the foundations of personality-第69节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　fear　of　death　is　behind　an　enormous　amount　of　men's　deeds　and　beliefs。　His　reaction　was　of　the　compensatory　type；　where　the　fear　arouses　counter…emotions；　counter…activities。　F。's　is　a　noble　response　to　fear；　just　as　the　cowardly　reaction　is　the　ignoble　response。　I　shall　not　depict　the　coward。　There　are　some　in　whose　lives　the　fear　of　death；　injury；　illness　or　loss　is　in　constant　operation　to　prevent　activity；　to　lower　energy　and　effort。　One　finds　the　coward　very　commonly　in　the　clinics　for　nervous　diseases；　and　in　some　cases　the　formidable　term　of　psychasthenia　is　merely　camouflage　for　the　more　direct　English　word。　There　is　a　type　of　the　timid；　who　will　not　stand　up　for　their　rights；　who　receive　meekly；　as　if　it　were　their　due；　the　buffets　of　fortune。　This　type　is　well　exemplified　in　F。　B。；　who　passes　through　life　cheated　by　every　rogue　and　walked　on　by　any　strong…willed　person　that　comes　along。　As　a　boy　he　was　bullied　by　nearly　all　his　playmates；　did　the　chores；　was　selected　for　the　〃booh〃　parts　in　games　and　never　dared　resent　it；　though　he　was　fully　conscious　that　he　was　being　put　upon。　When　he　went　to　work　in　a　factory　he　was　the　one　selected　for　all　those　practical　jokes　in　which　minor　cruelty　manifests　itself。　His　parents　also　bullied　him；　so　that　he　was　compelled　to　turn　over　most　of　his　earnings　to　them　and　was　allowed　to　keep　so　little　that　he　was　shabby；　half…starved　and　without　any　of　the　luxuries　for　which　even　his　timid　soul　longed。　F。　B。　was　mortally　afraid　of　girls；　they　seemed　to　him　to　be　terrible　and　beautiful　creatures；　very　scornful　and　awe…inspiring。　They　made　him　feel　inferior　in　a　way　that　sent　him　edging　from　their　presence；　and　though　he　sometimes　surged　with　passion　he　avoided　any　contact　with　them。　As　a　good　workman　he　received　good　pay；　for　he　chanced；　by　the　merest　luck；　to　fall　into　the　hands　of　a　kind　employer；　who　profited　by　his　kindness；　for　F。　B。　gave　more　than　a　dollar　of　value　for　each　dollar　he　received。　Timid；　he　gave　to　the　employer　a　great　loyalty；　which　was　in　part　based　on　his　awe　of　any　aggressive　personality。　In　society　this　man　was　tongue…tied；　embarrassed　and　overawed　by　the　well…dressed　and　prosperous…looking。　His　sense　of　inferiority　was　in　no　way　compensated　for；　and　to　avoid　pain　he　became　a　sort　of　recluse；　doing　his　work　and　returning　to　his　shell；　so　to　speak；　each　night。　When　he　was　thirty…six　his　mother　died；　his　father　having　died　earlier。　This　left　him　rather　well　to　do；　for　his　thrifty　parents　had　well　utilized　his　earnings。　At　once　a　thoughtful　woman　of　his　acquaintance；　distantly　related　by　marriage；　set　out　to　capture　him；　and　by　forcing　the　issue　led　him　to　the　altar。　Needless　to　say；　she　ruled　the　household；　and　F。　B。's　only　consolation　lay　in　the　crop　of　children　that　soon　appeared　in　the　house；　for　timidity　is　no　barrier　to　parenthood。　This　consolation　rather　tends　to　disappear　as　the　children　grow　older；　for　they　become　his　masters。　Such　men　as　F。　B。　have　a　collar　around　their　necks　to　which　any　one　may　fit　a　chain。　Does　F。　