Instinct is at best a rough and ready tool of life: practice is required if it is to produce its best results.

Observe, for instance, the poor efforts of the young bird to escape capture; and compare this with the finished performance of the parent.[79] Therefore in estimating man's capacity for spiritual response, we must reckon not only his innate instinct for God, but also his capacity for developing this instinct on the level of habit; educating and using its latent powers to the best advantage.

Especially on the contemplative side of life, education does great things for us; or would do, if we gave it the chance.

Here, then, the rational mind and conscious will must play their part in that great business of human transcendence, which is man's function within the universal plan.
It is true that the deep-seated human tendency to God may best be understood as the highest form of that out-going instinctive craving of the psyche for more life and love which, on whatever level it be experienced, is always one.

But some external stimulus seems to be needed, if this deep tendency is to be brought up into consciousness; and some education, if it is to be fully expressed.