This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XII. FINDING MATERIAL FOR MIND BUILDING. To live is to move forward but there can be no forward movement without new experience. Therefore in all advancement, in all progress, in all attainment, in all achievement, and in the living of life itself experience is indispensable. Experience being necessary to the promotion of advancement as well as to the increase of the value and the welfare of life, it becomes necessarily a permanent and continuous cause in the world of every individual, and as like causes produce like effects, both in quality and in quantity, experience should be sought and selected with the greatest possible care. It is also highly important that we seek an abundance of experience because so long as the cause has quality it cannot be too extensive in quantity. Experience is the material from which character and mentality are constructed. Therefore the richer and more abundant our experience, the stronger and more perfect will our character and mentality become. Everything has its purpose and the real purpose of experience is to awaken new forces, new states, new phases of consciousness, and to originate new actions in the various parts of being. To unfold and bring forth what is latent in the being of man is the principal object of experience. And it is well to remember that without experience no latent quality or power can ever be aroused and expressed. The power of experience to bring forth what is latent and to originate the new gives cause to enjoyment and happiness, as well as progress, and since experience is the only cause of enjoyment, it follows that what the enjoyment is to be in the life of any individual will depend directly upon what experience that individual will select. The average mind makes no...