,note3 ,images of the original pages are
 available through       the ,google    
,books ,library ,project4 ,see          
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i;,,haqaamaajhlen      ,american ,home  
,series ,norman ,e4 ,richardson1 ,editor
   ,,the ,,punishment ,,of ,,children   
by  ,,felix ,,adler   ,illustration3    
,logo       ,the ,abingdon ,press ,new  
,york      ,cincinnati     ,,editorial  
,,note   ,the material contained in this
 pamphlet was originally delivered in   
three addresses before the ,ethical     
,culture ,society of ,new ,york ,city4  
,special permission has been given to   
have it reprinted in this form4  ,the   
ethical nurture of the child is a       
distinct responsibility which no parent 
can neglect with impunity4 ,when        
ignorant of the more elementary         
principles of punishment1 parents easily
 fall into one of two serious errors4   
,the use of harsh and severely arbitrary
 methods causes the child's fine ethical
 sensibilities to become dull4 ,through 

indifference or careless neglect1 the   
child becomes willful1 erratic1 or      
self-indulgent4 ,in this study ,dr4     
,adler1 with remarkable skill1 guides   
the parent between these two extremes4  
,he shows that it is possible to be     
consistent without being harsh1 gentle  
without being vacillating4  ,the mastery
 of the art of punishment is also one of
 the most direct means of ethical       
self-culture4 ,it is to be hoped that a 
careful study of this subject may result
 in a refinement of the attitude of     
parents toward each other1 as well as   
toward their children4  ,,norman ,e4    
,,richardson4   ,printed in the ,united 
,states of ,america  ,first ,edition    
,printed ,april1 #aibj ,reprinted ,july1
 #aibj2 ,march1 #aibb     ,,the         
,,punishment ,,of ,,children     ,i     
,it is man's moral duty to act as the   
physician of his enemies and seek to    
cure them of their wrongdoing4 ,how much
 more1 then1 should this attitude be    
taken toward those whom we love--toward 

our children1 if we find their          
characters marred by serious faults8    
,in discussing the subject of punishment
 ,i do not for a moment think of        
covering the innumerable problems which 
it suggests4 ,many books have been      
written on this subject2 prolonged study
 and the experience of a lifetime are   
barely sufficient for a mastery of its  
details4 ,i shall content myself with   
suggesting a few simple rules and       
principles1 and shall consider my object
 gained if ,i induce my hearers to enter
 upon a closer investigation of the     
delicate and manifold questions         
involved4   #a4 ,,never ,,administer    
,,punishment ,,in ,,anger  ,the first   
general rule to which ,i would refer is1
 never administer punishment in anger4  
,a saying of ,socrates deserves to be   
carefully borne in mind4 ,turning one   
day upon his insolent servant1          
,speucippus1 who had subjected him to   
great annoyance1 he exclaimed1 ,i should
 beat you now1 sirrah1 were ,i not so   

angry with you4 ,the practice of most   
men is the very opposite2 they beat and 
punish because they are angry4  ,but it 
is clear that we cannot trust ourselves 
to correct another while we are enraged4
 ,the intensity of our anger is         
proportional to the degree of annoyance 
which we have experienced1 but it       
happens quite frequently that a great   
annoyance may be caused by a slight     
fault1 just as1 conversely1 the greatest
 fault may cause us only slight         
annoyance1 or may even contribute to our
 pleasure4 ,we should administer serious
 punishment where the fault is serious1 
and slight punishment where the fault is
 slight4 ,but1 as ,i have just said1 a  
slight fault may sometimes cause serious
 annoyance1 just as a slight spark      
thrown into a powder magazine may cause 
a destructive explosion4 ,and we do     
often resemble a powder magazine1 being 
filled with suppressed inflammable      
irritations1 so that a trivial          
naughtiness on the part of a child may  

cause a most absurd display of temper4  
,but is it the child's fault that we are
 in this irascible condition8 ,to show  
how a slight fault may sometimes cause a
 most serious annoyance1 let me remind  
you of the story of ,vedius ,pollio1 the
 ,roman4 ,he was one day entertaining   
the ,emperor ,augustus at dinner4       
,during the banquet a slave who was     
carrying one of the crystal goblets by  
which his master set great store1 in his
 nervousness suffered the goblet to fall
 from his hand so that it broke into a  
thousand pieces on the floor4 ,pollio   
was so infuriated that he ordered the   
slave to be bound and thrown into a     
neighboring fishpond1 to be devoured by 
the lampreys4 ,the ,emperor interfered  
to save the slave's life1 but ,pollio   
was too much enraged to defer even to   
the ,emperor's wish4 ,thereupon         
,augustus ordered that every crystal    
goblet in the house should be broken in 
his presence1 that the slave should be  
set free1 and that the obnoxious        

fishpond should be closed4  ,the        
breaking of a goblet or vase is a good  
instance of how a slight fault1 a mere  
inadvertency1 may cause serious damage  
and great chagrin4 ,in the same way an  
unseasonable word1 loud conversation1 a 
bit of pardonable mischief1 which we    
should overlook under ordinary          
circumstances1 may throw us into a fury 
when we are out of sorts4 ,when we have 
urgent business and are kept waiting1 we
 are apt1 unless we keep a curb on our  
tempers1 to break forth into violent    
complaints1 which indeed are quite      
proportional to the amount of annoyance 
we experience1 but not necessarily to   
the fault of the person who occasions   
it4  ,our business is to cure faults1   
and in order to accomplish this end the 
punishment should be meted out in due   
proportion to the fault4 ,instead of    
following this principle1 the great     
majority of men when they punish are not
 like reasonable beings1 selecting right
 means toward a true end1 but like hot  

springs which boil over because they    
cannot contain themselves4  ,we ought   
never to punish in anger4 ,no one can   
trust himself when in that state2 an    
angry man is always liable to overshoot 
the mark2 we must wait until our angry  
feeling has had time to cool4  ,do ,i   
then advise that we administer          
punishment in cold blood8 ,no1 we ought 
to correct the faults of others with a  
certain moral warmth expressed in our   
words and manner1 a warmth which is     
produced by our reprehension of the     
fault1 not by the annoyance which it    
causes us4 ,this1 then1 is the first    
rule3 ,never punish in anger4   #b4     
,,distinguish ,,between ,,the ,,child   
,,and ,,the ,,fault  ,the second rule is
 that in correcting a child we should be
 careful to distinguish between the     
child and its fault2 we should not allow
 the shadow of the fault to darken the  
whole nature of the child4 ,we should   
treat the fault as something accidental 
which can be removed4 ,vulgar persons1  

when a child has told a falsehood1 say1 
,you liar4 ,they identify the child with
 the fault of lying1 and thereby imply  
that this vice is ingrained in its      
nature4 ,they do not say or imply1 ,you 
have told a falsehood1 but you will     
surely not do so again2 hereafter you   
will tell the truth2 they say1 ,you are 
a liar2 which is equivalent to saying1  
,lying has become part and parcel of    
your nature4 ,in the same way when a    
child has proved itself incapable of    
mastering a certain task1 the           
thoughtless parent or teacher may       
exclaim1 impatiently1 ,you are a dunce2 
that is to say1 ,you are a hopeless     
case2 nothing but stupidity is to be    
expected of you4 ,all opprobrious       
epithets of this sort are to be most    
scrupulously avoided4 ,even to the worst
 offender one should say3 ,you have     
acted thus in one case1 perhaps in many 
cases1 but you can act otherwise2 the   
evil has not eaten into the core of your
 nature4 ,there is still a sound part in

 you2 there is good at the bottom of    
your soul1 and if you will only assert  
your better nature1 you can do well4 ,we
 are bound to show confidence in the    
transgressor4 ,our confidence may be    
disappointed a hundred times1 but it    
must never be wholly destroyed1 for it  
is the crutch on which the weak lean in 
their feeble efforts to walk4  ,now1    
such language as ,you are a dunce1 ,you 
are a liar1 is1 to be sure1 used only by
 the vulgar2 but many parents who would 
not use such words imply as much by     
their attitude toward their child2 they 
indicate by their manner1 ,well1 nothing
 good is to be expected of you4 ,this   
attitude of the parents is born of      
selfishness2 the child has disappointed 
their expectations1 and the             
disappointment1 instead of making them  
more tender toward the child1 makes them
 impatient4 ,but this is not the        
attitude of the physician whose business
 it is to cure evil4 ,we must give the  
child to understand that we still have  

