PSYCHOLOGY CLUB

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24417, 1 October 1940, Page 4

PSYCHOLOGY CLUB

“The Value of Decision” was discussed last Thursday evening at the Practical Psychology Club. It was stated that it was Voltaire who said “ Vacillation is the prominent feature of weakness of character.” Without a definite aim in life one could be neither useful nor happy. A strong purpose, backed by decision gave a meaning to life. Sometimes it was lack of courage which kept people from making decisions Irresolution was a worse vice than rashness as doubt paralysed the energies. There was nothing which would help the vacillating mind like forming the habit of always acting promptly and energetically. One should never allow the contemplative or reflective faculties continually to bring up first one side and then the other. The person with the grasshopper mind had not a ghost of a chance these days. His indecisions created too great a handicap Unless one was exceptional mentally and pi sically it was wiser not to want intensely more than one real achievement, One must so train one’s habits as to rely upon one’s own courage in moments of emergency. Obstinacy should not be confounded with decision. which must be intelligent, The man who possessed a mind superior to doubt and fluctuation, who had a sublime confidence in his own power to carry out whatever he willed, was indeed fortunate.