Phineas Parkhurst Quimby WHENCE IS IT - OF MATTER OR WISDOM?
ERRORS & MISERY RESULTING FROM THE MISAPPLICATION OF THE
WORDNovember 1861 What is strength? This question sounds as
though it might be easily answered, but on consideration, it is
not so easy. Words are so misused that it it impossible to get
at the original meaning of the person who applied the word - or
at the feeling (or state of mind) when the word was first
introduced. If you choose to apply the word "strength" to
machinery - then I have no fault to find with the definition.
But if it means will, then it is wrongly applied - for will is
independent of the thing you call strong. If you say, "That is a
strong lever" - then it does not include the force that is
applied to it. If the person who first used the word applied it
to his wisdom as a powerful intellect - then it will only apply
where there is some intellect - the quality of which is not
taken into account. This confusion of meaning makes a great deal
of trouble, for we put intelligence i