SelfDefinition.Org
Practical Memory Training
'Theron Q. Dumont'William Walker Atkinson
(1916)
Lesson 20 Effective Perception
Akin to the phases of effective perception, or perceptive efficiency, considered in the preceding chapter, is another phase, embodying the same general principles, but differing somewhat in the particular method employed. I refer to efficiency in observing places, buildings, larger things, etc. The same psychological principles are in operation here, and also the secret of development, viz.: attention-interest, and interest-attention, developed gradually by exercise and cumulative practice, beginning with the simple and working up to the complex—starting with small numbers and working up to larger, and so on.
Gustave Flaubert
At this point, I wish to introduce a quotation from Maupassant, who tells the story of how Flaubert taught him to be original in literary expression—you will readily see the application to the subject before us. Flaubert told Maupassant:
"Talent is nothing but long patience. Go to work! Everything which one desires to express must be looked at with sufficient attention, and during a sufficiently long time, to discover in it some aspect which no one has yet seen or described. In everything there is still some spot unexplored, because we are accustomed only to use our eyes with the recollection of what others before us have thought on the subject which we contemplate. The smallest object contains something unknown. Find it! To describe a fire that flames, and a trees on a plain, look, keep looking, at that flame and that tree until in your eyes they have lost all resemblance to any other tree or any other fire. That is the way to become original."
Guy de Maupassant
Maupassant adds:
"Having, besides, laid down this truth, that there are not in the whole world two grains of sand, two specks, two hands, or two noses exactly alike, Flaubert compelled me to describe in a few phrases a being or an object in such a manner as clearly to particularize it, and to distinguish it from all the other beings or all the other objects of the same race or the same species. When you pass a grocer seated at his shop door, a janitor smoking his pipe, a stand of hackney coaches, show me that grocer and the janitor—their attitude, their whole physical appearance—embracing likewise, as indicated by the skillfulness of the picture, their whole moral nature; so that I cannot confound them with any other grocer, or any other janitor. Make me see, in one word, that a certain cab horse does not resemble the fifty others that follow or precede it."
Can anyone doubt the degree of perceptive power necessary to fulfill the above requirements? Can anyone doubt that the impressions arising from the exercise of such perceptive power would be indelibly printed on the memory of the observer. Can anyone fail to perceive the combined power of interest-attention, and attention-interest, in this work?
There is an entire philosophy of observation and trained perception in the above quotation from Maupassant. Study it carefully, with concentrated attention and interest, so as to grasp the principle, and to let the same impress your subconsciousness with force. By doing so, it will subconsciously aid you in developing perception and memory.
EXERCISE. Enter a room, and take a careful look around you, endeavoring to perecive and observe as many things as possible that are contained therein. Then leave the room, and write down a list of what you have remembered. After a time, return to the room, and compare your list with the articles in the room. Then go out of the room, and make up a second list, including the old as well as the new things observed. Repeat this a number of times, taking care, always, not to fatigue yourself—take time to rest yourself at any stage of the experiment.
As you progress, note, not only the articles in the room, but also the shape, size, and general form of the room; the location of doors and windows; the location of pictures and decorations; the wallpaper, window shades, fireplace, etc. In short, persevere until you can furnish a complete diagram of the room, as well as a complete list and description of its contents. Try this experiment in your own room, if you like, and discover how little you know, or remember, of its real appearance and contents. Get acquainted with your room, and, at the same time develop your power of perception, and your memory—for that will be the inevitable result.
EXERCISE. Walk along the street, and observe closely some building which you pass—a house, or shop, or your own residence, for that matter. Then return to your room, and note carefully on paper all that you have observed and remembered about that building. Then, later on, return to the building and make a comparison with your list. Then make a new list, including old and new points discovered, and so on as I have directed in preceding exercises. You will discover that you will have remembered all that you had really observed and perceived—your memory will keep up with your perception, but it can never exceed it, of course.
In this, and similar exercises, you will find it advisable and helpful to proceed from simple to complex—from general aspects to details. You will also find it a great aid to classify as you proceed, making groups and classes of points. For instance, first take in the general appearance of the building, its size, shape and form. Then regard its color-scheme, etc. Then take note of its roof, its doors, its windows, working down to greater and greater detail, and to smaller classes, as you proceed. In short, proceed to analyze your object, and then build it up as a whole from your analysis.
After you have finished your consideration of one building, take up the one next to it, and so on, until you can correctly describe every building on the block. Or, if you like, confine yourself to corner buildings, and thus make a mental geography of any street or locality you may select. You will be surprised to see how rapidly you acquire efficiency in this work. After a time, you will be able to "size up" a building, fairly well, at a single glance, and almost unconsciously—in fact, many builders, architects, and others who are interested in buildings, do this very thing. The shoemaker takes a hasty glance at your feet, without realizing it, and knows all about your shoes; and the hatter does the same thing regarding your head-gear. Explanation: interest-attention, and practice, until it bes second-nature, and is performed by the subconscious mind without special prompting.