B。　rejoice　in　inferiority；　in　the　masochistic　sense　spoken　of　before？　Is　his　humility　a　sign　of　inversion；　in　the　Freudian　sense；　a　sort　of　homosexuality？　Possibly；　and　there　are　very　crude　and　coarse　phrases　of　the　common　man　indicating　a　sexual　feeling　in　all　victory　and　defeat。　But　I　am　inclined　to　call　this　a　sort　of　monothymia；　a　mood　of　fear　and　negative　self…　feeling　coloring　all　the　reactions。　I　have　previously　cited　the　case　of　the　man　obsessed　by　fear　in　all　the　relations　of　life；shrinking；　self…acknowledged　inferioritywho　lost　it　with　〃a　few　drinks　under　my　belt。〃　〃Dutch　courage〃　drove　from　many　a　man　the　inferiority　and　the　fear　that　plagued　his　soul。　True；　it　drove　him　into　a　worse　situation；　but　for　a　few　moments　he　tasted　something　of　the　life　that　heroes　and　the　great　have。　If　we　can　ever　find　something　that　will　not　degrade　as　it　exalts；　all　the　world　will　rush　to　use　it。　Of　the　monothymic　types　the　choleric　or　angry　are　about　as　common　as　those　predisposed　to　fear。　The　anger　emotion　is　aroused　by　a　thwarting　of　the　instincts　and　purposes；　and　in　the　main　the　strongly　egoistic　are　those　most　given　to　explosive　or　chronic　anger。　The　angry　feeling；　however；　must　be　controlled；　else　failure　or　social　dislike　awaits　the　choleric。　When　a　man　wins　success　he　frequently　allows　himself　the　luxury　of　indulging　his　anger　because　he　feels　his　power　cannot　be　challenged。　The　Duchess　in　〃Alice's　Adventures　in　Wonderland；〃　with　her　choleric　〃off　with　his　head〃　whenever　any　one　contradicted　her；　is　a　caricature；　and　a　very　apt　one；　of　this　type　of　person。　We　think　of　the　bull…necked　Henry　the　Eighth〃bluff　King　Hal〃as　the　choleric　type；　though　here　we　also　assume　a　certain　cyclothymia；　great　good　nature　alternating　with　fierce　anger。　I　have　in　mind　G。　as　a　type　of　the　angry　person。　G。　cannot　bear　to　have　any　one　contradict　him。　Either　he　swallows　his　resentment；　if　he　is　in　the　presence　of　one　he　cannot　afford　to　antagonize；　or　else　he　starts　to　abuse　the　victim　verbally。　He　is　sarcastic　or　violent　according　to　circumstances；　rarely　is　he　pleasant　in　manner　or　speech。　Though　he　is　honest　and　said　to　be　well…meaning；　his　ego　explodes　in　the　presence　of　other　self…assertive　egos。　When　a　man　truckles　to　him　he　is　angry　at　his　insincerity；　when　the　other　disputes　his　statements；　or　even　offers　other　views；　he　finds　himself　confronted　by　one　who　has　taken　deep　offense。　As　a　result　G。　has　no　real　friends；　and　this　has　added　fuel　to　his　anger。　Often　he　has　made　up　his　mind　to　〃control〃　himself；　to　keep　down　his　scorn　and　rage；　but　rarely　has　he　been　able　to　maintain　a　proper　attitude　for　any　length　of　time。　In　the　last　analysis　a　high　self…valuation　is　part　of　the　chronic　choleric　make…up；　a　conceit　of　overweening　proportions。　The　man　who　realizes　his　own　proneness　to　err；　and　who　keeps　in　mind　the　relative　unimportance　of　his　aims　and　powers；　is　not　apt　to　explode　in　the　face　of　opposition　or　contradiction。　G。　is　as　a　rule　absolutely　sure　of　his　belief；　tastes　and　importance；　though　he　is　crude　in　knowledge；　coarse　in　tastes　and　of　no　particular　importance　except　to　himself。　