Watts, Isaac (1674-1748)

The Improvement of the Mind

London

Printed for James Brackstone

1741

"When the Attention is strongly fixed to any particular Subject, all that is said concerning it makes a deeper impression upon the Mind."

1. DUE Attention and Diligence to learn and know Things which we would commit to our Remembrance is a Rule of great Necessity in this Case. When the Attention is strongly fixed to any particular Subject, all that is said concerning it makes a deeper impression upon the Mind. There are are some Persons who complain they cannot remember divine or human Discourses which they hear, when in Truth their Thoughts are wandering half the Time, or they hear with such coldness and Indifferency and a trifling Temper of Spirit, that it is no wonder the Things which are read or spoken make but a slight Impression on the Brain, and get no firm footing in the Seat of Memory, but soon vanish and are lost.
(pp. 259-60)

Impressions::Impression

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32 entries in ESTC (1741, 1743, 1753, 1754, 1761, 1768, 1773, 1782, 1784, 1785, 1786, 1787, 1789, 1790, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795, 1798, 1799, 1800).

Most text drawn from Google Books. See The Improvement of the Mind: or, a Supplement to the Art of Logick: Containing a Variety of Remarks and Rules for the Attainment and Communication of Useful Knowledge, in Religion, in the Sciences, and in Common Life. By I. Watts, D.D. (London: Printed for James Brackstone, at the Globe in Cornhill, 1741). <Link to ESTC><Link to 2nd edition in Google Books>

02/05/2014