200 THE PRINCIPLES OF SELF-MASTERY
fellow man by stealing his mate by physical force. The method, but not the practice,
has now changed to some extent. Instead of physical force man now steals his
fellow man's mate with pretty colorful ribbons and fast motor cars and bootleg
whisky and sparkling rocks and stately mansions. 11The Fear oj III Health
This fear has its origin, to considerable extent also, in the same sources
from which the fears of poverty and old age are derived.
The fear of ill health is closely associated with both poverty and
old age because it also leads toward the borderline of terrible worlds
of which people know little, but about which there are many discom-
forting stories.
I strongly suspect that those engaged in the business of selling
good health methods have had considerable to do with keeping the
fear of ill health alive in the human mind.
For longer than the record of the human race can be relied upon,
the world has known of various and sundry forms of therapy and health
purveyors. If a person gains a living from keeping others in good health,
it seems natural that he or she would use every possible means to per-
suade them of the need for caregiving services. Thus, in time, it might
be that people would inherit a fear of ill health.
COMMENTARY
From the Appendix to Lesson One: "This fear is born of both physical and social
heredity. From birth until death there is eternal warfare within every physical body;
warfare between groups of cells, one group being known as the friendly builders of
the body, and the other as the destroyers, or 'disease germs. ' The seed of fear is born
in the physical body to begin with, as the result of nature:S cruel plan of permitting the
stronger forms of cell life to prey upon the weaker. Social heredity has played its
part through lack of cleanliness and knowledge of sanitation. Also, through the law of
suggestion cleverly manipulated by those who profited by ill health. 11