im from
outside; he made it, it was his reaction, but it was a quick, free
reaction, of which he could observe little introspectively.

Perhaps the best-studied case of invention is that of the learner in
typewriting, who, after laboriously perfecting his "letter habits" or
responses to single letters by appropriate finger movements on the
keyboard, may suddenly find himself writing in a new way, the word no
longer being spelled out, but being written as a unit by a cooerdinated
series of finger movements. The amazing thing is that, without trying
for anything of the kind, he has been able to break away from his
habit of spelling out the word, and shift suddenly to a new manner of
writing. He testifies that he did not plan out this change, but was
surprised to find himself writing in the new way. He was feeling well
that day, hopeful and ambitious, he was striving for greater speed,
and, while he was completely absorbed in his writing, this new mode of
reaction originated.

We see in this experimentally studied case some of the conditions that
favor invention. Good physical condition, freshness, mastery of the
subject, striving for some result, and "hopefulness". Now, what is
that last? Confidence, enterprise, willingness to "take a chance",
eagerness for action and readiness to break away from routine? Some of
this independent, manipulating spirit was probably there.

A soldier, so wounded as to paralyze his legs but capable of recovery
by training, had advanced far enough to hobble about with a cane and
by holding to the walls. One morning, feeling pretty chipper, he took
a chance and left the wall, cutting straight across the room; and
getting through without a fall, was naturally much encouraged and
{519} maintained this advance. This might be called invention; it was
breaking away from what had become routine, and that is the essential
fact about the inventive reaction. This playful spirit of cutting
loose, manipulating, and rearranging things to suit yourself is
certainly a condition favorable to invention. It does not guarantee a
valuable invention, but it at least helps towards whatever invention
the individual's other qualifications make possible.

Another condition favorable to invention is youth. Seldom does a very
old person get outside the limits of his previous habits. Few great
inventions, artistic or practical, have emanated from really old
persons, and comparatively few even from the middle-aged. On