the foundations of personality-第11节

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　to　them　the　ardor　of　usefulness　and　of　victory。　You　are　forced　to　realize　where　the　gaps；　the　lacunae　of　your　knowledge　come；　and　are　made　to　fill　them　in。　Thus　the　best　way　to　remember　a　fact　is　to　find　a　use　for　it　and　to　link　it　to　your　interests　and　your　purposes。　Unrelated　it　has　no　value；　related　it　becomes　in　fact　a　part　of　you。　After　that　the　mechanics　of　memory　necessitate　the　making　of　as　many　pathways　to　that　fact　as　possible；　and　this　means　deliberately　to　associate　the　fact　by　sound；　by　speech　and　by　action。　The　advertised　schemes　of　memory　training　are　simply　association　schemes；　old　as　the　hills；　and　having　value　indeed；　but　too　much　is　claimed　for　them。　A　splendid　memory　is　born；　not　made；　but　any　memory；　except　where　disease　has　entered；　can　be　improved　by　training。　It　is　because　lectures　on　the　whole　do　not　supply　enough　associations　or　arouse　enough　interest　that　the　lecture　is　the　poorest　method　of　teaching　or　learning。　Man's　mind　sticks　easily　to　things；　but　with　difficulty　to　words　about　things。　To　maintain　attention　for　an　hour　or　so；　while　sitting；　is　a　task；　and　there　develops　a　tendency　either　to　a　hypnoidal　state　in　which　the　mind　follows　uncritically；　or　to　a　restless　uneasiness　with　wandering　mind　and　fatigue　of　body。　A　demonstration；　on　the　other　hand；　a　laboratory　experiment　with　short；　personal　instruction；　a　bodily　contact　with　the　problem　calls　into　play　interest；　enthusiasm；　curiosity；　motor　images；　the　use　of　the　hands；　and　is　THE　method　of　teaching。　There　are　at　present　excellent　psychological　methods　of　testing　out　the　memory　capacity。　Every　one　engaged　in　any　responsible　work；　or　troubled　about　his　memory；　should　be　so　tested。　While　there　are　other　qualities　of　mind　of　great　importance；　memory　is　basic；　and　no　one　can　really　understand　himself　who　is　in　doubt　about　his　memory。　In　such　diseases　as　neurasthenia　one　of　the　commonest　complaints　is　the　〃loss　of　memory；〃　which　greatly　troubles　the　patient。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　what　is　impaired　is　interest　and　attention；　and　when　the　patient　realizes　this　he　is　usually　quite　relieved。　The　man　who　has　a　poor　memory　may　become　very　successful　if　he　develops　systems　of　recording；　filing；　indexing；　but　his　possibilities　of　knowledge　are　greatly　reduced　by　his　defect。＇1＇　＇1＇　It　is　the　growth　of　the　subject　matter　of　knowledge　that　makes　necessary　the　elaborate　systems　of　indexing；　etc。；　now　so　important。　It　is　as　much　as　man　can　do　to　follow　the　places　where　the　men　work；　let　alone　what　they　are　doing。　This　growth　of　knowledge　is　getting　to　be　an　extra…human　phenomenon。　Of　this　Graham　Wallas　has　written　entertainingly。

