Editorial September 14, 1935 Issue

On Cherishing

Violet Ker Seymer

The question of what an individual cherishes in his thoughts, his character, and his daily pursuits is a vital one, since it determines the degree of his progression or his retrogression. The temptation deliberately to cherish one's peculiarities is immanent, and unless it is resisted the mask of mortal personality hinders the appearing of spiritual individuality.

Sometimes a person is childishly proud of his profitless peculiarities and enjoys the banter of his friends regarding them. So they continue to be indulged. Witty exaggeration, for instance, in telling an anecdote is fairly common. This habit indicates a degree of untruthfulness, even of dishonesty, and if unchecked it may develop into a larger hindrance to true thought and speech in things essential. Another person will involve himself in debt through self-indulgence and impulse. These and many other undetected weeds of error are apt to throw out troublesome roots.

Then again, even the Christian Scientist may sometimes be lenient with long-indulged habits of disorderliness in reference to his personal effects and his appearance. He may regard these as merely external, whereas they are indexes of his character. Another may think it unfortunate that he has the habit of mislaying or losing objects. Others, from old habit, may still occasionally lose their temper and condone the tendency on the plea that this is but a brief and superficial disturbance. Yet so long as an individual mentally cherishes these and other definitely erroneous beliefs of the carnal mind they will hamper his efforts in relation to larger overcomings.

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