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Lesson1ThinkingasaHobby1WhileIwasstillaboy,Icametotheconclusionthattherewerethreegradesofthinking;andthatImyselfcouldnotthinkatall.2Itwastheheadmasterofmygrammarschoolwhofirstbroughtthesubjectofthinkingbeforeme.Hehadsomestatuettesinhisstudy.Theystoodonahighcupboardbehindhisdesk.Onewasaladywearingnothingbutabathtowel.Sheseemedfrozeninaneternalpaniclestthebathtowelslipdownanyfarther,andsinceshehadnoarms,shewasinanunfortunatepositiontopullthetowelupagain.Nexttoher,crouchedthestatuetteofaleopard,readytospringdownatthetopdrawerofafilingcabinet.Beyondtheleopardwasanaked,musculargentleman,whosat,lookingdown,withhischinonhisfistandhiselbowonhisknee.Heseemedutterlymiserable.3Sometimelater,Ilearnedaboutthesestatuettes.Theheadmasterhadplacedthemwheretheywouldfacedelinquentchildren,becausetheysymbolizedtohimwholeoflife.ThenakedladywastheVenus.ShewasLove.Shewasnotworriedaboutthetowel.Shewasjustbusybeingbeautiful.TheleopardwasNature,andhewasbeingnatural.Thenaked,musculargentlemanwasnotmiserable.HewasRodin'sThinker,animageofpurethought.4IhadbetterexplainthatIwasafrequentvisitortotheheadmaster'sstudy,becauseofthelatestthingIhaddoneorleftundone.Aswenowsay,Iwasnotintegrated.Iwas,ifanything,disintegrated.WheneverIfoundmyselfinapenalpositionbeforetheheadmaster'sdesk,Iwouldsinkmyhead,andwritheoneshoeovertheother.5Theheadmasterwouldlookatmeandsay,6Whatarewegoingtodowithyou?7Well,whatweretheygoingtodowithme?Iwouldwrithemyshoesomemoreandstaredownatthewornrug.8Lookup,boy!Can'tyoulookup?9ThenIwouldlookatthecupboard,wherethenakedladywasfrozeninherpanicandthemusculargentlemancontemplatedthehindquartersoftheleopardinendlessgloom.Ihadnothingtosaytotheheadmaster.Hisspectaclescaughtthelightsothatyoucouldseenothinghumanbehindthem.Therewasnopossibilityofcommunication.10Don'tyoueverthinkatall?11No,Ididn'tthink,wasn'tthinking,couldn'tthink-Iwassimplywaitinginanguishfortheinterviewtostop.12Thenyou'dbetterlearn-hadn'tyou?13Ononeoccasiontheheadmasterleapedtohisfeet,reachedupandputRodin'smasterpieceonthedeskbeforeme.14That'swhatamanlookslikewhenhe'sreallythinking.15Clearlytherewassomethingmissinginme.Naturehadendowedtherestofthehumanracewithasixthsenseandleftmeout.Butlikesomeoneborndeaf,butbitterlydeterminedtofindoutaboutsound,Iwatchedmyteacherstofindoutaboutthought.16TherewasMr.Houghton.Hewasalwaystellingmetothink.Withamodestsatisfaction,hewouldtellthathehadthoughtabithimself.Thenwhydidhespendsomuchtimedrinking?Orwastheremoresenseindrinkingthanthereappearedtobe?Butifnot,andifdrinkingwereinfactruinoustohealth-andMr.Houghtonwasruined,therewasnodoubtaboutthat-whywashealwaystalkingaboutthecleanlifeandthevirtuesoffreshair?17Sometimes,exaltedbyhisownoratory,hewouldleapfromhisdeskandhustleusoutsideintoahideouswind.18Now,boys!Deepbreaths!Feelitrightdowninsideyou-hugedraughtsofGod'sgoodair!19Hewouldstandbeforeus,puthishandsonhiswaistandtakeatremendousbreath.Youcouldhearthewindtrappedinhischestandstrugglingwithalltheunnaturalimpediments.Hisbodywouldreelwithshockandhisfacegowhiteattheunaccustomedvisitation.Hewouldstaggerbacktohisdeskandcollapsethere,uselessfortherestofthemorning.20Mr.Houghtonwasgiventohigh-mindedmonologuesaboutthegoodlife,sexlessandfullofduty.Yetinthemiddleofoneofthesemonologues,ifagirlpassedthewindow,hisneckwouldturnofitselfandhewouldwatchheroutofsight.Inthisinstance,heseemedtomerulednotbythoughtbutbyaninvisibleandirresistiblespringinhisneck.21Hisneckwasanobjectofgreatinteresttome.Normallyitbulgedabitoverhiscollar.ButMr.HoughtonhadfoughtintheFirstWorldWaralongsidebothAmericansandFrench,andhadcometoasettleddetestationofbothcountries.Ifeithercountryhappenedtobeprominentincurrentaffairs,noargumentcouldmakeMr.Houghtonthinkwellofit.Hewouldbangthedesk,hisneckwouldbulgestillfurtherandgored.Youcansaywhatyoulike,hewouldcry,butI'vethoughtaboutthis-andIknowwhatIthink!22Mr.Houghtonthoughtwithhisneck.23Thiswasmyintroductiontothenatureofwhatiscommonlycalledthought.ThroughthemIdiscoveredthatthoughtisoftenfullofunconsciousprejudice,ignorance,andhypocrisy.Itwilllectureondisinterestedpuritywhileitsneckisbeingremorselesslytwistedtowardaskirt.Technically,itisaboutasproficientasmostbusinessmen'sgolf,ashonestasmostpolitician'sintentions,orascoherentasmostbooksthatgetwritten.ItiswhatIcametocallgrade-threethinking,thoughmoreproperly,itisfeeling,ratherthanthought.24True,oftenthereisakindofinnocenceinprejudices,butinthosedaysIviewedgrade-threethinkingwithcontemptandmockery.IdelightedtoconfrontapiousladywhohatedtheGermanswiththepropositionthatweshouldloveourenemies.Shetaughtmeagreattruthindealingwithgrade-threethinkers;becauseofher,Inolongerdismisslightlyamentalprocesswhichfornine-tenthsofthepopulationisthenearesttheywillevergettothought.Theyhaveimmensesolidarity.Wehadbetterrespectthem,forweareoutnumberedandsurrounded.Acrowdofgrade-threethinkers,allshoutingthesamething,allwarmingtheirhandsatthefireoftheirownprejudices,willnotthankyouforpointingoutthecontradictionsintheirbeliefs.Manenjoysagreementascowswillgrazeallthesamewayonthesideofahill.25Grade-twothinkingisthed