the law of retaliation

the law of retaliation

this lesson brings us to a discussion of one of the most

important major principles of psychology, the law of retaliation,

 as follows:

The human mind resembles mother earth in that it will reproduce,

in kind, that which is planted in it through the five physical senses.

The preponderance of tendency upon the part of the mind is to

‘‘retaliate in kind,’’ reciprocating all acts of kindness and resenting all acts of injustice and unkindness. Whether acting through the principle of suggestion or auto-suggestion, the mind directs muscular action that harmonizes with the sensory impressions it receives;

therefore, if you would have me ‘‘retaliate in kind,’’ you can do so by placing in my mind the sensory impressions or suggestions out of

which you wish me to create the necessary appropriate muscular

action. Injure or displease me, and like a flash, my mind will direct

appropriate muscular action, ‘‘retaliating in kind.’’

In studying the law of retaliation, we are carried, to an extent, into

what we might call the field of unknown mental phenomena—the

field of physics. The phenomena discovered in this great field have

not been reduced to a science, but again, let us bear in mind the fact

that this shall not hinder us from making practical use of certain

principles which we have discovered in this field, even though we

cannot trace these principles back to first cause. One of these

principles is that which we have stated above as our fourth general

principle of psychology, namely, ‘‘like attracts like.’’

No scientist has ever satisfactorily explained this principle, but the

fact still remains that it is a known principle; therefore, just as we

make intelligent use of electricity without knowing what it is, let us

also make intelligent use of the principles of retaliation.

It is an encouraging sign to see that modern writers are giving their

attention more and more to the study of the law of retaliation. Some

of them call it one thing, and some call it another, but all of them

seem to agree on the chief fundamental of the principle as follows:

‘‘Like attracts like!’’

The latest writer to turn her attention to this subject is Mrs.

Woodrow Wilson. Her article follows:

‘‘There seems to be a mental law to the effect that

whatever generally occupies the mind is almost

certain to take form in the objective. Each of us

proves that in his own experience dozens of times.

‘‘For instance, you may come across a word you are

not familiar with. To the best of your knowledge,

you have never heard it nor seen it before, and yet

after your discovery of it, you will encounter it

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