by “SAPPER”

THE ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS, AUG. 10, 1918.

SOME months ago, more out of curiosity than anything else, I took up Pelmanism. I wished to find out whether there was indeed some new and wonderful system which could transform mediocrity into brilliance and failure into success.

Plentiful advertisements assured me that if I would but follow the advice laid down by the teachers of the Pelman School there was nothing I might not hope for, from a substantial increase in the pay extracted from a stony-hearted Government to complete immunity from whizz-bangs.

In view of the desirability of both these goals, I decided to join “the cult.” I regarded it as a cult; in spite of all assurances from Generals, Admirals, Pillars of the Church, and other big noises in the Pelman world, I was sure there was a catch somewhere.

So I borrowed the money for the course, and started looking for the catch. I am still looking…

Now, I do not propose to go into the question of how Pelmanism obtains its results. To attempt to do so would necessitate going into what Pelmanism is. If anybody wants to find that out, let him follow my example—borrow the money, and see for himself. He will never regret it.

But I do propose to say something of the state of mind induced by Pelmanism in a student who takes it up in earnest. For on that state of mind depends entirely his judgment of the system. On the personal result in his particular case the student will say:

“This thing is bad. I would prefer a bag of nuts.”

or he will say:

“This thing is good. Why, in Heaven’s name, didn’t I do it before?”

Those are the two judgments to which any new thing must be prepared to submit itself; when it is as much advertised as Pelmanism the answer is of importance.

Now, let there be no mistake about one thing—we are discussing the student who takes it up in earnest. The man who enrolls as a Pelmanist, who reads the books, and does the exercises like a parrot, and then sits down and waits for the boodle to roll in, will do a powerful lot of sitting.

There is no magic word in the system, no formula which, repeated twice in the bath and once after breakfast, will produce success. There is nothing mystic about it—nothing supernatural.

Pelmanism is a system of education: nothing more, nothing less. Where it differs from other systems is that it educates.

That is a very large claim, and one which great numbers of people will find incredible. They will point to all our methods of education, and say, frankly, that it is ridiculous.

They will quote at length from the many books that have been written about education lately—especially the Public School System. “If such a thing,” they say, “were true, our social system would be undermined.” Personally, I am not sure it hasn’t been…

Let us consider, for a moment, this question of an education which educates compared with one which does not. So many people have written on the latter; so few on the former. It is so easy to criticize destructively…

It is an undoubted fact that an intimate knowledge of the French irregular verbs, and the insensate demands of the gardener for pens, ink, and paper will not materially help the student to travel through France.

It is an undoubted fact that the sole test for which we are trained is an examination; to that end, a boy is crammed and forced—and, having passed, nothing more matters. He can forget everything, and he promptly does, naturally.

It is a far, far better thing to throw explosive bombs at the science master than to dabble in abstruse chemical formulas. The boy is not going to be a chemist—he wants to go into the Army. He is being taught what he doesn’t want to learn.

And so it is a failure. Thus the destructive critic fulminates; and everybody agrees that it is very dreadful… But he suggests no alternative; and so everybody, after a brief mental upheaval, relapses again into sleep.

Only Pelmanism has remained awake, and has produced an answer—a constructive answer—moreover, a successful answer, in the opinion of those who have tried.

It is successful because its students learn what they want to learn, and are, therefore, keen. A simple fundamental fact, wherein Pelmanism differs from all other systems of education: a simple fundamental fact which makes the difference between success and failure.

And so we come to the consideration of what is this thing which Pelmanism teaches, and which its students wish to be taught. It is well-nigh impossible to sum up the course in a phrase; it is altogether too big a thing. And yet—perhaps it can be done—more or less.

Pelmanism, as I see it, teaches Human Nature—your own and the other man’s.

• It deals not with Greek Iambics or the differential calculus, though such is its nature that it will help the student to deal with occult mysteries, be he so minded.
• It just deals with you and the other man, and life as one lives it.

There is no catch in it. It is a system developed along perfectly common-sense lines, which leads to a definite goal. That goal is Efficiency.

The system takes a man’s thought-box, and proceeds to tell the owner how he can improve it.

1. It sends the student’s brain to a mental gymnasium.
2. It gives him concise instructions as to what he is to do, and when he carries out those instructions conscientiously he finds the system is right.
3. He begins to realize that his mind is capable of being drilled and expanded exactly the same as his body.
4. And, moreover, he finds that just as the fitter his body becomes, the more work it can do—so the fitter his mind is, the more it can accomplish.

Things come easier to him; he has no difficulty in taking on more. His brain, in fact, is being drilled, and is developing accordingly.

Thus, baldly—Pelmanism. The mind and brain are subject to laws, just as is the body.

The teachers of this system have taken those laws—up to now the property, so to speak, of a few abstruse thinkers and philosophers—and built round them a simple, infallible method of developing a human being’s efficiency. That is all.

As I say, there is no catch. The work which they ask the student to do, and which the student must do if he wishes to benefit by the course, is not long and arduous. It does not entail going back to school and poring over books. It can be done on one’s way to work, when one is out for a walk, or wondering where the last one went to.

Moreover, there is another point which is worthy of note. The exercises—though only a means to an end—are in themselves interesting. There is no question of French irregular verbs, or abstruse chemical formulas—to be forgotten as soon as learned.

There is nothing irksome or tedious in the course—nothing that the student doesn’t see the object of even in the early stages of his struggles. It is, in fact, a common-sense system, developed along common-sense lines, with its goal—Efficiency.

The results speak for themselves.

From a financial point of view, I, personally, am not qualified to speak; except to state the axiomatic truth that a man or woman whose brain is efficient must be worth more in the world market than one whose brain is untrained. And Pelmanism trains the untrained mind: that is its raison d’ etre.

But from an intellectual point of view the thing can be put in a nutshell.

It is not good to go through life blind; and yet thousands do.

Their brains are blind—they see and do not appreciate—they hear, and do not understand.

Pelmanism brings that appreciation and that understanding.

Therefore, it would seem worthwhile to Pelmanize, for it is certainly worthwhile to understand.

The end.

Remember, What matters most in your life is YOU and what you do with your life.

Pelmanism is an authoritative message to taking Action—the Pelman Course reveals, in simple terms, that all action in life is preceded by THOUGHT.

To start reading this rare and unique course, simply scroll to the top of the page and click on the 15 Lessons link in the navigation bar.

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