Article September 24, 1910 Issue

FORMULATED OPINION

J. M. TUTT, M.D.

Hanging in a prominent place in a certain practitioner's office is this motto: "Don't criticize." With some knowledge of the circumstances that led to its finding a place in this friend's office, the writer often pondered the admonition and later was able to apply it to himself in his relation to others. One definition of criticism is "formulated opinion." Thus transcribed the motto would be, "Don't formulate opinions." In our daily intercourse it is not always easy to refrain from the spoken word of adverse criticism; how much more difficult it is, then, not even to permit opinions mentally to take form. And yet there stands the example of the Master, wherein he said to the sinful woman: "Neither do I condemn thee."

The basic fault with mortal opinions is the fact that they are without Principle. They do not emanate from Mind, but are illegitimate, the offspring of mortal mind. They are the result of the attempt to perpetuate the lie of life in matter by identifying evil with the individual. Thus arises the belief of a personal devil. It is (the one) evil formulated, and the experiences resulting therefrom may well be termed hell. If error is permitted to take form in thought, one may not be surprised if presently these forms begin to resemble here an acquaintance, there a friend, until finally is seen in others personalities which give expression to hatred, malice, revenge, personal ambition, pride of priesthood, with all the ugly et ceteras. But is any part of reality presented in such pictures? No, they are but expressions of formulated opinion. This is the indulgence of criticism.

The most common phase of unjust criticism, and a claim well-nigh universal in human experience, is the proneness to compare one's self with others. Jesus steadfastly pointed to Principle as the one standard for comparison. He said: "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." And Christian Scientists are admonished to follow their Leader only as she follows Christ. Strictly speaking, it is not possible for one man to be better than another, for all of God's ideas are equally good—even perfect. How, then, could any individual set himself as a standard of right living for others to strive to attain. Is it not plain that each individual faces a different aspect of the one problem? It is imperative that humanity achieve an increasingly improved concept of man, and while another's life may be inspiring, it is for each to strive to reflect the one intelligence and not to imitate his fellow. Thus one mortal may and must be not better than another, but better than he himself formerly was. By what right, then, would one compare himself with his neighbor? To love one's neighbor as one's self is the divine demand; to entertain opinions as to one's more rapid advancement over another, is to pray with the Pharisee: "God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are."

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