e drawbacks but at the same time realizing all the
advantages that accrue from it.

At these advantages he will be pleased and will seek to get the maximum
of good out of each one of them. If he thinks of the disadvantages at
all, it will be merely in order to find a way to diminish them and to
rob them of their power to harm him.

Such are the benefits of reflection and of concentration which, when
practised in a rational manner, will do more than anything else to help
one to the attainment of poise.

Weak indulgence toward one's own failings will be rejected by the
strong. To know oneself thoroughly is a good way to improve oneself, and
the knowledge that one is not mistaken as to one's actual merits is of
considerable help in acquiring poise.

It is for this reason that the habit of daily self-examination, that we
recommended in the preceding chapter, develops, in the man who submits
himself to it, faculties of judgment so keen that it is an easy matter
for him to become his own educator in the path to betterment.

One great disadvantage of lack of proper concentration is that it gives
to the subject one is anxious to study an importance greater than it
really has.

Passion is too often an accompaniment of this form of reflection,
emotions are aroused, and the nerves become active factors in distorting
the real meanings and value of the things we are considering.

The remedy in this case is a very simple one. An effort of will, will
readily banish the subject which is causing us too profound emotion by
the simple process of turning the thoughts to some subject that will
cause us no such disturbances.

Later on, when the emotions of the moment have passed, one can return to
the former train of thought, forcing oneself to examine it with
calmness.

Some amount of practise will be needed to acquire this mastery of one's
thoughts, the parent of poise, which is nothing more than courage based
upon solid reason.

It may happen that the desire to follow a line of thought that causes us
excessive emotion may lead to the inroad of a horde of secondary ideas,
which press one upon the other without any perceptible continuity,
carrying with them neither conviction nor illumination.

Reveries of this sort are dangerous enemies of poise. They lead one
nowhere, and create in us habits which are not controlled by reason or
common sense.

If such thoughts should assail us, the sole means of avoiding injury
from them i