I venture to assert that you do this very same thing in matters and things connected with the pursuits in which you are most interested—in the interesting, and profitable, things of your own trade, profession, or other occupation. The things which bring you a profit, money or pleasure, invariably hold your interest and like, and you have no trouble in remembering the circumstances, details and characteristics of the things you like and which pay you. If you like a thing—really like it—you are apt to remember all about it without much effort. And you generally like that which brings you gain and profit or pleasure.
The study of faces is an excellent training and exercise for the development of perceptive efficiency. The study of the general outward characteristics of persons, their manner of walking speaking, etc., as well as their clothing, will be found excellent material for exercises of this kind, and will, besides, be of practical value to you as a general, subconscious habit in connection with the majority of occupations, particularly in such callings as bring you into contact with the public.
EAR-PERCEPTION. As the majority of impressions are received through the eye, it becomes easy to devote more time and space to a consideration of visual perception. But we must not neglect the second great channel of sensation, from which material perceptions are made—the channel of the ear. The same general principles hold good here, i.e., attention-interest, interest-attention, practice, exercise, and general development. Some persons have an excellent eye-memory and a very poor ear-memory. Modern teachers note this difference in children, and adapt their instruction to this condition, at the same time striving to develop the weaker form of perception (for that is what it is, at the last) so as to bring it up to the level of the stronger form. It is an excellent thing to combine the two forms of perception, and thereby to obtain a double set of memory impressions. For instance, by repeating a name, and at the same time writing it down and then reading it, the chances of remembering the name are greatly increased.
Many persons manifesting aural perception below the average, are apt to think that they have deficient hearing. In many cases, however, this is a mistake, for the trouble arises simply from a lack of attention and interest—a poor condition of memory of ear-impressions naturally following in the train. Many persons fall into a habit of inattention to what is being said to them, allowing their attention to be caught up and attracted by visual impressions. This is often excused on the plea of "poor hearing," "slight deafness," etc. These persons may not perceive ordinary remarks made in a loud tone of voice; but they will catch the slightest whisper of others, if they think that the other persons are gossiping about them, or whispering a secret—Oh, yes! no trouble in hearing that! Such persons also manage to catch the faintest murmur of the voice of love, or a whisper concerning some money affair—not the least trouble about that! And they will remember these low-toned impressions, too—forget it not!
A well known physiologist once said: "It cannot be doubted that fully one-half of the deafness that exists is the result of inattention." And a well-known English psychologist has said: "What is commonly called deafness is not infrequently to be attributed to inattention—the sounds being heard, but not interpreted or recognized. Sounds may be distinctly heard when the attention is directed toward them, that in ordinary circumstances would be imperceptible; and people often fail to hear what is said to them, because they are not paying attention."
I personally know a very excellent lady who constantly complains that "something must be the matter with me, for I cannot remember a thing that is told me—my memory must be failing!" But, one observing her expression of countenance when she is listening (!) to the conversation of others can see at once that she is paying little or no attention to what is being said to her.
I once played a rather mean trick upon this lady—purely as a matter of scientific interest, however. In the midst of our conversation, I injected a French "nonsense verse," uttered in a monotonous, solemn, emphatic tone—the verse was something like "Mother Goose," only still more ridiculous. The good lady, replied, looking at me earnestly: "I perfectly agree with you, Professor—in fact, I have always held that view." A few moments later, I lowered my voice, and attracting her attention, told her a little bit of spicy gossip about a rival of hers. She heard every word distinctly, without the slightest trouble, and answered me quite intelligently! Take a hint from this, O student!
EXERCISE. Here is the secret of developing ear-perception, in a sentence. Use your ears—practice, exercise, and observe—with interest-attention, and attention-interest. Study tones, expressions of voice, accents, inflections, etc. Endeavor to mimic and imitate peculiarities of vocal expression—never imitate a stammerer, however, for this trick is "catching." Your growing interest in the subject of vocal expression, will attract your attention, and your memory will develop as a consequence. Perception and memory always go hand-in-hand, remember.
Practice in the direction of "picking up" scraps of conversation of passers by on the street, and afterwards repeating them to yourself. Follow the same course in attending lectures, church, and the theatre—try to see how much you can remember of what was said, in the exact words if possible. Listen carefully to what is said to you, with the fixed idea of recalling the exact words afterward. Also study persons' voices, so that you can identify an unseen person by his voice previously heard by you.
In short, TAKE AN INTEREST in ear-perception, and develop it by practice, just as Kim developed his eye-perception and memory. The principle is the same. Take an interest in the work, and practice diligently. If you will do this you will develop an ear-perception and memory far above the average, even though you are notoriously deficient in this respect at the present time. Interest, Use, Practice, Exercise—these mean gradual and certain development of any part of the body, or any faculty of the mind. Nature has a few general laws and principles, capable of an infinite variety of application. Master these laws and principles, and you may develop yourself to almost any extent, if you will pay the price of time, work, and patience. The one thing to be remembered in ear-perception is: Beware of In-Attention—cultivate Attention!