A DEFINITE CHIEF AIM 133We all hate to be disturbed in the beliefs and prejudices that have
been handed down with the family furniture. At maturity too many of us
go into hibernation and live off the fat of ancient fetishes. If a new idea
invades our den we rise up snarling from our winter sleep.
The Eskimos in The American Magazine editor's story at least had
some excuse. They were unable to visualize the startling pictures drawn
by Sagdluk. Their simple lives had been too long circumscribed by the
brooding arctic night.
OPEN YOUR MINDThere is no adequate reason why the average person should ever close
their mind to fresh slants on life. But they do, just the same. Nothing
is more tragic-or more common-than mental inertia. For every ten
people who are physically lazy there are ten thousand others with stag-
nant minds. And stagnant minds are the breeding places of fear.
An old farmer in Vermont always used to end his prayers with this
plea: "Oh, God, give me an open mind!" If more people followed his
example they might escape being hamstrung by prejudices. And what a
pleasant place to live the world would be.
Every person should make it his or her business to gather new ideas
from sources other than the environment in which he or she daily lives
and works.
The human mind becomes withered, stagnant, narrow, and closed
unless it searches for new ideas. The farmer should come to the city quite
often, and walk among the strange faces and the tall buildings. He will
go back to his farm, his mind refreshed, with more courage and greater
Enthusiasm.
And city people should take a trip to the country every so often to
freshen their minds with sights new and different from those associated
with their daily routines.