Whoever hesitates to utter that which he thinks the highest truth, lest it should be too much in advance of the time, may reassure himself by looking at his acts from an impersonal point of view... It is not for nothing that he has in him these sympathies with some principles and repugnance to others. He, with all his capacities, and aspirations, and beliefs, is not an accident, but a product of the time. He must remember that while he is a descendant of the past he is a parent of the future; and that his thoughts are as children born to him, which he may not carelessly let die.

F.M. Alexander - Frederick Matthias Alexander (1869-1955) was a Shakespearean recitalist in Australia whose career was being ruined by chronic hoarseness and loss of voice. He was diagnosed with inflamed vocal cords and advised to rest his voice. Since his hoarseness always returned shortly after he resumed reciting, he reasoned that there might be something he was doing while reciting that caused his vocal problems. His physician agreed, but couldn't tell him what it was, so Alexander decided to work it out for himself.

Through years of careful observation Alexander noticed that when he spoke he habitually pulled his head back and downwards, inhaled audibly, and depressed his larynx. He also noticed that he arched his back, locked his knees and gripped the floor with his feet. His efforts tended to shorten his stature, and interfere with his breathing.

Alexander gradually realized that this unnatural "use" of himself was not confined to his speech but was a pattern of response he brought to all his activities. He coined the term "use" or "use of the self." This pattern had been hard to recognize or change because it was so much a part of his approach and felt normal. Alexander learned to stop this habitual response and replace it with a more natural and coordinated relationship of his head, neck and back. This poise tended to lengthen his stature and free his breathing.

Alexander's vocal health and performance were restored, and he was able to resume his career reciting. However, he soon realized that many people have developed similar habits of use that negatively impact their lives. Based on his own experience, Alexander developed a technique for learning how to recognize and stop unproductive habits and establish a more coordinated pattern of behavior, even in stressful situations.

F.M. Alexander believed that human beings are born with tremendous potential for skill and poise. Often our use of ourselves stands in the way of reaping these benefits. Our use is so basic to who we are that we can have trouble perceiving it, yet it affects everything we do. Alexander believed that our use of ourselves could be improved, the kinesthetic sense made more reliable, and our innate coordination encouraged. This process gives us the skill to be more aware of what we are actually doing and gives us the ability to change it. This makes it easier for us to make genuinely conscious choices, recognizing, examining and changing our habits and beliefs when necessary.

Alexander was a practical man. For example, he was an early proponent of the inseparability of the mind and body, yet he thought this concept must be understood in daily life and action. Alexander's good friend, philosopher John Dewey, referred to his technique as "thinking in activity." He said, "The Alexander Technique bears the same relation to education that education itself bears to all other human activities."

Early in the twentieth century Alexander wrote with concern of peoples' tendencies to act without thinking. To rush to gain the end product without examining how they were getting there or why. He called this end-gaining. Perhaps this is a message we need to hear just as much now in the early 21st century.