Article November 17, 2003 Issue

THINK for yourself

By J. Thomas Black

I knew a man , now deceased a decade or more, who was usually mild mannered and reasonable. But now and then he would erupt in a rage. His daughter once showed me wall patches in their home where he had smashed his fist, and one hollow-panel door that was still splintered.

This tendency was heartrending because of its effects not only on the home and family but also on the man himself. After a flare-up, he would be overwhelmed with remorse and shame. With all his heart and soul, this dear man yearned to control his temper—which had to start with controlling his thinking.

And he could have, if he had known how, just as we all can when we know how. We're all as empowered to choose the thoughts we think as we are to choose the shoes we wear. There always is a way to claim our independence of thought and to protect our right to it.

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