METHODS OF WORK 67

had no lines on his forehead, to which he answered,
* I suppose it Is because I am never puzzled.' This
called forth the exclamation: * O ! that's the most
arrogant thing I ever heard uttered.' To which I
rejoined: * Not at all, when you know what I mean.'
And I then proceeded to explain that my mode of
thinking did not involve that concentrated effort
which is commonly accompanied by wrinkling of the
brows" (Autobiography, i. p. 399).

Spencer did not set himself a problem and try to
puzzle out an answer. e* The conclusions at which
I have from time to time arrived, have not been
arrived at as solutions of questions raised; but have
been arrived at unawares—each as the ultimate out-
come of a body of thoughts which slowly grew from
a germ."

He had " an instinctive interest in those facts
which have general meanings " 5 he let these accumu-
late and simmer, thinking them over and over again
at intervals. "When accumulation of instances had
given body to a generalisation, reflexion would
reduce the vague conception at first framed to a
more definite conception; and perhaps difficulties
or anomalies at first passed over for a while, but
eventually forcing themselves on attention, might
cause a needful qualification and a truer shaping of
the thought. Eventually the growing generalisation,
thus far inductive, might take deductive form : being
all at once recognised as a necessary consequence of
some physical principle—some established law. And
thus, little by little, in unobtrusive ways, without
conscious intention or appreciable eiFort, there would
grow up a coherent and organised theory" (Auto-uthor of Social Staticsods of work, it may be