Volume 8, Issue 1, page 4

be a-pretty cold fish. Granted, man already had feeling--or
emotion. if you like that word better. But it was rather one-
sided. Once again. man had to be rounded out. So, when he was
introduced to negative feelings via Satan, man lost
his original ignorant bias in matters of feeling. He became
acquainted with hate, rage--and despair.

I'm sure you are beginning to see the necessity and power of the
egative. Without it, man would bave been
meray angelic. And it's obvious that The Creator wasn't quite
satisfied with the angels as companions --else. why
need He create man? (Fact is. the angels were a bit too naive.
Apparently this quality was"builtin". so even re-
education wouldn't help.)

Let's go into a few specific examples to illustrate the ingenious
operation of this principle.

First of all. if Cain hadn't used a touch of the negative. he
wouldn't have killed Abel. It was only because of this
act that man was able to develop the concept of war --and without
war, where would our economy be? This concept
proved to be a very important factor in our growth. Without wars.
how could we have achieved such magnificent
dissemination of knowledge?

You know very well thatmen don't take kind

ly to havingtheir customs andmores changed. I; you say to one
group."Look at the Minniphoosl See what a terrific
job they're doing in psychophysiochemicoastrobiophilitology--why
don't you try something like that?", you know
that all they'll do is growl, "THIS is the way we do things HERE.
If it was good enough for our fathers. it's
goodenough for usl" What are you going to do with an attitude
like that? Wars take care of this situation
beautifully. It doesn't matter who wins. The ultimate purpose is
always achieved--at least, up till now ...

The victors force their systems on the conquered people and, in
turn. unknowingly assimilate the know-how of
thedefeated. So there is a complete dissemination of knowledge
executed by their own efforts. That their efforts were
actually in the direction of animosity is beside the point.

But that's not alli Wartime is a marvelous period of productive
activity. which creates wonderful and exciting
new knowledge. Never in any other period do we learn so much
about ever so many things.

Just think. without war we wouldn't have had the Dark Ages, and
without this period we'd never have had a
Renaissance. Can you imagine what life would have been like
without Reubens? Also. we'd probably still believe
in Galen's principles of physiology. He was one of those who
thought that air (pneuma, he called it) was carried
thru the body by the nervous system. Without war we might not yet
have discovered the electroencephalogram. We
wouldn't even have brainwashing --and what would advertising do
then?

But that's enough about war. Let's take up one of the most
important figures in the entire system of negative
thinking--the Doubter.

The very first representatives of this type were, of course, Adam
and Eve.' Aided by Satan in the form of a snake.
these two heroic people managed to create the very first Doubt.
The Creator had said they would surely die if they
ate of the fruit from that very special tree-the Tree of the
Knowledge of Goodand Evil. Why did they disobey Him? If
they really believed they'd die. even Satan couldn't have lured
them into chancing such a dire end. It is obvious,,
therefore, that they doubted The Crea

I

tor would carry out His threat.

This first doubt had simply marvelous repercussions but we don't
have space to go into all of them. Let's just
discuss what this new concept was able to achieve.

What is it that provokes the most violent determination to do or
accomplish something? Of course - someone
telling you that you can't 'do it! As soon as the other fellow
expresses a doubt as to your ability in some particular
area, you are immediately incensed to set out and prove he is
wrong. Some persons do not seem to need the
stimulus of the doubter, but only because they carry their own
private doubter inside of them. It is this inner doubt
that creates the needed challenge, and if they have any creative
ability or energy. they will respond. Let's give an
example of the tremendous ramifications that can originate from
one single little doubt.

Two little boys are discussing the relative merits of climbing up
a neighbor's tree and swiping a few apples.
Thomas feels that this particular tree has a serious drawback in
that its structure does not easily lend itself to the
finalization of such an endeavor. John inwardly feels that Thomas
has appraised the situation carefully and is
therefore giving good practical advice. However, for some unknown
reason, he decides to take the
opposite view. Thereupon, Thomas comes up with that traditionally
inspiring declaration,"I'll
bet you can't do it!" John responds with an equally traditional
answer,"I can too! Just watch
me!" And, of course, he does do it.,

However, in reaching for the apples, John slios, falls, and
breaks a leg. Thomas runs to
the nearest house for help. It just so happens that it is
occupied by a very new doctor with
a very new practice. which has so far been singularly
unproductive. The doctor, of course .
does a marvelous job on the injured boy and is soon swamped with
all sorts of accident cases
and children's illnesses. The fact that he intended to specialize
in obstetrics and
gynecology has no relevance in the matter.,

The important point is that an avalanche of juvenile accidents
and illnesses has been
stimulated, together with the passage of money from parents to
doctor. The doctor's wife now
swoops down on all the shops in an heroic effort to speedily rid
them of this excess revenue.
This, in turn, stimulates a prodigious run on these same shops by
the keepingrup-withthe
Joneses type of people. The town bank soon finds itself in a
flourishing situation and begins
to expand its loaq department in order to meet demands. Since the
economy of the town has now
ri sen to a v e ry respectabl e status , new industries decide to
move in and ride along on a
wave of prosperity.

I hope this illuminating example will serve to show you the
tremendous possibilities
latent in one small doubt. If space and time permitted, I could
take you thru the
ramifications of a much bigger doubt. However, it would be
necessary to check with the editor
as to his plans for the next six issues. and, to tell the truth,
I'm not sure I could whip up
sufficient energy for the job. In fact, some of you might feel
that I have already spent too
much time on this particular aspect of negative thinking.

It just so happens that this is a pet specialty close to my own
heart. You see. many
thous... ah, rather. many years ago I was honored to receive
instruction from the finest
master in this field. It was he who introduced me to this
fascinating subject. and it is to
him that I owe my doubts.

The ABERREE 'APRIL, 1961