Euthenics, the science of controllable environment. Ellen H. Richards
The first and last are nearly fixed quantities, the other three may vary within certain limits as to amount of time given and intensity of effort. Amusement and exercise may be taken together; exercise and sleep may be somewhat interchangeable.
The task, or daily work, is a necessity for mental and physical health. It should be accepted as a part of human life and the will and energy should be directed to doing it well. It may be a pure delight, the most entertaining thing that happens; it should be interesting. It is astonishing how interesting a dull piece of work may become if one sets one’s self to doing it well. That which one subconsciously knows one is doing badly is drudgery. The real pleasure in life comes not from so-called amusements—things done by other people to make one laugh; to “take one’s mind off”—but from seeing the work of one’s own hand and brain prosper. The work of creation, of transformation to desirable result, is the purest joy the human mind can experience. Fourteen hours a day is not too much for this kind of task. The difficulty is to gain skill of hand and eye, or training of mind, to this end. A fallacy, a canker at the heart of our social fabric today, is that the daily task is something to be rid of.
The psychology of doing is clearly illustrated in the character of Fool Billy, as drawn by the author of “Priscilla of the Good Intent.”
“Is there nought ye like better than idleness?” asked the blacksmith. “Think now, Billy—just ponder over it.”
“Well, now,” answered the other, after a silence, “there’s playing—what ye might call playing at a right good game. Could ye think of some likely pastime, David?”
“Ay, could I; blowing bellows is the grandest frolic ever I came across.” …
“I doubt ’tis work, David. … I shouldn’t like to be trapped into work. ’Twould scare me when I woke o’ nights and thought of it.”
“See ye then, Billy”—blowing the bellows gently—“is it work to make yon sparks go, blue and green and red, as fast as ever ye like to drive ’em?”
“Te-he, ’tis just a bit o’ sport—I hadn’t thought of it in that light.” And soon he was blowing steadily.
Later, when David the smith was going to America and wished to leave his forge with the half-witted Billy, he proposed the smith’s work as play.
“Te-he,” laughed Billy, “am I to play wi’ all your fine tools, David?”
“Ay, just that. I’ve taught ye the way o’ them and Dan Foster’s lad from Brow Farm shall come and blow the bellows for you.”
“Will that be work for Dan Foster’s lad, or play?”
“Hard work, Billy—grievous hard work, while you are just playing at making horseshoes, fence railings, and what not.”
“And I’m to play at making horseshoes,” went on Fool Billy, “while Dan Foster’s lad’s sweating hard at bellows-blowing.”
CHAPTER III
Community effort is needed to make better conditions for all, in streets and public places, for water and milk supply, hospitals, markets, housing problems, etc. Restraint for sake of neighbors.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.