CHAPTER X ALTERNATING MIND BUSINESS HUMAN ENGINEERING ENGINEERS MANUFACTURING and business engineers who op HUMAN ENGINEERING erate with alternating mind, approach life from the side of opportunity and take what the day brings forth; they are extremely cautious, their conversations are always subjected to a change of course, they are not dependable in a crisis; they are constantly adjusting themselves to the expressions, judgments and wishes of others. They are like the sail boat in action. They resort to tacking methods, they are never set to a direct course, the direction of the wind governs their moves always. Whenever a storm comes up they rush for a harbor; they doubt their own ability to brave the tempest, they are not like the direct going ocean steamers, they lack the courage and moral stability, so to speak. They are watching and following the apparent winning hands, they are extremely polite to those who are helping them up stream in the river of commerce, they fall in with the movements of events and get the impetus which comes from the current; they are often regarded as high types of men because they attain a certain kind of com mercial success; it is often said of them that their word is as good as their bond, and this is true if you get their signature which is the only word they have, written and not verbal. Their actual maneuvers as a rule, are never seen by those judging them; they are often popular even if they are not greatly respected, their apparent qualifications for leadership are many times deceiving, they may have many apparent backers and well-wishers; they are never bestowed with any great honors. To this class we are all apt to fall in, for, incidentally speaking, alternating mind is used in about the same proportion as alternating current electricity; therefore, we should walk with careful feet and guard against those mind impulses that are continually retarding human progress. We should guard against the influence of this class of politic opportunists, those who are made by conditions and advanced by circumstances, gamblers in the game of business, reaping as a rule the benefits of the efforts of other men, they are always with the crowd, they come into port on the high wave, they are never in the way or never out of the way. This type of living involves a keen knowledge of conditions. Men of this caliber, having nei ther steam nor sails, must keep a close watch on the tides. The wear and tear of the continuous adjustment to the desires of the community and to fortunate conditions are never let up in the case of the engineer using alternating mind. They can never afford to make mismoves or false plays, they must judge with care and caution; their success depends upon turning the right trick at the right moment, saying the convincing or persuasive word at the proper point, and being present at the psychological moment when they may be noticed or needed. They are students of popular favor, they are skilled in analyzing the weaknesses and strong points of human beings, and they know when to take advantage and make the attack; they have a quick eye and a long memory; they are quick in motion through cultivation; they must think with great rapidity in order to acquire skill in shifting their principles from side to side without too obvious inconsistency. This manner of living may seem the easiest, but it is by far the hardest and most trying, there being so many degenerating mind impulses brought into play, causing mind short circuits, so to speak. This life lacks entirely that repose which comes from resting on principle and harmonizing with |