hope of his amendment2 the slightest    
improvement should be welcomed with an  
expression of satisfaction4  ,we should 
never attach absolute blame to a child1 
never overwhelm it with a general       
condemnation4 ,and in like manner we    
should never give absolute praise1 never
 injure a child by unlimited            
approbation4 ,the words1 excellent1     
perfect1 which are sometimes used in    
school reports1 are inexcusable4 ,i have
 seen the object of education thwarted  
in the case of particularly promising   
pupils by such unqualified admiration4  
,no human being is ethically perfect1   
and to tell a child that he is perfect  
is to encourage a superficial way of    
looking upon life and to pamper his     
conceit4  ,the right attitude is to say 
or to imply by our manner1 ,you have    
done well thus far2 go on as you have   
begun and try hereafter to do still     
better4 ,such words as these fall like  
sunshine into the soul1 warming and     
fructifying every good seed4  ,on the   

other hand1 to tell a child that he is  
perfect may induce him to relax his     
effort1 for having reached the summit he
 does not feel the need of further      
exertion4 ,we should correct faults in  
such a way as to imply that not         
everything is lost4 ,and we should      
praise merit in such a way as to imply  
that not everything is yet achieved2    
that1 on the contrary1 the goal is still
 far1 far in the distance4  ,everything1
 as ,i have said1 depends upon the      
attitude of the parent or instructor4   
,those who possess educational tact--a  
very rare and precious quality--adopt   
the right attitude by a sort of         
instinct4 ,but those who do not possess 
it naturally can acquire it1 at least to
 a certain degree1 by reflecting upon   
the underlying principles of punishment4
   #c4 ,,do ,,not ,,lecture ,,children  
,the third rule is1 ,do not lecture     
children4 ,one feels tempted to say to  
some parents3 ,you do not succeed as    
well as you might in the training of    

your children because you talk too much4
 ,the less you say the more effective   
will your discipline be4 ,let your      
measures speak for you4  ,when          
punishment is necessary let it come upon
 the child like the action of a natural 
law--calm1 unswerving1 inevitable4 ,do  
not attempt to give reasons or to argue 
with the child concerning the punishment
 you are about to inflict4 ,if the child
 is in danger of thinking your          
punishment unjust1 it may be expedient  
to explain the reasons of your action1  
but do so after the punishment has been 
inflicted4  ,there are parents who are  
perpetually scolding their children4    
,the fact that they scold so much is    
proof of their educational helplessness4
 ,they do not know what measures of     
discipline to apply1 hence they scold4  
,often their scolding is due to         
momentary passion1 and the child        
intuitively detects that this is so4 ,if
 the parent is in ill humor1 a          
mischievous prank1 a naughty word1 an   

act of disobedience sometimes puts him  
into a towering passion2 at other times 
the same offense may be lightly         
considered1 or even worse offenses      
passed over with meaningless ,don't do  
that again4 ,the child perceives this   
vacillation1 and learns to look upon a  
scolding as a mere passing shower1      
hiding its head under shelter until the 
storm has blown over4  ,other parents   
are given to delivering lengthy homilies
 to their children1 and then often      
express surprise that all their sound   
doctrine1 all their beautiful sermons1  
have no effect whatever4 ,if they would 
pause to consider for a moment1 they    
could easily see why their lectures have
 no effect1 why they pass in at one ear 
and out at the other4 ,their lectures on
 right and wrong are generally too      
abstract for the child's comprehension1 
and often do not touch its case at all4 
,moreover1 the iteration of the same    
dingdong has the effect of blunting the 
child's apprehension4 ,a stern rebuke is

 occasionally necessary and does good1  
but it should be short1 clear1 incisive4
  ,a moralizing talk with an older child
 sometimes does good4 ,the parent should
 not1 however1 indulge in generalities1 
but1 looking over the record of the     
child for the past weeks or months1     
should pick out the definite points in  
which it has transgressed1 thus holding 
up a picture of the child's life to its 
own eyes to reenforce the memory of its 
faults and stimulate its conscience4 ,in
 general1 it may be said that the less  
the parent talks about moral            
delinquencies the better4 ,on this rule 
of parsimony in respect to words        
particular stress is to be laid4   #d4  
,,undeviating ,,consistency  ,the next  
rule is quite as important as the       
preceding ones4 ,it is that of          
undeviating consistency4 ,were not the  
subject altogether too painful1 it would
 be amusing to observe how weak         
mothers--and weak fathers               
too--constantly eat their own words4    

,how often have ,i told you not to do   
this thing1 but now you have done it    
again4 ,well1 what is to follow8        
secretly asks the child4 ,the next time 
you do it ,i shall surely punish you4   
,the next time the story repeats itself2
 and so it is always the next time4     
,very often foolish threats are made1   
which the parents know they cannot and  
will not carry out2 and do you suppose  
that the children do not know as well as
 you that the threat you have been      
uttering is an idle one8  ,we should be 
extremely careful in deciding what to   
demand of a child4 ,our demands should  
be determined by a scrupulous regard for
 the child's own good1 but when the word
 has gone forth1 especially in the case 
of young children1 we should insist on  
unquestioning obedience4 ,our will must 
be recognized by the child as its law2  
it must not suspect that we are governed
 by passion or caprice4  ,there are     
those that protest that this is too     
stern a method1 that gentle treatment1  

persuasion1 and love ought to suffice to
 induce the child to obey4 ,love and    
persuasion do suffice in many cases1 but
 they do not answer in all2 and1        
besides1 ,i hold it to be important that
 the child should sometimes be brought  
face to face with a law which is        
superior to the law of its own will1 and
 should be compelled to bend to the     
higher law1 as expressed in its parent's
 wishes1 merely because it is a higher  
law4  ,and so far from believing this is
 to be a cruel method1 ,i believe that  
the opposite method of always wheedling 
and coaxing children into obedience is  
really cruel4 ,many a time later on in  
life its self-love will beat in vain    
against the immutable barriers of law1  
and if the child has not learned to     
yield to rightful authority in youth1   
the necessity of doing so later on will 
only be the more bitterly felt4 ,the    
child should sometimes be compelled to  
yield to the parent's authority simply  
because the parental authority expresses

 a higher law than that of its own will4
  ,and this leads me to speak           
incidentally of a subject which is      
nearly allied to the one we are now     
discussing4  ,it is a well-known trick  
of the nursery to divert the child from 
some object which it is not to have by  
quickly directing its attention to      
another object4 ,if a child cries for   
the moon1 amuse it with the light of a  
candle2 if it insists upon handling a   
fragile vase1 attract its attention to  
the doll2 if it demands a knife with    
which it might injure itself1 call in   
the rattle to the rescue4  ,this method 
is quite proper for baby children1 but  
it is often continued to a much later   
age with harmful results4 ,as soon as   
the self-consciousness of the child is  
fairly developed1 that is1 about the    
third year1 this method should no longer
 be employed4 ,it is important that the 
will power of the young be strengthened4
 ,now1 the more the will is accustomed  
to fasten upon the objects of desire the

 stronger does it become1 while1 by     
rapidly introducing new objects the will
 is distracted and a certain            
shiftlessness is induced1 the will being
 made to glide from one object to       
another without fixing itself definitely
 upon any one4 ,it is far better to     
allow a child to develop a will of its  
own1 but to make it understand that it  
must at times yield this will to the    
will of the parent1 than thus to        
distract its attention4 ,if it wants a  
knife which it ought not to have1 make  
it understand firmly1 though never      
harshly1 that it cannot have what it    
wants1 that it must yield its wish to   
the parent's wish4 ,nor is it at all    
necessary every time to give the reasons
 why4 ,the fact that the parent commands
 is a sufficient reason4  ,the rules    
thus far mentioned are1 that we shall   
not punish in anger1 that we shall not  
identify the child with its fault1 that 
we shall be sparing with admonitions and
 let positive discipline speak for      

itself1 and that1 while demanding       
nothing which is unreasonable1 we should
 insist on implicit obedience4   #e4    
,,physical ,,pleasure ,,as ,a ,,reward  
,,of ,,virtue  ,there is one question   
that touches the general subject of     
punishment and reward which is in some  
sense the most important and vital of   
all the questions we are considering4   
,it throws a bright light or a deep     
shadow on the whole theory of life1     
according to the point of view we take4 
,i allude to the question whether the   
pleasures of the senses should be       
treated as a reward for the performance 
of duty4 ,a parent says to his child3   
,you have been good to-day2 you have    
studied your lessons2 your deportment   
has been satisfactory3 ,i will reward   
you by giving you sweetmeats1 or by     
taking you on a holiday into the        
country4 ,but what connection can there 
possibly be between the performance of  
duty and the physical pleasure enjoyed  
in eating sweetmeats8 ,is not the       

