Thought-Culture; or, Practical Mental Training

CHAPTER II.

THE NATURE OF THOUGHT

In the past, it was considered necessary for every book on the subject of thought to begin by reciting metaphysical theories regarding the nature and "substance" original: "thingness" of the Mind. The student was led through many pages of endless speculation regarding the origin and inner nature of the Mind. Far from establishing a fixed and definite explanation, these theories tended to confuse the reader. They gave the impression that psychology was, by necessity, a speculative science that lacked the firm, practical basis possessed by other branches of science. In the end, in the words of the poet Omar Khayyam original: "old Omar"; referring to the 11th-century Persian poet and the famous line from the Rubaiyat: "came out by the same door where in I went.", the student "came out the door through which he entered."

But this tendency has been overcome in recent years. Writers on the subject now bypass metaphysical concepts regarding the nature of the Mind and usually begin by plunging at once into the real business of psychology—

Mind: The faculty of consciousness and thought.
Psychology: The scientific study of the human mind and its functions.
Metaphysical: Relating to the branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, and substance.
Omar Khayyam: A Persian poet and scholar; the author references his poetry to illustrate how circular philosophical arguments can be.
Thought: The product of mental activity; the process of using one's mind to consider or reason about something.