Precis Writing on Human Development

Make a precis of the following passage in about one-third of its length. Do not give or suggest a title to it. The precis should be written in your own words.

Every individual soul is an undeveloped entity, which though not wholly emancipated from the animal instincts, is yet capable of transmuting them. By a willing acceptance of the commanding claims of spirit and a discipline of our nature into conformity with its law, we achieve growth: A redirection of interest and re-education of the unconscious mind alone can transform us from carnal-mindedness into spiritual-mindedness. It means restraint and discipline. There is real temptation, genuine struggle involved in every transcendence of the natural man. But this transcendence is the condition of the fulfilment of personality. Though the effort is costly, the reward is great. This transcendence is a phenomenon common to all progress. From the pursuit of its prey by the amoeba to the spiritual struggles of the striving soul, we have a continuously graded series of purposive efforts. We choose the goal everywhere and adapt the means. Only at the human level we can do so consciously and deliberately.

Man is neither the slave of circumstances nor the blind sport of the gods. The impulse to perfection working in the universe has become self-conscious in him. Progress happened in the subhuman world; it is willed in the human. Conscious purpose takes the place of unconscious variations. Man alone has the unrest consequent on the conflict between what he is and what he can be. He is distinguished from other creatures by his seeking after a rule of life, a principle of progress.

It is by transforming ourselves that we shall be able to transform the world. The soul of all improvement, it has been rightly said, is the improvement of the soul. We need not leave the building of the new civilization to luck - it is a matter for cunning also. There is a good deal to be done yet. The world is unfinished in several respects. It lies with us to retard or hasten the progress. The lesson of evolution is clear. Life does not work according to any set programme, reaching satisfying climaxes in the progress. It wanders, hesitates, sometimes breaks off abruptly, and often returns upon itself. The processes of nature are by no means economical. The history of the past tells us that, if we choose wrongly, we shall sooner or later be eliminated. Each of us can participate in the process of creating a better world, by understanding the purpose of the universe and identifying ourselves with it. Every individual is a unique entity possessing specific features and capable of contributing a distinctive good to the world. Self-finding is the essence of all perfection. By seeing life steadily and whole, we find our place in it. Each human individual is an association of qualities and functions whose focus can be variously situated and according as this centre is higher or lower, the person's character is superficial or deep. Whatever be the empirical foundations, the choice of the centre redeems them. It is by means of reflection and meditation that we seek a centre which can unify our nature, realize our specific place in the universe, and acquire the strength to play our parts, however humble and however arduous they may be. Hence the necessity for quiet contemplation and solitude.

Moral life is one of significance and social value. Mere instinctive reaction or impulsive activity is not moral conduct which must embody an idea or be significant. Crude materials of human nature must be shaped to spiritual ends. It is the form given to the material that matters. All expressions of human life are significant and every one of them is judged by its meaning and purpose. We cannot have any one conventional type or pattern. Each man sees the world from a different angle from that of his fellow. Whatever ideal we choose, we must recognize its nature and believe in its possibility, devise a plan of action, and with suffering and self-sacrificing ardour strive to realize it. Besides, the line of conduct to be moral must contribute to social preservation and harmony, which the progress of evolution aims at. Any line of conduct which is destructive of the human race or promotes discord cannot be regarded as moral. Moral life requires us to respect the dignity of every individual. It is the enrichment of life that comes from the recognition of others and adaptation to them.

Uniqueness is a quality which all of us share. The goal of the world process is a harmonious unity in which each individual finds his specific realization.

The law of moral progress may best be expressed as one of acceptance and adventure. When we take up the individual unit, we find that there are so many passions and impulses as the raw material of human nature. Any ethical code, which calls upon us to repudiate this given endowment and destroy it, is not a satisfactory one. The given has to be accepted and on the basis of it we have to build higher. Man is never satisfied with mere acceptance or adjustment. There is an urge in his breast that makes him go forward and upward. The ultimate aim of life is not simply to maintain but to elevate the place.