Part 7 (2/2)
NATURE OF THE TIME SENSE--Hoe perceive time is not so well understood as our perception of space It is evident, however, that our idea of time is simpler than our idea of space--it has less of content, less that we can describe Probably the ression_, or change, without which it is difficult to think of tie, or succession?
If one looks in upon his thought stream he finds that the movement of consciousness is not uniforht moves in pulses, or short rushes, so to speak When we are seeking for some fact or conclusion, there is a , and then the leap forward to the desired point, or conclusion, from which an immediate start is taken for the next objective point of our thinking
It is probable that our sense of the few seconds of passing tinition of the succession of these pulsations of consciousness, together with certain organic rhyth
NO PERCEPTION OF EMPTY TIME--Our perception does not therefore act upon empty time Time must be filled with a procession of events, whether these be within our own consciousness or in the objective world without
All longer periods of time, such as hours, days, or years, are measured by the events which they contain Tis that interest and attract us seeer when looked back upon On the other hand, tis heavy on our hands in passing, but, viewed in retrospect, seeht of travel passes ht of illness, but yields ” for ti of the length, that is, the actual _duration_ of a year--or even of a month! We therefore divide time into convenient units, as weeks, months, years and centuries This allows us to think of time in rasp
5 THE TRAINING OF PERCEPTION
In the physical world as in the spiritual there areeyes, see not and ears, hear not” For the ability to perceive accurately and richly in the world of physical objects depends not alone on good sense organs, but also on _interest_ and the habit of _observation_ It is easy if we are indifferent or untrained to look at a beautiful landscape, a picture or a cathedral without _seeing_ it; it is easy if we lack interest or skill to listen to an orchestra or the _ the in perception does not depend entirely on the work of the school For the world about us exerts a constant appeal to our senses A thousand sights, sounds, contacts, tastes, s in upon us, and the appeal is irresistible We ree attend We must observe
Yet it cannot be denied that most of us are relatively unskilled in perception; we do not kno, or take the trouble to observe For exaht into the classroom and introduced by the instructor to a class of fifty college students in psychology The class thought the stranger was to address the before theed by the instructor The class were then asked to write such a description of the stranger as would enable a person who had never seen him to identify him But so poor had been the observation of the class that they ascribed to him clothes of four different colors, eyes and hair each of three different colors, a tie offroe froht to forty-five years, and many other details as wide of the mark Nor is it probable that this particular class was below the average in the power of perception
SCHOOL TRAINING IN PERCEPTION--The school can dothe perception But to accoht into iht to observe Books s Definitions raphy and nature study should be taught largely out of doors, and the lessons assigned should take the child into the open for observation and investigation All things that live and grow, the sky and clouds, the sunset colors, the brown of upturned soil, the smell of the clover field, or the nen hay, the sounds of a su marks by which to identify each family of coms that appeal to us from the si the perception And he who has learned to observe, and who is alert to the appeal of nature, has no small part of his education already assured
6 PROBLEMS IN OBSERVATION AND INTROSPECTION
1 Test your power of observation by walking rapidly past a well-filled storeand then seeing how many of the objects you can name
2 Suppose a tailor, a bootblack, a physician, and a detective are standing on the street corner as you pass by What will each one be most likely to observe about you? _Why?_
3 Observe carefully green trees at a distance of a few rods; a quarter of a mile; a mile; several htness, or light, and (3) in detail
4 How many common birds can you identify? How many kinds of trees? Of wild flowers? Of weeds?
5 Observe the work of an ele:
a Whether the instruction in geography, nature study, agriculture, etc, calls for the use of the eyes, ears and fingers
b Whether definitions are used in place of first-hand infornment of lessons to pupils includes work that would require the use of the senses, especially out of doors
d Whether the work offered in arithmetic demands the use of the senses as well as the reason
e Whether the language lessons make use of the power of observation
CHAPTER VIII
MENTAL IMAGES AND IDEAS