connection a purely arbitrary one8 ,does
 it not depend upon the notion that     
there is no intrinsic satisfaction in a 
moral act8 ,we ought to see that it is  
radically wrong to make such enjoyments 
the reward of virtue2 we ought to have  
the courage to make application of our  
better theories to the education of our 
children if we would develop in them the
 germs of a nobler1 freer manhood and   
womanhood4 ,i admit1 indeed1 that a     
child is not yet sufficiently developed 
to stand on its own feet morally1 and   
that its virtuous inclinations need to  
be supported and assisted2 but we can   
give it this assistance by means of our 
approbation or disapprobation4  ,to be  
in disgrace with its parents ought to be
 for a child the heaviest penalty4 ,to  
have their favor should be its highest  
reward4 ,but simply because a child is  
most easily taken on the side of its    
animal instincts1 are we to appeal to it
 on that side8 ,should it not be our aim
 to raise the young child above the mere

 desire for physical gratification1 to  
prevent it from attaching too much      
importance to such pleasures8  ,the     
conduct of many parents1 however1 ,i    
fear1 tends to foster artificially that 
lower nature in their offspring which it
 should rather be their aim to repress4 
,by their method of bestowing extraneous
 rewards1 parents contribute to pervert 
the character of their children in      
earliest infancy1 giving it a wrong     
direction from the start4  ,but1 it may 
be objected1 is there not a wholesome   
truth contained in ,saint ,paul's saying
 that he who will not work1 neither     
shall he eat8 ,is not our conscience    
offended when we see a person enjoying  
the pleasures of life who will perform  
none of its more serious duties8 ,and   
should we not all agree that1 in a      
certain sense1 virtue entitles one to   
pleasure1 and the absence of virtue     
ought to preclude one from pleasure8    
,to meet this point let us dwell for a  
moment on the following considerations4 

,man is endowed with a variety of       
faculties1 and a different type of      
pleasure or satisfaction arises from the
 exercise of each4 ,pleasure1 in        
general1 may be defined as the feeling  
which results from successful exercise  
of any of our faculties--physical1      
mental or moral4 ,a successful rider    
takes pleasure in horsemanship1 an      
athlete in the lifting of weights4 ,the 
greater an artist's mastery over his    
art1 the greater the pleasure he derives
 from it4 ,the more complex and         
difficult the problems which a scholar  
is able to resolve1 the more delight    
does he find in study4 ,the same is true
 of the moral nature4 ,the more a man   
succeeds in harmonizing his inner life1 
and in helping to make the principles of
 social harmony prevail in the world    
about him1 the more satisfaction will he
 derive from the exercise of virtue4    
,but the main fact which we are bound to
 remember is that it is impossible to   
pay for the exercise of any one faculty 

by the pleasure derived from the        
exercise of another2 that each faculty  
is legitimately paid only in its own    
coin4 ,if you ask a horseman who has    
just returned from an exhilarating ride 
what compensation he expects to receive 
for the exercise he has taken1 he will  
probably look at you in blank amazement1
 with grave misgivings as to your       
sanity4 ,if you ask a scientist what    
reward he expects to receive for the    
pursuit of knowledge1 he will answer    
you1 if he is an expert in the use of   
his intellect1 that he expects no       
ulterior reward of any kind2 that not   
positive knowledge so much as the sense 
of growth in the attainment of knowledge
 is the highest reward which he can     
imagine4 ,and the same answer you will  
get from a person who is expert in the  
use of his moral faculty1 namely1 that  
not virtue so much as growth in virtue1 
not the results achieved by the exercise
 of the faculty1 but the successful     
exercise itself is the supreme          

compensation4  ,i have used the word    
expert in all these cases1 and precisely
 there's the rub4 ,the reason why many  
persons cannot get themselves to believe
 that the exercise of the mental and    
moral faculties is a sufficient reward  
is because they are not expert1 because 
they have not penetrated far enough     
along the lines of knowledge and virtue 
to obtain the satisfactions of them4    
,but the same applies to the tyro in any
 pursuit4 ,a rider who has not yet      
acquired a firm seat in the saddle will 
hardly derive much pleasure from        
horseback exercise4 ,an awkward1 clumsy 
dancer1 who cannot keep step1 will get  
no pleasure from dancing4 ,there is no  
help for the tyro1 no matter in what    
direction he aims at excellence1 except 
to go on trying until he becomes expert4
  ,i have said that each faculty is     
sovereign in its own sphere1 that each  
provides its proper satisfactions within
 itself and does not borrow them from   
the domain of any of the others4        

,nevertheless we are constrained to     
admit the important truth that is       
contained in the saying of ,saint ,paul4
 ,and this truth1 it seems to me1 may be
 formulated in the words that1 while    
physical pleasure is not the reward of  
virtue1 virtue ought to be regarded as  
the condition sine qua non of the       
enjoyment of physical pleasures--at     
least1 so far as the distribution of    
such pleasures is within the power of   
the educator or of society4  ,this      
proposition depends on the difference in
 rank that subsists between our         
faculties1 of which some are superior   
and others inferior1 the moral and      
intellectual faculties rightfully       
occupying the top of the scale4 ,we     
inwardly rebel when we see the indolent 
and self-indulgent living in luxury and 
affluence4 ,and this not because the    
enjoyments which such persons command   
are the proper compensations of virtue1 
or because physical pain would be the   
proper punishment of their moral faults1

 but because we demand that the lower   
faculties shall not be exercised at the 
expense and to the neglect of the       
higher1 that the legitimate rank and    
order of our faculties shall not be     
subverted4  ,applying this idea to the  
case of children1 ,i think it would be  
perfectly proper to deny a child that   
has failed to study its lessons or has  
given other occasion for serious        
displeasure1 the privilege of going on a
 holiday to the country or enjoying its 
favorite sports4 ,everything1 however1  
will depend--as so much in education    
does depend--on the manner2 in this     
instance on what we imply in our denial 
rather than on what we expressly state4 
,the denial1 it seems to me1 should be  
made on the ground that there is a      
proper order in which the faculties are 
to be exercised2 that the higher1 the   
mental1 faculties should be exercised   
first1 and that he who will not aim at  
the higher satisfactions1 neither shall 
he1 so far as we can prevent1 enjoy the 

lower4 ,on the other hand1 by making    
physical pleasures--sports1 games and   
the like--the reward of study1 we exalt 
these satisfactions so as to make them  
seem the higher1 so as to make the      
satisfactions of knowledge appear of    
lesser value compared with the          
satisfactions of the senses4  ,in an    
ideal community every one of our        
faculties would be brought into play in 
turn1 without our ever being tempted to 
regard the pleasures of the one as      
compensation for the exercise of the    
other4 ,the human soul has often been   
compared to an instrument with many     
strings4 ,perhaps it may not be amiss to
 compare it to an orchestra4 ,in this   
orchestra the violins represent the     
intellectual faculties4 ,they lead the  
rest4 ,then there are the flute-notes of
 love1 the trumpet tones of ambition1   
the rattling drums and cymbals of the   
passions and appetites4 ,each of these  
instruments is to come in its proper    
place1 while the moral plan of life is  

the musical composition which they all  
assist in rendering4  ,what we should   
try to banish is the vicious idea of    
extraneous reward1 the notion that man  
is an animal whose object in life is to 
eat and drink1 to possess gold and fine 
garments1 and to gratify every lower    
desire1 and that he can be brought to   
labor only on condition that he may     
obtain such pleasures4 ,what we should  
impress instead is the notion that labor
 itself is satisfying--manual labor1    
mental labor1 moral labor--and that the 
more difficult the labor1 the higher the
 compensating satisfactions4     ,,ii   
,i have thus far endeavored to combat   
the notion that physical pleasure should
 be offered as a reward for virtue1 and 
physical pain inflicted as a punishment 
for moral faults4 ,now we are in a      
position to apply this conclusion to    
some special questions which it is      
proposed to take up for consideration4  
,the first of these relates to corporal 
punishment4   #a4 ,,corporal            

