The story of thought and feeling / by Frederick Ryland.

  • Ryland, Frederick, 1854-1902.
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The story of thought and feeling / by Frederick Ryland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    minute ago we were lolling listlessly. Simul- taneously mental changes have occurred. In- stead of the images feebly aroused by the news- paper paragraph, instead of the accompanying half-perceived sights and sounds of the sitting- room, the tones of the strange voice occupy the whole of our mind. Nearly everything else dis- appears. We do not notice that the cat has roused herself, that a big lump of coal has fallen on the hearth, that the clock has struck the half- hour. Any of these a few minutes ago would have obtained a place in our train of conscious- ness ; but they are overlooked now. Our whole consciousness appears to be taken up by the unknown voice. As a matter of fact, this is not quite true ; the other ideas have receded further into the background, but they have not entirely disappeared. Still they have lost most of their importance ; and we see clearly that in attention our consciousness is limited in extent. This is one of the most familiar facts in life, yet there are people who are foolish enough to forget it. Parents and nurses stupidly scold children who arc playing, reading, or even learning their lessons, because they do not notice what is going- on in the room. The child who does notice everything that is going on in the room is not devoting its attention to the subject in hand ; and is on the high road to mental feebleness and superficiality. A boy deep in his book cannot notice the condition of the fire, or the position of his grandmother’s spectacles. The “ bright ” children, who notice everything, will be usually found incapable of effective attention to anything.