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To the Editor:
I was very impressed with Dr. Alexander Reid Martin's article “Cultural Impairment of Our Inner Resources” (Vol. 32, No. 2, 1972) because I was brought up strictly in the work ethic and recall vividly my mother reprimanding me for sitting down with a book on a Saturday morning rather than doing chores. Dr. Martin has brought out beautifully the many gains one achieves from relaxation and I find his advice particularly valuable as I myself am approaching retirement. The second thing I appreciated in his article, and which I have found useful clinically, is his passage on page 141 on the habit of saying “yes” and the consequences of accumulating hostility vs the very natural use of the pre-angry “no.” It is the state of mind I seek for my patients but had not run across so clear and useful a discussion of it. In fact, in a couple of instances I have quoted directly from the article.
The entire article is an excellent exposition and summary of what Dr. Martin has been advocating, and in the process refining his approach.