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SUMMARYWhentheauthorwasyoung,heconcludedthattherewerethreegradesofthinking.Buthedidnotunderstandwhatthinkingwasandhowtothink.Theheadmasterofhisgrammarschoolfirstbroughtthesubjectofthinkingtohim.Atthattime,theauthorwasnotagoodstudentandhedidnotthinkatall,sohewasafrequentvisitortotheheadmaster’sstudy.TheheadmastertoldhimthatwhenamanwasthinkinghewasjustlikeRodin’smasterpieceThinker.Thatwasthefirsttimetheauthorbegantothinkaboutwhatthinkingwas.HewatchedhisteacherMr.Houghtontofindoutaboutthought.Mr.Houghtonwasalwaystellinghimtothink.Hewasgiventohigh-mindedmonologuesaboutthegoodlife,sexlessandfullofduty.However,hewasaddictedtodrinkingandinterestedingirls.Heseemedtotheauthorrulednotbythoughtbutbyaninvisibleandirresistiblespringinhisneck.Thiswastheauthor’sintroductiontothenatureofwhatwascommonlycalledthought.Hecalleditgrade-threethinkingwhichwasfeelingratherthanthought.Ninetenthsofthepopulationweregrade-threethinkers.Theywouldnotthankyouforpointingoutthecontradictionsintheirbeliefs.Grade-twothinkingwasthedetectionofcontradictions.Itwasalittlesuperiorthangrade-threethinking.Ruth,agirlthattheauthorliked,ledhimtothinkaboutgrade-twothinking.ShewasaMethodistwhiletheauthorwasaatheist.Shewantedtoconverthimbutinvain.Shewasatypicalgrade-twothinker.Thisgroupofpeoplecouldabandonthewrongconcept,buttheycouldnotrebuildacorrectone.Asfortheauthor,pointingoutcontradictionscouldbecostlyaswellasfun.HelostRuthintheend.Grade-twothinking,thoughitfilledlifewithfunandexcitement,didnotmakeforcontent.Theauthorwaspersuingahighergradeofthoughtinwhichyounotonlythoughtwhatthetruthwasbutalsosetouttofindit.Thiswasgrade-onethinking.Butgrade-onethinkerswerefewandfarbetween.Theauthordecidedtobeagrade-onethinker.Hedevisedacoherentsystemforlivingwhichwasamoralsystemandwhollylogical.Butinreality,hisopinionswerenotacceptabletothemajorityofthepeople.Hetriedtothinkasahobbybutforsakeofthehobby,hestoodtoloseagreatdeal.Yet,theauthorwouldnotstopthinkingasagrade-onethinker.Hedroppedhishobbyandturnedprofessional.