. Persons possessing this quality have such delicate sympathy of the entire organization that the mental processes are exceedingly rapid, and the physical manifestations are equally prompt. The movements of the body are quick, the brain is active, the eye bright, intelligent and keen sighted, the expression of the face vivacious, the voice musical, the speech rapid, and the individual often anticipates the thought of those with whom he converses; if you hesitate on a word he will instantly supply it. Such persons are keenly sensitive to surrounding circumstances, easily impressed, and the entire organization seems to vibrate in unison with the impressions made upon it. It is not uncommon to find this condition mistaken by observers for the nervous temperament of the pathological classification. The true distinction lies in the fact that the latter is a diseased condition, resulting in a super-sensitiveness of the nervous system, while responsive quality exists in perfect health, and is a perfectly normal condition of a character frequently resulting in great advantage to the individual, and absolutely essential in many vocations. It is indispensable to the musician, the artist, the poet, etc., and I depend upon it in estimating the capacity of my subjects for various professions and trades, especially those involving the fine arts, literature, and many of the departments of merchandising.
[Illustration: Mme. Janauschek. Quality Strong and Responsive.]
The absence of this responsive element is marked by a general sluggishness of all the mental and physical processes. The movements of the body are slow, and the brain, while it may be capable of strong thought, is correspondingly slow in action. The individual does not yield readily to the strongest impressions, and his conversation will be slow, frequently tedious. Such individuals are incapable of doing anything in a hurry, and when urged by others frequently become confused. Left to their own methods, with plenty of time, they are frequently capable of displaying great strength and delicacy of quality, both in physical and mental manifestations.
The intelligent reader will readily comprehend that the best organization is that in which the elements of strength, delicacy and responsiveness are harmoniously blended.
The relative predominance of each element will in all cases decide the particular class of purposes, vocations, professions or other pursuits to which the subject is best adapted, other things being equal. Quality results from a variety of causes. Like all other personal peculiarities, it is, to a certain extent, hereditary. Children are, to a greater or less extent, certain to inherit the quality of their parents and immediate ancestors. But the inherited quality of offspring is subject to great modifications. It is definitely established that the temporary condition of mind and body of the parents at the moment of conception, materially affects the permanent quality of the offspring. Thus it is possible for parents to transmit to children a much better or much worse permanent condition of quality than they themselves possess. Observation also justifies the belief that children born of loving and affectionate parents surpass in quality those born of incompatible natures. The occupation and surroundings of the parents at the time of conception, and particularly the influences brought to bear upon the mother while the offspring is in utero, produce a lasting effect upon the quality of the latter. Science has long since demonstrated the fact that every part of the human organization is susceptible to educational development. Quality, like every other modifying condition, is susceptible to development in either direction, and the success attending an effort to develop either strength, delicacy or responsiveness of quality in any given individual, will in all cases be commensurate with the intelligence and vigor of the efforts expended to that end.
The study of quality being thus understood, I introduce you now to the most beautiful study in the curriculum of human science, the third step in the phrenological estimate of character, viz.:
TEMPERAMENT.
By the term Temperament, is meant the preponderance in development of some element or system of organs in the body, to such an extent as to give to the character a distinctive recognizable type, a temper or disposition resulting from the predominance of some one element in