Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 May 1912 — Worry Is True Cause of Many Break Downs [ARTICLE]

Worry Is True Cause of Many Break Downs

By Frank Crane

One of the bugaboos of the intellectual life is overwork. I have lived some time and observed quite a number of folks, and never in my life did I know of a case of breakdown that I believed to be due to overworking the brain. One young man I remember who went to school with me. He was a brilliant student. When he went to pieces, a nervous wreck, everybody, and particularly his Another, attributed it' naturally to overstudy. I knew better. He had sat up regularly till vety late smoking innumerable

stogies and had begun every daywith a big cup, twice the size of an ordinary cup, of strong coffee. The fact is, the human mind is like the old oaken bucket that hung in the well: when it gets-full it runs over. It will hold so much only, is capable of only so much power of attention and retention. When you go beyond that limit it simply quits. Further effort is useless. It is worry and not work that kills. Overeating and overdrinking are the real criminals hiding behind overstudy. Be healthy, temperate and cheerful and you can work till you drop—and then sleep.