,,punishment  ,it was in that period of 
history which is so justly called the   
,dark ,ages that the lurid doctrine of  
hell as a place for the eternal bodily  
torture of the wicked haunted men's     
minds1 and the same medival period      
witnessed the most horrible examples of 
corporal punishment in the schools and  
in the homes4  ,this was no mere        
coincidence4 ,as the manners of the     
people are so will their religion be4   
,savage parents who treat their children
 in a cruel1 passionate way naturally   
entertain the idea of a god who treats  
his human children in the same way4 ,if 
we wish to purify the religious beliefs 
of men1 we must first ameliorate their  
daily life4  ,there was once a          
schoolmaster who boasted that during his
 long and interesting career he had     
inflicted corporal punishment more than 
a million times4 ,in modern days the    
tide of public opinion has set strongly 
against corporal punishment4 ,it is     
being abolished in many of our public   

institutions1 and the majority of       
cultivated parents have a decided       
feeling against availing themselves of  
this method of discipline4  ,but the    
mere sentiment against it is not        
sufficient4 ,is the opposition to it the
 result possibly of that increased      
sensitiveness to pain which we observe  
in the modern man1 of the indisposition 
to inflict or to witness suffering8     
,then some stern teacher might tell us  
that to inflict suffering is sometimes  
necessary1 that it is a sign of weakness
 to shrink from it1 that as the surgeon 
must sometimes apply the knife in order 
to effect a radical cure1 so the        
conscientious parent should sometimes   
inflict physical pain in order to       
eradicate grievous faults4 ,the stern   
teacher might warn us against sparing   
the rod and spoiling the child4  ,we    
must not1 therefore1 base our opposition
 to corporal punishment merely on       
sentimental grounds4 ,and there is no   
need for doing so1 for there are sound  

principles on which the argument may be 
made to rest4 ,corporal punishment does 
not merely conflict with our tenderer   
sympathies1 it thwarts and defeats the  
purpose of moral reformation4 ,in the   
first place it brutalizes the child2    
secondly1 in many cases it breaks the   
child's spirit1 making it a moral       
coward2 and1 thirdly1 it tends to weaken
 the sense of shame1 on which the hope  
of moral improvement depends4  ,corporal
 punishment brutalizes the child4 ,we   
may be justified in beating a brute1    
though1 of course1 never in a cruel1    
merciless way4 ,a lazy beast of burden  
may be stirred up to work2 an obstinate 
mule must feel the touch of the whip4   
,corporal punishment implies that a     
rational human being is on the level of 
an animal4#a ,its underlying thought is3
 you can be controlled only through your
 animal instincts2 you can be moved only
 by an appeal to your bodily feelings4  
,it is a practical denial of that higher
 nature which exists in every human     

being1 and this is a degrading view of  
human character4 ,a child which is      
accustomed to be treated like an animal 
is apt to behave like an animal4 ,thus  
corporal punishment instead of          
moralizing serves to demoralize the     
character4  ,in the next place corporal 
punishment often breaks the spirit of a 
child4 ,have you ever observed how some 
children that have been often whipped   
will whine and beg off when the angry   
parent is about to take out the rattan3 
,o1 ,i will never do it again2 ,o1 let  
me off this time4 ,what an abject sight 
it is--a child fawning and entreating   
and groveling like a dog6 ,and must not 
the parent too feel humiliated in such a
 situation6 ,courage is one of the      
noblest of the manly virtues4 ,we should
 train our children to bear unavoidable 
pain without flinching1 but sensitive   
natures can only be slowly accustomed to
 endure suffering2 and chastisement1    
when it is frequent and severe1 results 
in making a sensitive child more and    

more cowardly1 more and more afraid of  
the blows4 ,in such cases it is the     
parents themselves1 by their barbarous  
discipline1 who stamp the ugly vice of  
cowardice upon their children4  ,even   
more disastrous is the third effect of  
corporal punishment1 that of blunting   
the sense of shame4 ,some children quail
 before a blow1 but others1 of a more   
obstinate disposition1 assume an        
attitude of dogged indifference4 ,they  
hold out the hand1 they take the        
stinging blows1 they utter no cry1 they 
never wince2 they will not let the      
teacher or father triumph over them to  
that extent2 they walk off in stolid    
indifference4  ,now1 a blow is an       
invasion of personal liberty4 ,every one
 who receives a blow feels a natural    
impulse to resent it4 ,but boys who are 
compelled by those in authority over    
them to submit often to such humiliation
 are liable to lose the finer feeling   
for what is humiliating4 ,they become1  
as the popular phrase puts it1 hardened4

 ,their sense of shame is deadened4     
,but sensitiveness to shame is that     
quality of our nature on which1 above   
all others1 moral progress depends4 ,the
 stigma of public disgrace is one of the
 most potent safeguards of virtue4 ,the 
world cries ,shame upon the thief1 and  
the dread of the disgrace which is      
implied in being called a thief acts as 
one of the strongest preventives upon   
those whom hunger and poverty might     
tempt to steal4 ,the world cries ,shame 
upon the lawbreaker in general1 but     
those who in their youth are accustomed 
to be put to shame by corporal          
punishment are likely to become obtuse  
to other forms of disgrace as well4 ,the
 same criticism applies to those means  
of publicly disgracing children which   
have been in vogue so long--the fool's  
cap1 the awkward squad1 the bad boy's   
bench1 and the like4 ,when a child finds
 itself frequently exposed to ignominy  
it becomes indifferent to ignominy1 and 
thus the door is opened for the entrance

 of the worst vices4  ,there is one     
excellence1 indeed1 which ,i perceive in
 corporal punishment2 it is an excellent
 means of breeding criminals4 ,parents  
who inflict frequent corporal           
punishment1 ,i make bold to say1 are    
helping to prepare their children for a 
life of crime2 they put them on a level 
with the brute1 break their spirit and  
weaken their sense of shame4   #b4 ,,the
 ,,evil ,,of ,,the ,,mark ,,system  ,the
 second special question which we have  
to consider relates to the mark system4 
,as this system is applied to hundreds  
of thousands of school children1 the    
question whether that influence is good 
or evil concerns us closely4 ,i am of   
the opinion that it is evil4 ,the true  
aim of every school should be to lead   
the pupils to pursue knowledge for the  
sake of knowledge1 and to preserve a    
correct deportment in order to gain the 
approbation of conscience and of the    
teacher whose judgment represents the   
verdict of conscience4  ,i object to the

 mark system because it introduces a    
kind of outward payment for progress in 
study and good conduct4 ,the marks which
 the pupil receives stand for the       
dollars and cents which the man will    
receive later on for his work4 ,so much 
school work performed1 so many marks in 
return4 ,but a child should be taught to
 study for the pleasure which study     
gives1 and for the improvement of the   
mind which is its happy result4  ,i know
 of a school where the forfeiture of    
twelve marks was made the penalty for a 
certain misdemeanor4 ,one day a pupil1  
being detected in a forbidden act1      
turned to the teacher and said1 ,i agree
 to the forfeit1 you can strike off my  
twelve marks1 and then went on openly   
transgressing the rule1 as if he had    
paid out so many shillings for an       
enjoyment which he was determined to    
have2 as if the outward forfeit could   
atone for the antimoral spirit by which 
the act was inspired4 ,but how is it    
possible by any external system of marks

 to change the antimoral spirit of an   
offender8  ,i object1 furthermore1 to   
the marking system because the          
discrimination to which it leads can    
never be really just4 ,one boy receives 
an average of ninety-seven and one half 
per cent1 and another of ninety-five4   
,the one who receives ninety-seven and  
one half thinks himself superior to1 and
 is ranked as the superior of the one   
who has received only ninety-five4 ,but 
is it possible to rate mental and moral 
differences between children in this    
arithmetical fashion8  ,above all1 ,i   
object to this system because it appeals
 to a low spirit of competition among   
the young in order to incite them to    
study4 ,ambition is avarice on stilts1  
as ,landor puts it4 ,of course it is    
better to try to outshine others in what
 is excellent than in what is vicious2  
but if the object be that of outshining 
others at all1 of gaining superiority   
over others1 no matter how high the     
faculties may be which are called into  

exercise1 the motive is impure and ought
 to be condemned4 ,there is a general   
impression abroad that men are not yet  
good enough to make it practicable to   
appeal to their better nature4 ,but it  
is forgotten that by constantly         
appealing to the baser impulses we give 
these undue prominence1 and starve out  
and weaken the nobler instincts4        
,whatever the truth may be in regard to 
later life1 it seems to me culpable to  
foster this sort of competition in young
 children4  ,now1 the mark spirit does  
foster such a spirit in our schools4 ,it
 teaches the pupils to work for         
distinction rather than for the solid   
satisfaction of growth in intelligence  
and mental power4 ,doubtless1 where the 
method of instruction is mechanical1    
where the atmosphere of the classroom is
 dull and lifeless1 and the tasks are   
uninteresting1 it is necessary to use   
artificial means in order to keep the   
pupils to their work2 it is necessary to
 give them the sweet waters of flattered

