which the after - forty reader addresses to himself and to us: occasionally we receive the question from a man of 35.
The answer a man generally gives to himself is “Yes, I am too old.” The answer we give is neither “Yes” nor “No.”
First, the age limit for mental efficiency depends on the individual. If a man has allowed his mind to run to seed up to the age of 50, there is little chance of his doing anything to improve himself in a manner that is unmistakeable. He may stop the mental dry rot that has set in—and this is in itself worth doing; but he could not expect to increase his mental acumen, although he could improve his memory to some extent. On the other hand, the man of 50 who has, by reading, by business, or in other ways, kept his intelligence active, has every reason to believe that he can increase his mental powers all round: indeed, the results or inquiry into this matter shew that many of the world’s great men have done their best work after the age of 50.
6. Before proceeding further, it may be interesting to inquire why men of 45-50 are almost invariably pessimistic about the development of their mental powers. It is partly because the physical powers have begun to decline, although it may be in minute degree, and this re-acts on the brain as the organ of the mind, causing a slight sense of repression; the physical basis of mind having reached its zenith, the tendency is to decline in vigour and consequently in mental power. In the case of a man with active intelligence, this tendency is hardly noticed, except in a normal desire to take things a little more easily. In any event, however, the tendency to relax effort should not be encouraged though it may be recognised.
A Mental Specialist on Mental Age.
7. We are pleased to find our opinions confirmed in an interview given by Dr. Bernard Hollander, the famous mental specialist:—
“Certain changes occur in a man’s constitution between 48 and 55 which have a marked effect upon his outlook. He settles down physically and mentally. He becomes a much more comfortable fellow to deal with at home, a much more reasonable fellow in politics, a much less enthusiastic fellow in business. There are exceptional men to whom the rule does not apply, but it holds good for the average man.
“This absence of enthusiasm means that very few men will launch out on new enterprises, or display unexpected ability after fifty. But it does not mean that the man of over fifty will not do splendid work—perhaps the best work of his life. The reason is that after fifty he will be a man of experience as well as a man of ability. If a scientist or a man of letters could maintain his physical efficiency unimpaired till he was a hundred, I believe he would do greater things than have ever been done yet.”
Too Little Brain Work.
Dr. Hollander is a firm believer in mental activity as the secret of intellectual longevity. He thinks that far more people come to grief through giving the brain too little to do than through giving it too much.
“The man who has learnt by fifty how to systematise his thinking will go on improving his mental powers for many years after that critical point. The great thing is to give the brain enough to do. If you don’t, surplus energy will be accumulated and the result may be disaster.
“See what happens when a man retires from his business or profession! He slowly breaks down or goes to pieces. Why? Not because he is getting old, or because his brain has been overtaxed in the past, but simply because his brain is not given enough to do. He has lost his one real interest. There is nothing to keep his brain in ‘condition.’
“It seems to me most important that every brain worker should have at least a second string to his bow unless his profession is such that it can continue to keep him fully interested right through life. Then he will find—allowing, of course, that his health is maintained—that instead of being less mentally efficient after fifty he has the power to go on developing.”
Although some men have done their best work after 50, it must not be forgotten that they prepared for that work during the years that preceded their half-century—say from 18 or 20 onwards. Hence, there is no specific age when one should look for mental efficiency; the conditions are always changing, and the power a man is bound to have at 35 or 40, he cannot expect to have at, say, 21, although in the year of his majority he may be as good, mentally, as his years permit. Thus mental efficiency is not necessarily a fixed condition: it changes with age and experience, and the change should be progressive up to the age of 50.
IV. THE FULFILMENT OF YOUR DESIRE.
8. In entering for a Pelman Course you doubtless have two objects: you desire—
(1) to overcome any deficiencies from which you may suffer;
(2) to develop any additional ability for new work that lies before you.
Perhaps you are a student and feel that your task can be made more easy. It can; and we can show you the method. It may be that you are engaged in some business or industrial enterprise, and you realise that success in any conspicuous degree can only come to one who has a thorough mastery of every detail involved. We will supply you with the means by which you can acquire such a mastery of detail.
Possibly you have no fixed occupation, but desire to increase your general aptitude as a citizen and a member of the social community. We will lead you to the fulfilment of your desire. Just as an athlete develops his muscles by training, so can all the powers of the mind be expanded and strengthened by skilfully-devised exercises. An illustration of this is seen in the case of the Bank Clerk. When a young man enters the service of a Bank, he very likely is able to add columns of figures with no more than average speed and accuracy, but after a few years of practice he can add a long column of pounds, shillings and pence more quickly than he would formerly have added the pence alone. But a well-planned scheme of mental training has a value greater than that of providing mere exercises; it cuts out an immense amount of superfluous effort. A man with no knowledge of mechanics and no acquaintance with motor bicycles or motor cars might be able to construct a motor bicycle if supplied with all the component parts, but a trained engineer would accomplish the task in a small fraction of the same time and with infinitely less toil. We introduce into our every-day life much unnecessary complexity and delay owing to our ignorance of the laws which govern thought and memory. Facility brings efficiency, and efficiency brings the satisfaction of ambition.
Two Primaries: Confidence and Work.
9. To obtain, however, the results which we offer you, two conditions must be fulfilled. These are embraced in the words “confidence,” and “work.” Few things are so fatal to achievement as doubt and self-distrust. You may climb safely to any height on a steeplejack’s ladder so long as you retain absolute assurance of your own power, but the moment you begin to feel nervous of yourself, giddiness may supervene and you are in danger of falling. Therefore we say, start upon this course of training with boldness, trusting us and trusting yourself. You have mental abilities far greater than you are aware of. Possibly you may suppose that you have a hopelessly bad memory. As a matter of fact, you most probably have a normal memory, and a normal memory is a very good memory indeed. The defect of which you complain is not in your memory but in your training and use of it. The phenomenal memories of which you sometimes hear are only normal memories which, either accidentally or scientifically, have been trained aright. Feel certain in yourself that however unlikely it may appear to you at the moment, you have the material, and we have the means of shewing you how to employ it to your utmost advantage.
