Living Without Chaos

Catenation

 The word itself is derived from the Latin word catena, which means a chain, and a chain consists of a varying number of links. In catenation, the two unconnected ideas which are to be joined together are called “extremes,” and the method of uniting “extremes ” is by the insertion of “intermediates” between them.

To illustrate the process of catenation, let us suppose you wish to remember together the two unconnected words “horse” and “sky.” These two words are the extremes, “horse” being the first extreme, and ” sky ” the other extreme, and they may be united by inserting between them the two intermediates, “head” and overhead.” Thus the whole catenation would run:

HORSE—head—overhead—SKY

This is practically a short “series.” “Horse” and “head” are connected under the division of Whole and Part. Between “head” and “overhead”  the connection is Similarity of Sound; while between “overhead” and “sky” the connection would be classified as Object and Attribute.

 Catenation, indeed, is an application of the Pelman Principles of Mental Connection. If you desired to set up a connection between the words Window and Lion, you would look upon them as the first and last words of a short series. What you need are a few connecting words, like the stepping stones from one bank of a stream to the other. So you say;

WINDOW—wind—roar—LION

 You can use catenation to connect together any two or more unconnected words or ideas. Suppose you are going shopping and wish to dispense with the little paper list of things you, want to buy; namely, a hat, a notebook, a lamp, a pair of opera-glasses, an umbrella, and a pair of gloves. You can catenate these words into a series, thus: HAT–covering–book cover—NOTE-BOOK–paper—burn—LAMP—-glass–OPERA-GLASSES —seeing–sea–wet—UMBRELLA—handle—hand –GLOVES.

 A reader may object that if the hat and the gloves were to be purchased at the same shop there would be some danger of buying the former and forgetting the latter unless the list were repeated at each stage of the journey. It is not a serious objection, and if there is anything in it, the shopper can catenate the objects to be purchased according to the route that will be traversed and the establishment where purchases will be made. The old fashioned paper list has its uses where minute details, e. g. weights and measures are involved, but even these can be compassed after a little practice.

How to Catenate

 The proper method of making a catenation and fixing it in the mind is; (1) Take the two extremes; (2) insert suitable intermediates to connect the extremes;  (3) analyze or classify mentally the nature of  the connections; (4) repeat the catenation forward and backward from memory; and (5) repeat the two extremes together from memory without repeating the intermediates.

In making a catenation, the chief facts to be borne in mind are (1) that each stepping-stone or “intermediate” must take you farther away from your starting point, or first “extreme” and nearer to your destination, the last “extreme”;   and (2) that you should not have more stepping-stones or “intermediates ” than are required. It is rarely necessary to use more than three intermediates, and in most instances one or two, are sufficient. Often a catenation can be effected by one intermediate only. Each intermediate should, as far as possible, be a single word,

The Need of Practice

Many students are rather discouraged because their first attempts at rapid catenation are not a success. This is unfortunate. To acquire skill in anything calls for time and practice. Catenation is no exception. Take pairs of simple extremes at first, and try to invent suitable intermediates, timing your efforts closely. Keep the record. After a week’s practice of ten minutes daily, you will find that you are gaining in aptitude, partly because of the exercise and partly because your efforts are not inhabited by self-distrust. Nimbleness of thought-associations is matched by readiness of word supply.

Care must be exercised not to use Similarity of Sound too frequently, otherwise several catenations may become mixed in an unfortunate manner. Follow, first, the more logical associations. They are more enduring. A humerous catenation, using similarity, of sound, will certainly endure longer than one that is scientific but dull; nevertheless, Numerous effects are not usually so spontaneous or successful as those of a more serious type.

It has been said that instantaneous catenation is a direct affect of the subconscious and the use of the association test in psycho-analysis lends some support to this notion. But this is outside of our present field. All we desire, at present, is to urge the practical values of rapid catenation and to emphasize the need of practice in order to realize those values. A little time, a little effort, and a little, perseverance; these are the requirements, and they are, at this stage, well within the Pelmanist’s  reach.