 self-esteem in order to induce them to 
swallow the dry-as-dust contents of a   
barren school learning4  ,but is it not 
possible to have schools in which every 
subject taught shall be made interesting
 to the scholars1 in which the ways of  
knowledge shall become the ways of      
pleasantness1 in which there shall be   
sufficient variety in the program of    
lessons to keep the minds of the pupils 
constantly fresh and vigorous1 in which 
the pupils shall not be rewarded by     
being dismissed at an earlier hour than 
usual from the school1 but in which     
possibly they shall consider it reward  
to be allowed to remain longer than     
usual8 ,and1 indeed1 requests of this   
sort are often made in schools of the   
better kind1 and in such schools there  
is no need of an artificial mark system1
 no need to stimulate the unwholesome   
ambition of the pupils1 no need to bribe
 them to perform their tasks4 ,rather do
 such pupils look with affection upon   
their school2 and the daily task itself 

is a delight and a sufficient reward4   
,i do not1 of course1 oppose the giving 
of reports to children4 ,such           
expressions as good1 fair and poor1     
which formulate the teacher's opinion of
 the pupil from time to time1 are       
indispensable1 inasmuch as they acquaint
 the parents and the pupil himself with 
the instructor's general approval or    
disapprobation4 ,i only oppose the      
numerical calculation of merit and      
demerit1 and the vulgar method of       
determining the pupil's rank in the     
class according to percentages4 ,under  
that method the pupils1 having pursued  
knowledge only as a means to the end of 
satisfying their pride and vanity1 relax
 their efforts when they have gained    
this ambitious aim4 ,they cease to take 
any deeper interest in the pursuit of   
knowledge the moment they have achieved 
their purpose4 ,the notorious failure of
 the system1 despite all its artificial 
stimulants1 to create lasting attachment
 and devotion to intellectual pursuits  

condemns the whole idea of marks1 to my 
mind1 beyond appeal4   #c4 ,,natural    
,,penalties  ,we pass next to the method
 for correcting the faults of children  
which has been proposed by ,herbert     
,spencer in his collected essays on     
education4 ,these essays have attracted 
great attention1 as anything would be   
sure to do which comes from so          
distinguished a source4 ,i have heard   
people who are ardent admirers of       
,spencer say1 ,we base the education of 
our children entirely on ,mr4 ,spencer's
 book4 ,all the more necessary is it to 
examine whether the recommendations of  
his book will wholly bear criticism4  ,i
 cannot help feeling that if ,mr4       
,spencer had been more thoroughly at    
home in the best educational literature 
he would not have presented to us an old
 method as if it were new1 and would not
 have described that which is at best   
but a second- or third-rate help in     
moral education as the central principle
 of it all1 the keynote of the whole    

theory of the moral training of the     
young4  ,the method which he advises us 
to adopt is that of visiting upon the   
child the natural penalties of its      
transgression1 of causing it to         
experience the inevitable consequences  
of evil acts in order that it may avoid 
evil1 of building up the moral nature of
 the child1 by leading it to observe the
 outward results of its acts4 ,mr4      
,spencer points out that when a child   
puts its finger into the flame1 or when 
it incautiously touches a hot stove1 it 
is burned2 a burnt child shuns the fire4
 ,when a child carelessly handles a     
sharp knife it is apt to cut its        
fingers4 ,this is a salutary lesson2 it 
will be more careful thereafter2 this is
 the method of nature1 namely1 of       
teaching by experience4 ,and this is a  
kind of cure-all which he offers for    
general application4 ,he does1 indeed1  
admit at the close of his essay1 that1  
in certain cases1 where the evil        
consequences are out of all proportion  

to the fault1 some other method than    
that of experience must be adopted4     
,but1 in general1 he recommends this    
method of nature1 as he calls it4  ,for 
instance1 a child in the nursery has    
littered the floor with its toys1 and   
after finishing its play refuses to put 
them away4 ,when next the child asks for
 its toy box the reply of its mother    
should be3 ,the last time you had your  
toys you left them lying on the floor   
and ,jane had to pick them up4 ,jane is 
too busy to pick up every time the      
things you leave about1 and ,i cannot do
 it myself1 so that1 as you will not put
 away your toys when you have done with 
them1 ,i cannot let you have them4 ,this
 is obviously a natural consequence and 
must be so recognized by the child4  ,or
 a little girl1 ,constance by name1 is  
scarcely ever ready in time for the     
daily walk4 ,the governess and the other
 children are almost invariably         
compelled to wait4 ,in the world the    
penalty of being behind time is the loss

 of some advantage that one would       
otherwise have gained4 ,the train is    
gone1 or the steamboat is just leaving  
its moorings1 or the good seats in the  
concert room are filled2 and every one  
may see that it is the prospective      
deprivation entailed by being late which
 prevents people from being unpunctual4 
,should not this prospective deprivation
 control the child's conduct also8 ,if  
,constance is not ready at the appointed
 time the natural result should be that 
she is left behind and loses her walk4  
,or1 again1 a boy is in the habit of    
recklessly soiling and tearing his      
clothes4 ,he should be compelled to     
clean them and to mend the tear as well 
as he can4 ,and if having no decent     
clothes to wear1 the boy is ever        
prevented from joining the rest of the  
family on a holiday excursion and the   
like1 it is manifest that he will keenly
 feel the punishment and perceive that  
his own carelessness is the cause of it4
  ,but ,i think it can easily be made   

clear that this method of moral         
discipline should be an exceptional and 
not a general one1 and that there are   
not a few but many occasions when it    
becomes simply impossible to visit upon 
children the natural penalties of their 
transgressions4 ,in these cases the evil
 consequences are too great or too      
remote for us to allow the child to     
learn from experience4  ,a boy is       
leaning too far out of the window2 shall
 we let him take the natural penalty of 
his folly8 ,the natural penalty would be
 to fall and break his neck4 ,or a child
 is about to rush from a heated room    
into the cold street with insufficient  
covering2 shall we let the child take   
the natural penalty of its heedlessness8
 ,the natural penalty might be an attack
 of pneumonia4 ,or1 again1 in certain   
parts of the country it is imprudent to 
be out on the water after nightfall     
owing to the danger of malaria4 ,a boy  
who is fond of rowing insists upon going
 out in his boat after dark2 shall we   

allow him to learn by experience the    
evil consequences of his act and gain   
wisdom by suffering the natural penalty8
 ,the natural penalty might be that he  
would come home in a violent fever4  ,to
 show how much mischief the application 
of the ,spencerian method might work1   
let me mention a case which came under  
my observation4 ,a certain teacher had  
been studying ,herbert ,spencer and was 
much impressed with his ideas4 ,one wet1
 rainy day a number of children came to 
school without overshoes4 ,the teacher  
had often told them that they must wear 
their overshoes when it rained2 having  
neglected to do so1 their feet were wet4
 ,now came the application of the       
natural penalty theory4 ,instead of     
keeping the children near the fire while
 their shoes were being dried in the    
kitchen1 they were allowed to run about 
in their stocking feet in the large     
school hall in order to fix in their    
minds the idea that1 as they had made   
their shoes unfit to wear1 they must now

 go without them4 ,this was in truth    
moral discipline with a vengeance4  ,it 
is1 in many instances1 impossible to let
 the natural penalties of their         
transgressions fall upon children2 it   
would be dangerous to health1 to life   
and limb1 and also to character1 to do  
so4  ,let me be perfectly understood    
just here3 ,i do not deny that the      
method of natural penalties is capable  
of being applied to advantage in the    
moral training of children4 ,it is a    
philosophic conclusion that it can be   
used as a means of building up the      
confidence of children in the authority 
of their parents and educators4  ,the   
father says to his child3 ,you must not 
touch the stove or you will be burned4  
,the child disobeys his command and is  
burned4 ,did ,i not warn you8 says the  
father4 ,do you not see that ,i was     
right8 ,hereafter believe my words and  
do not wait to test them in your        
experience4 ,the comparatively few cases
 in which the child may without injury  

be made to experience the consequences  
of his acts should be utilized to       
strengthen its belief in the wisdom and 
goodness of its parents1 so that in an  
infinitely greater number of cases their
 authority will act upon the mind of the
 child almost as powerfully as the      
actual experience of the evil           
consequences would act4  ,mr4 ,spencer  
himself admits1 as ,i have said1 that   
there are what he calls extreme cases to
 which the system he recommends does not
 apply4 ,in these he falls back upon    
parental displeasure as the proper      
penalty4 ,but parental displeasure1     
according to his view1 is an indirect   
and not a direct penalty1 and to use his
 own words1 the error which we have been
 combating is that of substituting      
parental displeasure for the penalties  
which nature has established4 ,yet he   
himself in regard to the graver offenses
 does substitute parental displeasure1  
and thus abandons his own position4     
,there is1 moreover1 a second ground on 