A　second　fundamental　ability　of　living　tissue；　and　of　particular　importance　in　character；　is　habit　formation。　Habit　resides　in　the　fact　that　once　living　tissue　has　been　traversed　by　a　stimulus　and　has　responded　by　an　act；　three　things　result：　1。　The　pathway　for　that　stimulus　becomes　more　permeable；　becomes；　as　it　were；　grooved　or　like　a　track　laid　across　the　living　structure　of　the　nervous　system。　2。　The　responding　element　is　more　easily　stirred　into　activity；　responds　with　more　vigor　and　with　less　effort。　3。　Consciousness；　at　first　invoked；　recedes　more　and　more；　until　the　habit…action　of　whatever　type　tends　to　become　automatic。　There　is　in　this　last　peculiarity　a　tendency　for　the　habit　to　establish　itself　as　independent　of　the　personality；　and　if　an　injurious　or　undesired　habit；　to　set　up　the　worst　of　the　conflicts　of　life；a　conflict　between　one's　intention　and　an　automaton　in　the　shape　of　a　powerfully　entrenched　habit。　Habits　are　economical　of　thought　and　energy；　generally　speaking；　that　is　their　main　recommendation。　A　dozen　examples　present　themselves　at　once　as　illustrative：　piano　playing；　with　its　intense　concentration　on　each　note；　with　consciousness　attending　to　the　action　of　each　muscle；　and　then　practice；　habit　formation；　and　the　ease　and　power　of　execution　with　the　mind　free　to　wander　off　in　the　moods　suggested　by　the　music；　or　to　busy　itself　with　improvisations；　flourishes　and　the　artistic　touches。　Before　true　artistry　can　come；　technique　must　be　relegated　to　habit。　So　with　typewriting；　driving　an　automobile；　etc。　More　fundamental　than　these；　which　are　largely　skill　habits；　are　the　organic　habits。　One　of　the　triumphs　of　pediatrics　depends　upon　the　realization　that　the　baby's　welfare　hangs　on　regular　habits　of　feeding；　that　he　is　not　to　be　fed　except　at　stated　intervals；　as　a　result　processes　of　digestion　are　set　going　in　a　regular；　harmonious　manner。　In　other　words；　these　processes　may　be　said　to　〃get　to　know〃　what　is　expected　of　them　and　act　accordingly。　The　mother's　time　is　economized　and　the　strain　of　nursing　is　lessened。　In　adults；　regular　hours　of　eating　make　it　possible　for　the　juices　of　digestion　to　be　secreted　as　the　food　is　ingested；　in　other　words；　an　habitual　adjustment　takes　place。　If　there　were　one　single　health　habit　that　I　would　have　inculcated　above　all　others；　it　would　be　the　habit　of　regularly　evacuating　the　bowels。　While　constipation　is　not　the　worst　ill　in　the　world；　it　causes　much　trouble；　annoyance　and　a　considerable　degree　of　ill　health；　and；　in　my　opinion；　a　considerable　degree　of　unhappiness。　A　physician　may　be　pardoned　for　frank　advice：　all　the　matters　concerning　the　bowels；　such　as　coarse　foods；　plenty　of　water　and　exercise；　are　secondary　compared　to　the　habit　of　going　to　the　stool　at　the　same　time　each　day；　whether　there　be　desire　or　not。　A　child　should　be　trained　in　this　matter　as　definitely　as　he　is　trained　to　brush　his　teeth。　In　fact；　I　think　that　the　former　habit　is　more　important　than　the　latter。　The　mood　of　man　is　remarkably　related　to　the　condition　of　his　gastro…intestinal　tract　and　the　involuntary　muscle　of　that　tract　is　indirectly　under　the　control　of　the　will　through　habit　formation。　Sleep＇1＇　the　mysterious；　the　death　in　life　which　we　all　seek　each　night；　is　likewise　regulated　by　habit。　Arising　from　the　need　of　relief　from　consciousness　and　bodily　exertion；　the　mechanism　of　sleep　is　still　not　well　understood。　Is　there　a　toxic　influence　at　work？　is　the　body　poisoned　by　itself；　as　it　were；　as　has　been　postulated；　is　there　a　toxin　of　fatigue；　or　is　there　a　〃vaso…motor〃　reaction；　a　shift　of　the　blood　supply　causing　a　cerebral　anaemia　and　thus　creating　the　〃sleepy〃　feeling？　The　capacity　to　sleep　is　a　factor　of　great　importance　and　we　shall　deal　with　it　later　under　a　separate　heading　as　part　of　the　mechanism　of　success　and　failure。　At　present　we　shall　simply　point　out　that　each　person　builds　up　a　set　of　habits　regarding　sleep；as　to　hour；　kind　of　place；　warmth；　companionship；　ventilation　and　even　the　side　of　the　body　he　shall　lie　on；　and　that　a　change　in　these　preliminary　matters　is　often　attended　by　insomnia。　Moreover；　a　change　from　the　habitual　in　the　general　conduct　of　lifea　new　city　or　town；　a　strange　bed；　a　disturbance　in　the　moods　and　emotionsmay　upset　the　sleep　capacity。　Those　in　whom　excitement　persists；　or　whose　emotions　are　persistent；　become　easily　burdened　with　the　dreaded　insomnia。　Sleep　is　dependent　on　an　exclusion　of　excitement　and　exciting　influences。　If；　however；　exciting　influences　become　habitual　they　lose　their　power　over　the　organism　and　then　the　individual　can　sleep　on　a　battle　field；　in　a　boiler　factory；　or　almost　anywhere。　Conversely；　many　a　New　Yorker　is　lulled　to　sleep　by　the　roar　of　the　great　city　who；　finds　that　the　quiet　of　the　country　keeps　him　awake。　＇1＇　As　good　a　book　as　any　on　the　subject　of　sleep　is　Boris　Sidis's　little　monograph。

Sleeplessness　often　enough　is　a　habit。　Something　happens　to　a　man　that　deeply　stirs　him；　as　an　insult；　or　a　falling　out　with　a　friend；　or　the　loss　of　money；something　which　disturbs　what　we　call　his　poise　or　peace　of　mind。　He　becomes　sleepless　because；　when　he　goes　to　bed　and　the　shock…absorbing　objects　of　daily　interest　are　removed；　his　thoughts　revert　back　to　his　difficulty；　he　becomes　again　humiliated　or　grieved　or　thrown　into　an　emotional　turmoil　that　prevents　sleep。　After　the　first　night　of　insomnia　a　new　factor　enters；the　fear　of　sleeplessness　and　the　conviction　that　one　will　not　sleep。　After　a　time　the　insult　has　lost　its　sting；　or　the　difficulty　has　been　adjusted；　there　is　no　more　emotional　distress；　but　there　is　the　established　sleeplessness；　based　on　habitual　emotional　reaction　to　sleep。　I　know　one　lady　whose　fear　reached　the　stage　where　she　could　not　even　bear　the　thought　of　night　and　darkness。　It　is　in　these　cases　that　a　powerful　drug　used　two　or　three　nights　in　succession　breaks　up　the　sleepless　habit　and　reestablishes　the　power　to　sleep。　People　differ　in　their　capacity　to　form　habits　and　in　their　love　of　habits。　The　normal　habits；　thoroughness；　neatness　and　method　come　easily　to　some　and　are　never　really　acquired　by　others。　People　of　an　impetuous；　explosive　or　reckless　character；　keenly　alive　to　every　shade　of　difference　in　things；　find　it　hard　to　be　methodical；　to　carry　on　routine。　The　impatient　person　has　similar　difficulties。　Whereas　others　take　readily　to　the　same　methods　of　doing　things　day　by　day；　and　these　are　usually　non…explosive；　well　inhibited；　patient　persons；　to　whom　the　way　a　thing　is　done　is　as　important　as　the　goal　itself。　Here　comes　a　very　entertaining　problem；　the　question　of　the　value　of　habits。　Good　habits