He　is　the　〃I　am　Sir　Oracle；　when　I　ope　my　lips　let　no　dog　bark。〃　Anger　is　often　associated　with　brutality　or　deeds　of　violence。　There　is　cold…blooded　brutality；　but　by　far　the　most　of　it　has　anger　behind　it。　I　know　one　man　who　in　his　youth　was　hot…tempered；　i。　e。；　quick　to　anger　and　quick　to　repent；　a　charming　man　who　gradually　learned　control　and　passed　into　late　middle　life　serene　and　amiable。　One　day　he　was　driving　his　car　when　it　became　obstructed　by　two　young　rowdies　driving　another　car。　With　him　was　his　wife。　When　he　expostulated　with　the　men；　one　of　them　turned　with　a　sneer　and　said　something　insulting　at　which　the　other　laughed。　The　next　thing　my　friend　knew　he　was　in　the　other　car；　striking　heavy　blows　at　the　pair　（he　is　a　very　powerful　man。）；　and　it　was　only　the　opportune　arrival　of　a　policeman　that　prevented　a　murder。　〃Whatever　came　over　me　I　hardly　understand；〃　said　he　afterwards　sadly。　〃I　used　to　have　rages　like　that　as　a　boy；　but　I　have　been　very　well　controlled　for　over　thirty　years。　I　was　a　raging　demon　for　a　while；　and　it　appalls　me　to　think　that　in　me　there　lurks　such　a　devil　of　anger。〃　Akin　to　anger；　akin　to　fear；　is　suspicion。　There　is　a　sullen　non…social　personality　type　whose　reactions　are　characterized　by　suspicion。　He　never　willingly　gives　his　trust　to　any　one；　and　when　he　hands　over　his　destinies　to　any　one；　as　all　must　do　now　and　then；　he　is　consumed　with　dread；　doubt　and　latent　hostility。　Every　one　is　familiar　with　men　like　H。　He　is　full　of　distrust　for　his　fellow　men。　Himself　a　man　of　low　ideals；　he　ascribes　to　every　one　the　same　attitude。　〃What's　in　it　for　you？〃　is　his　first　thought　concerning　anybody　with　whom　he　deals。　He　has　a　little　store　and　eyes　each　customer　who　comes　in　as　if　they　come　to　rob　him。　As　a　result　his　trade　is　largely　emergency；　transient　trade；　those　who　come　because　they　have　nowhere　else　to　go　or　else　do　not　know　him。　The　salesmen；　who　supply　the　articles　he　sells　have　long　since　cut　him　off　their　list　for　desirable　goods；　and　his　only　callers　are　those　salesmen　who　are　working　up　new　lines　and　are　under　orders　to　try　every　one。　H。　has　moments　and　days　when　he　believes　the　whole　world　is　against　him；　and　on　such　occasions　he　locks　his　store　and　refuses　to　see　any　one。　But　at　his　best　he　cannot　yield　his　ego　to　full　free　intercourse　with　others。　It　seems　as　though　there　were　a　hard　shell　surrounding　him；　and　the　world　as　it　flowed　around　never　brought　love　and　trust　through　to　him。　H。　is　not　insane　in　the　ordinary　sense；　but　he　is　one　of　those　paranoid　persons　we　spoke　of　previously。　Turn　to　L。；　a　true　case　of　mental　disease；　a　paranoid　whose　career　strangely　resembles　some　of　the　great　historic　paranoids；　for　it　must　be　remembered　that　man　has　been　imposed　upon　by　those　who　deceived　themselves；　who　fully　believed　the　strange　and　incredible　things　they　succeeded　in　making　credible　to　others。　The　fantastic　paranoid　is　made　up　of　the　same　materials　as　the　rest　of　us；　except　that　his　ego　feeling　is　without　insight；　and　his　suspicion　grows　and　grows　until　it　reaches　the　delusion　of　persecution。　L。　was　a　bright　boy；　always　conceited　and　giv