which ,i would rest my criticism4 ,the  
art of the educator sometimes consists  
in deliberately warding off the natural 
penalties1 though the child knows what  
they are and perhaps expects to pay     
them4 ,so far is the method of ,spencer 
from bearing the test of application    
that the very opposite of what he       
recommends is right in some of the most 
important instances4  ,take the case of 
lying1 for instance4 ,the natural       
penalty for telling a falsehood is not  
to be believed the next time1 but the   
real secret of moral redemption consists
 in not inflicting this penalty4 ,we    
emphasize our belief in the offender    
despite the fact that he has told a     
falsehood1 we show that we expect him   
never to tell a falsehood again1 we seek
 to drive the spirit of untruthfulness  
out of him--by believing in him we      
strengthen him to overcome temptation4  
,and so in many other instances we      
rescue1 we redeem1 by not inflicting the
 natural penalty4  ,the task of moral   

education is laid upon us4 ,it is not a 
task that can be learned by reading a   
few scattered essays2 it is often a     
heavy burden and involves a constant    
responsibility4 ,i know it is not right 
always to make parents responsible for  
the faults which appear in their        
children4 ,i am well aware that the     
worst fruit sometimes comes from the    
best stock1 and that black sheep are    
sometimes to be found in the best       
families4 ,but ,i cannot help thinking  
that if these black sheep were taken    
charge of in the right way in early     
childhood1 the results might turn out   
differently from what they often do4    
,the picture of ,jesus on which the     
early church loved to dwell is the      
picture of the good shepherd who follows
 after the lamb that has strayed from   
the fold1 and1 carrying it tenderly in  
his arms1 brings it back4 ,i think if   
parents were more faithful shepherds1   
and cared for their wayward children    
with deeper solicitude and tenderness1  

they might often succeed in winning them
 back4  ,but even apart from these      
exceptional cases the task of training  
children morally is one of immense      
gravity and difficulty4 ,and how are    
most parents prepared for the discharge 
of this task8 ,why1 they are not at all 
prepared4 ,they rely merely upon        
impulse1 and upon traditions which often
 are altogether wrong and harmful4 ,they
 do as they have seen other fathers and 
mothers do1 and thus the same mistakes  
are perpetuated from generation to      
generation4 ,such parents1 if they were 
asked to repair a clock1 would say1 ,no1
 we must first learn about the mechanism
 of a clock before we undertake to      
repair it4 ,but the delicate and complex
 mechanism of a child's soul they       
undertake to repair without any adequate
 knowledge of the springs by which it is
 moved1 or of the system of adjustments 
by which it is enabled to perform its   
highest work4 ,they thrust their crude  
hands into the mechanism and often      

damage or break it altogether4  ,i do   
not pretend for a moment that education 
is as yet a perfect science2 ,i know it 
is not4 ,i do not pretend that it can   
give us a great deal of light2 but such 
light as it can give we ought to be all 
the more anxious to obtain on account of
 the prevailing darkness4 ,the time will
 doubtless come when the science of     
education will be acknowledged to be1 in
 some sense1 the greatest of all the    
sciences2 when1 among the benefactors of
 the race1 the great statesmen1 the     
great inventors1 and even the great     
reformers will not be ranked as high as 
the great educators4  ,,footnote3  #a   
,it is an open question whether light   
corporal punishment should not          
occasionally be permitted in the case of
 very young children who have not yet   
arrived at the age of reason4 ,in this  
case1 at all events1 there is no danger 
that the permission will be abused4 ,no 
one would think of seriously hurting a  
very young child4     ,,iii   ,in order 

that a parent shall properly influence a
 child's character1 it is necessary for 
him to know what that character is1 and 
what the nature is of each fault with   
which he is dealing4 ,i feel almost like
 asking pardon for saying anything so   
self-evident4 ,it seems like saying that
 a physician who is called to a         
sick-bed1 before beginning to prescribe1
 should know the nature of the disease  
for which he is prescribing1 should not 
prescribe for one disease when he is    
dealing with another4  ,i do not know   
enough about physicians to say whether  
such mistakes ever happen among them2   
but that such egregious mistakes do     
occur among parents all the time1 ,i am 
sure4 ,there are many parents who never 
stop to ask before they punish--that is1
 before they prescribe their moral      
remedies--what the nature of the disease
 is with which their child is afflicted4
 ,they never take the trouble to make a 
diagnosis of the case in order to treat 
it correctly4 ,there is perhaps not one 

parent in a thousand who has a clear    
idea of the character of his child1 or  
to whom it even so much as occurs that  
he ought to have a clear conception of  
that character1 a map of it1 a chart of 
it1 laid out1 as it were1 in his mind4  
,the trouble is that attention is not   
usually called to this important matter1
 and ,i purpose to make it the special  
subject of this address4   #a4          
,,obstinacy  ,i am prepared at the      
outset for the objection that the case  
against parents has been overstated4    
,there are parents who freely           
acknowledge1 ,my child is obstinate2 ,i 
know it has an obstinate character4     
,others say1 ,my child1 alas6 is        
untruthful4 ,others again declare1 ,my  
child is indolent4  ,but these symptoms 
are far too indeterminate to base upon  
them a correct reformatory treatment4   
,such symptoms may be due to a variety  
of causes1 and not until we have        
discovered the underlying cause in any  
given case can we be sure that we are   

following the right method4  ,take the  
case1 for instance1 of obstinacy2 a     
child is told to do a certain thing and 
it refuses4 ,now1 here is a dilemma4    
,how shall we act8 ,there are those who 
say3 ,in such cases a child must be     
chastised until it does what it is told4
 ,a gentleman who was present here last 
,sunday had the kindness to send me     
during the week an edition of ,john     
,wesley's sermons1 and in this volume1  
in the sermon on ,obedience to ,parents1
 ,i read the following words3 ,break the
 will if you would not damn the child4  
,i conjure you not to neglect1 not to   
delay this6 ,therefore 7#a7 ,let a child
 from a year old be taught to fear the  
rod and to cry softly4 ,in order to do  
this 7#b7 ,let him have nothing he cries
 for1 absolutely nothing1 great or      
small1 else you undo your own work4 ,at 
all events1 from that age make him do as
 he is bid1 if you whip him ten times   
running to effect it4 ,let none persuade
 you it is cruelty to do this3 it is    

cruelty not to do it4 ,break his will   
now1 and his soul will live1 and he will
 probably bless you to all eternity4    
,but by following this line of treatment
 we may obtain a result the very        
opposite of that which we intended4     
,obstinacy in many cases is due to      
sensitiveness4 ,there are some children 
as sensitive to impressions as is that  
well-known flower which closes its      
quivering leaves at the slightest touch4
 ,these sensitive children retreat into 
themselves at the first sign of         
unfriendliness or aggression from       
without4 ,the reason why such a child   
does not obey its father's command is   
not1 perhaps1 because it is unwilling to
 do as it is told1 but because of the   
stern face1 the impatient gesture1 the  
raised voice with which the parent      
accompanies the command1 and which jars 
upon the child's feelings4  ,if such a  
parent1 incensed at the child's         
disobedience1 becomes still more severe1
 raises his voice still more1 he will   

only make matters worse4 ,the child will
 shrink from him still more and continue
 its passive resistance4 ,in this manner
 obstinacy1 which was at first only a   
passing spell1 may become a fixed trait 
in the child's character4  ,to be sure1 
we should not1 on the other hand1 treat 
these sensitive children only with      
caresses4 ,in this way we encourage     
their sensitiveness1 whereas we should  
regard it as a weakness that requires to
 be gradually but steadily overcome4    
,the middle way seems the best4 ,let the
 parent exact obedience from the child  
by gentle firmness1 by a firmness in    
which there shall be no trace of        
passion1 no heightened feeling1 and with
 a gentleness which1 gentle as it may   
be1 shall be at the same time           
unyielding4 ,but while obstinacy is     
sometimes due to softness of nature1 it 
is at other times due to the            
opposite--to hardness of nature1 and    
according to the case we should vary our
 treatment4  ,there are persons who1    

having once made up their minds to do a 
thing1 cannot be moved from their       
resolution by any amount of persuasion4 
,these hard natures1 these concentrated 
wills1 are bound to have their way1 no  
matter whom they injure1 no matter what 
stands in the way4 ,such persons--and we
 notice the beginnings of this trait in 
children--need to be taught to respect  
the rights of others4 ,their wills      
should occasionally be allowed to       
collide with the wills of others1 in    
order that they may discover that there 
are other wills limiting theirs1 and may
 learn the necessary lesson of          
submission4  ,in yet other cases        
obstinacy is due to stupidity4 ,persons 
of weak intelligence are apt to be      
suspicious4 ,not understanding the      
motives of others1 they distrust them2  
unwilling to follow the guidance of     
others1 they cling with a sort of       
desperation to their own purpose4 ,these
 cases may be treated by removing the   
cause of suspicion1 by patiently        

