ELEMENTARY PSYCHOLOGY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 266, 7 October 1933, Page 11

ELEMENTARY PSYCHOLOGY.

Mr C. F. Spooner was a guest and speaker at the Women’s Psychology Club’s regular weekly meeting. He said the word psychology, like a number of other words in our language, was rapidly changing its meaning. The dictionary’s definition of the word was “science of the mind.” The real meaning was rather the science of ethical conduct, due no doubt to the recognised fact that all conduct was the result of thought. The old Scriptural statement that “as a man thinketh, in his heart so is he,” is recognised as a scientific fact to-day. The speaker said that man made in the image and likeness of God was a trinity, in unity and functions on three planes of consciousness—physical, mental and spiritual—which the Good Book calls body, soul and spirit; but psychology was most concerned with the growth and development of our mental state, as the proper direction and control of the mind would manifest itself in ethical conduct, or as Trine says: “A thought good or evil, an act repeated becomes a habit, and the totality of our habits is our character; so runs the law.” Psychology teaches us that what we live in our thought world to-day will sooner or later be manifest in our life. Mr Spooner spoke of the law of cause and effect and said that the great forces of nature wore silent unseen forces. The thought of God was the cause and all creation the effect. So in onr life, thought was the cause and action the effect. The quality of our life and conduct was determined by the quality of our thought. The speaker briefly toiiched on the training and development of the will. “The human will, that force unseen, the offspring of a deathless soul, can hew its way to any goal though walls of granite intervene.” In conclusion the need of right thinking was stressed and illustrated in an appropriate manner. Man had the right in knowledge, the power of choice and the development of his will power. Many questions were asked and answered after the address. On the motion of Mrs Howley. the thanks of the meeting were accorded Mr Spooner for liis inspiring talk. Miss Ferol Howley gave pleasure with her violin solo, “Pierre,” by Squire, with Mrs Howley at the piano. Afternoon tea was served by Mesdames Ball, Rees and McEwen, and brought a delightful afternoon to a close.