explaining one's motives where it is    
possible to do so1 by awakening         
confidence4   #b4 ,,untruthfulness      
,again1 let us take the fault of        
untruthfulness4 ,one cannot sufficiently
 commend the watchfulness of those      
parents who take alarm at the slightest 
sign of falsehood in a child4 ,a lie    
should always put us on our guard4 ,the 
arch fiend is justly called the father  
of lies4 ,the habit of falsehood1 when  
it has become settled1 is the sure inlet
 to worse vices4  ,at the same time not 
all falsehoods are equally culpable or  
equally indicative of evil tendency1 and
 we should have a care to discriminate  
between the different causes of         
falsehood in the young child1 in order  
that we may pursue the proper treatment4
 ,sometimes falsehood is due to         
redundant imagination1 especially in    
young children who have not yet learned 
to distinguish between fact and fancy4  
,in such cases we may restrain the      
child's imagination by directing its    

attention to the world of fact1 by      
trying to interest it in natural history
 and the like4  ,we should especially   
set the example of strict accuracy      
ourselves in all our statements1 no     
matter how unimportant they may be4 ,for
 instance1 if we narrate certain        
occurrences in the presence of the      
child1 we should be careful to observe  
the exact order in which the events     
occurred1 and if we have made a mistake 
we should take pains to correct         
ourselves1 though the order of          
occurrence is really immaterial4        
,precisely because it is immaterial we  
show by this means how much we value    
accuracy even in little things4  ,then1 
again1 falsehood is often due to the    
desire for gain4 ,or it may be due to   
fear4 ,the child is afraid of the       
severity of the parent's discipline4 ,in
 that case we are to blame2 we must     
relax our discipline4 ,we have no       
business to tempt the child into        
falsehood4 ,again1 untruthfulness is    

often due to mistaken sympathy1 as we   
see in the case of pupils in school1 who
 will tell a falsehood to shield a      
fellow pupil4 ,in the worst cases       
falsehood is inspired by malice4  ,it   
may be said that the proper positive    
treatment for this fault is to set the  
example of the strictest truthfulness   
ourselves1 to avoid the little          
falsehoods which we sometimes allow     
ourselves without compunction1 to show  
our disgust at a lie1 to fill the child 
with a sense of the baseness of lying1  
and above all to find out the direct    
cause which has tempted the child in any
 given case4 ,as a rule1 falsehood is   
only a means to an end2 children do not 
tell untruths because they like to tell 
them1 but because they have some        
ulterior end in view4 ,find out what    
that ulterior end is1 and instead of    
directing your attention only to the    
lie1 penetrate to the motive that has   
led the child into falsehood1 and try to
 divert it from the bad end4 ,thus you  

may extract the cause of its wrongdoing4
   #c4 ,,laziness  ,thirdly1 let us     
consider the fault of laziness4         
,laziness is sometimes due to physical  
causes4 ,nothing may be necessary but a 
change of diet1 exercise in the fresh   
air1 etc41 to cure the evil4 ,sometimes 
it is the sign of a certain slow growth 
of the mind4 ,there are fruits in the   
garden of the gods that ripen slowly1   
and these fruits are often not the least
 precious or the least beautiful when   
they finally have matured4 ,sir ,isaac  
,newton's mind was one of these slowly  
ripening fruits4 ,in school he was      
regarded as a dullard and his teachers  
had small hopes of him4  ,laziness1 like
 other faults of character1 sometimes   
disappears in the process of growth4    
,just as at a certain period in the life
 of a youth or maiden new faculties seem
 to develop1 new passions arise1 a new  
life begins to stir in the heart1 so at 
a certain period qualities with which we
 had long been familiar1 disappear of   

themselves4  ,we have very little light 
upon this subject1 but the fact that a  
great transformation of character       
sometimes does take place in children   
without any perceptible cause is quite  
certain1 and it may be offered as a     
comforting reflection to those parents  
who are over-anxious on account of the  
faults they detect in their children4   
,but again1 on the other hand1 laziness 
or untruthfulness or obstinacy may be a 
black streak1 coming to the surface out 
of the nethermost strata of moral       
depravity1 and1 taken in connection with
 other traits1 may justify the most     
serious apprehension1 and should then be
 a signal for immediate measures of the 
most stringent sort4   #d4 ,,discovering
 ,,causes  ,i am thus led to the second 
branch of my subject4 ,i have tried to  
meet the objection of the parent who    
says1 ,i know the character of my child2
 ,i know my child is obstinate1 by      
replying1 ,if you only know that your   
child is obstinate you know very little2

 you need to know what are the causes of
 his obstinacy1 and vary your treatment 
accordingly4 ,or if any one says1 ,my   
child is untruthful1 ,i reply1 ,you need
 to find out what the cause is of this  
untruthfulness and vary your treatment  
accordingly4 ,or again1 in the case     
which we have just considered1 ,i have  
pointed out that laziness in a child may
 have no serious meaning whatever or may
 give just cause for the most serious   
alarm1 according to the group of        
characteristic traits of which it is    
one4 ,on this point ,i wish to lay      
stress4 ,if you desire to obtain a      
correct impression of a human face1 you 
do not look at the eye by itself1 then  
at the nose1 then fix your attention on 
the cheeks and the chin and the brow1   
but you regard all these features       
together and view them in their         
relations to one another4 ,or let us    
recur to the simile of the physician4   
,what would you think of the doctor who 
should judge the nature of a disease by 

some one symptom which happened to      
obtrude itself1 or should treat each    
symptom as it appears separately1       
without endeavoring to reach the occult 
cause which has given rise to the       
symptoms1 of which they are all but the 
outward manifestation8  ,and yet that is
 precisely the incredible mistake which 
every one of us1 ,i venture to say1 is  
apt to make in the treatment of         
children's characters4 ,we judge of them
 by some one trait1 as obstinacy1 which 
happens to obtrude itself on our        
attention1 and we prescribe for each    
symptom as it arises2 we treat obstinacy
 by itself1 and untruthfulness and      
indolence separately1 without           
endeavoring to get at the underlying    
cause of all these symptoms4 ,the point 
,i desire to make is that in the        
education of our children it is         
necessary not only to study individual  
traits1 but each trait in connection    
with the group to which it belongs4     
,take for an illustration the case last 

mentioned--that of laziness4 ,there is a
 well-known type group or group of      
characteristic traits1 of which laziness
 is one4 ,the chief components of this  
group are the following3 ,the sense of  
shame is wanting1 that is one trait4    
,the will is under the control of random
 impulses1 good impulses mingle         
helter-skelter with bad4 ,there is an   
indisposition on the part of such a     
child to prolonged exertion in any      
direction1 even in the direction of     
pleasure4 ,that is perhaps the most     
dangerous trait of all4  ,if you try to 
deal1 as people actually do1 with each  
of these traits separately1 you will    
fail4 ,if you try to influence the sense
 of shame1 you will meet with no        
response2 if you disgrace such a child1 
you will make it worse2 if you whip it1 
you will harden it4 ,if you attempt to  
overcome indolence by the promise of    
rewards1 that will be useless4 ,the     
child forgets promised rewards just as  
quickly as it forgets threatened        

punishment4  ,this forgetfulness1 this  
lack of coherency in its ideas1 is      
particularly characteristic4 ,the ideas 
of such a child are imperfectly         
connected4 ,the ties between causes and 
their effects are feeble4 ,the contents 
of the child's mind are in a state of   
unstable equilibrium4 ,there is no point
 of fixity in its mental realm4 ,and the
 cure for such a condition is to        
establish fixity in the thoughts1 to    
induce habits of industry and           
application by steady1 unrelaxing       
discipline1 and especially by means of  
manual training4  ,the immense value of 
mechanical labor as a means of moral    
improvement has been appreciated until  
now only to a very imperfect extent4    
,mechanical labor wisely directed       
secures mental fixity because it        
concentrates the child's attention for  
days and often for weeks upon a single  
task4 ,mechanical labor stimulates moral
 pride by enabling the pupil to produce 
articles of value and giving him in this

 way the sense of achievement4          
,mechanical labor also overcomes        
indolence by compelling settled habits  
of industry1 whereby the random impulses
 of the will are brought under control4 
,the type group which we have just      
considered is one of the most clearly   
marked and easily recognized4 ,it is a  
type which we often meet with among the 
so-called criminal classes1 where its   
characteristic features can be seen in  
exaggerated proportions4 ,without       
attempting to analyze any additional    
types 7a task of great delicacy and     
difficulty71 the truth that the         
underlying fault of character is often  
unlike the symptoms which appear most   
conspicuously on the surface may be     
further illustrated by the following    
example4 ,i have known of a person who  
made himself obnoxious to his friends by
 his overbearing manners and apparent   
arrogance4 ,casual observers condemned  
him on account of what they believed to 
be his overweening self-confidence1 and 

expressed the opinion that his          
self-conceit ought to be broken down4   
,but the real trouble with him was not  
that he was too self-confident1 but that
 he had not self-confidence enough4 ,his
 self-confidence needed to be built up4 
,he was overbearing in society because  
he did not trust himself1 because he was
 always afraid of not being able to hold
 his own1 and hence he exaggerated on   
the other side4 ,those who take such a  
person to be in reality what he seems to
 be will never be able to influence him4
 ,if we find such a trait in a child1   
and simply treat it as if it were       
arrogant1 we shall miss the mark        
entirely4 ,we must find the underlying  
principle of the character the occult   
cause of which the surface symptoms are 
the effects4  ,our knowledge of the     
great type groups is as yet extremely   
meager4 ,psychology has yet to do its   
work in this direction1 and books on    
education give us but little help4 ,but 
there are certain means by which the    

task of investigation may possibly be   
assisted4 ,one means is the study of the
 plays of ,shakespeare4 ,that master    
mind has created certain types of       
character which repay the closest       
analysis4 ,the study of the best        
biographies is a second means4 ,the     
study of the moral characteristics of   
the primitive races--a study which has  
been begun by ,herbert ,spencer in his  
work on ,descriptive ,sociology1 and by 
,waitz in his ,anthropologie der        
,naturvlker--is perhaps another means2  
and honest introspection1 when it shall 
have become the rule among intelligent  
persons1 instead of being the exception1
 will probably be the best means4  ,i am
 afraid that some of my hearers1 from   
having been over-confident as educators 
in the beginning1 may now have become   
over-timid2 from having said to         
themselves1 ,why1 of course we know the 
characteristics of our children1 may    
now1 since the difficulties of studying 
character have been explained1 be       

disposed to exclaim in a kind of        
despair1 ,who can ever understand the   
character of a single human being8 ,a   
perfect understanding of any human being
 is indeed impossible4 ,we do not       
perfectly know even those who are       
nearest and dearest to us4 ,but there   
are means of reaching at least          
approximate results1 so far as children 
are concerned1 and a few of these permit
 me to briefly summarize4  ,try to win  
the confidence of the child so that it  
may disclose its inner life to you4     
,children accept the benefactions of    
their parents as unthinkingly as they   
breathe the air around them4 ,show them 
that your care and untiring devotion    
must be deserved1 not taken as a matter 
of course4 ,in this way you will deepen 
their attachment and lead them to       
willingly open their hearts to you4 ,at 
the same time enter into the lesser     
concerns of their life4 ,be their       
comrades1 their counselors2 stoop to    
them1 let them cling to you4  ,observe  

your children when they are at play1 for
 it is then that they throw off their   
reserve and show themselves as they are4
 ,some children1 for instance1 will not 
join a game unless they can be leaders2 
is not that a sign of character8 ,some  
children will take an unfair advantage  
at play1 and justify themselves by      
saying1 ,it is only in play4 ,some are  
persistent in a game while others tire  
of any game after a little while4       
,others are sticklers for a strict      
observance of the rules4 ,observe how   
your sons or daughters are regarded by  
their companions2 children are often    
wonderfully quick to detect one         
another's faults4  ,try to find out what
 the favorite pursuits and studies of   
your child are1 by what it is repelled1 
by what attracted1 and to what it is    
indifferent4 ,above all1 keep a record  
of your child's development4 ,do not    
shun the labor involved in this4 ,you   
know very well that nothing worth having
 can be obtained without labor1 yet most

 parents are unwilling to give          
sufficient time and attention to the    
education of their children4 ,keep a    
record of the most significant words and
 acts of the child4 ,thus after a while 
you may have a picture of the child's   
inward condition before you1 an         
assemblage of characteristic traits1 and
 by comparing one trait with another1   
you may find the clue to a deeper       
understanding of its nature4  ,what ,i  
have said about children applies equally
 to ourselves4 ,i started out by saying 
that not one parent in a thousand knows 
his child's character4 ,i conclude by   
saying that not one man or woman in a   
thousand knows his or her own character4
 ,we go through life cherishing an      
unreal conception of ourselves which is 
often inspired by vanity4  ,i am well   
aware that it is difficult to know      
oneself1 but there are helps in this    
direction also4 ,we can look over our   
own past record1 we can honestly examine
 how we have acted in the leading crises

 of our lives1 we can summon our own    
characteristic traits before our        
minds--the things that we like to dwell 
upon1 and the things which we would     
gladly blot out of our memories if we   
could--and by comparing this trait with 
that1 we may discover the springs by    
which we have been moved4 ,it is        
difficult to attain self-knowledge1 but 
it is imperative that we should try to  
attain it4 ,the aim of our existence is 
to improve our characters1 and clearly  
we cannot improve them unless we know   
them4  ,i have undertaken to grapple    
with a most difficult subject1 but ,i   
shall have accomplished the purpose     
which ,i had in mind if ,i have awakened
 in you a deeper desire to ask          
yourselves1 first1 ,what is the         
character of my child8 and1 second1     
,what is my own character8 ,the most    
serious business of our lives is to try 
to find the answers to these two        
questions4     ,,the ,,american ,,home  
,,series  ,,norman ,b4 ,,richardson1    

,editor   #a4 ,,the ,,nation',s         
,,challenge ,,to ,,the ,,home  #b4 ,,how
 ,,one ,,real ,,mother ,,lives ,,with   
,,her ,,children  #c4 ,,parenthood ,,and
 ,,heredity  #d4 ,,the ,,roots ,,of     
,,disposition ,,and ,,character  #e4    
,,the ,,first ,,year ,,in ,a ,,baby',s  
,,life  #f4 ,,thumb-,,sucking  #g4 ,,the
 ,,education ,,of ,,the ,,baby ,,until  
,,it ,,is ,,one ,,year ,,old  #h4       
,,first ,,steps ,,towards ,,character   
#i4 ,,the ,,second ,,and ,,third ,,years
  #aj4 ,,the ,,education ,,of ,,the     
,,child ,,during ,,the ,,second ,,and   
,,third ,,years  #aa4 ,,the ,,mother    
,,as ,,playfellow 7,,years ,,one1 ,,two1
 ,,and ,,three7  #ab4 ,,the ,,problems  
,,of ,,temper  #ac4 ,,the ,,problems    
,,of ,,fighting  #ad4 ,,the ,,government
 ,,of ,,young ,,children  #ae4 ,,the    
,,punishment ,,of ,,children  #af4 ,,the
 ,,home ,,kindergarten  #ag4 ,,the      
,,religious ,,nurture ,,of ,a ,,little  
,,child 7,,years ,,four ,,and ,,five7   
#ah4 ,,the ,,nervous ,,child  #ai4 ,,on 

,,truth ,,telling ,,and ,,the ,,problem 
,,of ,,children',s ,,lies  #bj4 ,,the   
,,government ,,of ,,children ,,between  
,,six ,,and ,,twelve  #ba4 ,,the        
,,dramatic ,,instinct ,,in ,,children   
#bb4 ,,dramatics ,,in ,,the ,,home  #bc4
 ,,table ,,talk ,,in ,,the ,,home  #bd4 
,,sunday ,,in ,,the ,,home  #be4 ,a     
,,year ,,of ,,good ,,sundays  #bf4 ,,the
 ,,picture-,,hour ,,in ,,the ,,home     
#bg4 ,,story-,,telling ,,in ,,the ,,home
  #bh4 ,,music ,,in ,,the ,,home  #bi4  
,,training ,,in ,,thrift  #cj4 ,,what   
,,to ,,say ,,in ,,telling ,,the ,,story 
,,of ,,life',s ,,renewal  #ca4 ,,sex    
,,discipline ,,for ,,boys ,,in ,,the    
,,home  #cb4 ,,youth',s ,,outlook ,,upon
 ,,life  #cc4 ,,building ,,for          
,,womanhood  #cd4 ,,rhythm ,,and        
,,recreation  #ce4 ,,the ,,home ,,and   
,,moving ,,pictures4  #cf4 ,,worship    
,,in ,,the ,,home4  #cg4 ,,the ,,use    
,,of ,,dolls ,,in ,,child-,,training4   
,,prices ,,will ,,be ,,furnished ,,on   
,,application