the foundations of personality-第12节

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oal　itself。　Here　comes　a　very　entertaining　problem；　the　question　of　the　value　of　habits。　Good　habits　save　time　and　energy；　tend　to　eliminate　useless　labor　and　make　for　peace　and　quiet。　But　there　is　a　large　body　of　persons　who　come　to　value　habits　for　themselves　and；　indeed；　this　is　true　to　a　certain　extent　of　all　of　us。　Once　an　accustomed　way　of　doing　things　is　established　it　becomes　not　only　a　path　of　least　resistance；　but　a　sort　of　fixed　point　of　view；　and；　if　one　may　mix　metaphors　a　trifle；　a　sort　of　trunk　for　the　ego　to　twine　itself　around。　There　is　uneasiness　in　the　thought　of　breaking　up　habits；　an　uneasiness　that　grows　the　more　as　we　become　older　and　is　deepened　into　agony　if　the　habit　is　tinged　with　our　status　in　life；　if　it　has　become　a　sort　of　measure　of　our　respectability。　Thus　a　good　housekeeper　falls　into　the　habits　of　doing　things　which　were　originally　a　mark　of　her　ability；　which　she　holds　as　sacred　and　values　above　her　health　and　energy。　There　are　people　who　fiercely　resent　a　new　way　of　doing　things；　they　have　woven　their　most　minor　habits　into　their　ego　feeling　and　thus　make　a　personal　issue　of　innovations。　These　are　the　upholders　of　the　established；　they　hate　change　as　such；　they　are　efficient　but　not　progressive。　In　its　pathological　form　this　type　becomes　the　〃health　fiends〃　who　never　vary　in　their　diet　or　in　their　clothing；　who　arise　at　a　certain　time；　take　their　〃plunge〃　regardless；　take　their　exercise　and　their　breakfasts　alike　as　a　health　measure　without　real　enjoyment；　etc。；　who　grow　weary　if　they　stay　up　half　an　hour　or　so　beyond　their　ordinary　bedtime；　they　are　the　individuals　who　fall　into　health　cults；　become　vegetarians；　raw　food　exponents；　etc。　Opposed　to　the　group　that　falls　into　habits　very　readily　is　the　group　that　finds　it　difficult　to　acquire　habitual　ways　of　working　and　living。　All　of　us　seek　change　and　variety；　as　well　as　stability。　Some　cannot　easily　form　habits　because　they　are　quickly　bored　by　the　habitual。　These　restless　folk　are　the　failures　or　the　great　successes；　according　to　their　intelligence　and　good　fortune。　There　is　a　low…grade　intelligence　type；　without　purpose　and　energy；　and　there　is　a　high…grade　intelligence　type；　seeking　the　ideal；　restless　under　imperfection　and　restraint；　disdaining　the　commonplace　and　the　habits　that　go　with　it。　Is　their　disdain　of　habit…forming　and　customs　the　result　of　their　unconventional　ways；　or　do　their　unconventional　ways　result　because　they　cannot　easily　form　habits？　It　is　very　probable　that　the　true　wanderer　and　Bohemian　finds　it　difficult；　at　least　in　youth；　to　form　habits；　and　that　the　pseudo…Bohemian　is　merely　an　imitation。　Habit　is　so　intimately　a　part　of　all　traits　and　abilities　that　we　would　be　anticipating　several　chapters　of　this　book　did　we　go　into　all　the　habit　types。　Social　conditions；　desire；　fatigue；　monotony；　purpose；　intelligence；　inhibition；　all　enter　into　habit　and　habit　formation。　Youth　experiments　with　habit；　old　age　clings　to　it。　Efficiency　is　the　result　of　good　habits　but　originality　is　the　reward　of　some　who　discard　habits。　A　nation　forms　habits　which　seem　to　be　part　of　its　nature；　until　emigration　to　another　land　shows　the　falsity　of　this　belief。　So　with　individuals：　a　man　feels　he　must　eat　or　drink　so　much；　gratify　his　sex　appetite　so　often；　sleep　so　many　hours；　exercise　this　or　that　amount；　seek　his　entertainment　in　this　or　that　fashion；until　something　happens　to　make　the　habit　impossible　and　he　finds　that　what　he　thought　a　deeply　rooted　mode　of　living　was　a　superficial　routine。　Though　good　habits　may　lead　to　success　they　may　also　bar　the　way　to　the　pleasures　of　experience；　that　is　their　danger。　A　man　who　finds　that　he　must　do　this　or　that　in　such　a　way　had　better　beware；　he　is　getting　old；　no　matter　what　his　age。＇1＇　For　we　grow　older　as　we　lose　mobility；in　joints；　muscles；　skin　and　our　ways　of　doing；　feeling　and　thinking！　It　is　a　transitory　stage　of　the　final　immobility　of　Death。　＇1＇　Says　the　talkative　Autocrat　of　the　Breakfast　Table：　〃There　is　one　mark　of　age　that　strikes　me　more　than　any　of　the　physical　ones；　I　mean　the　formation　of　Habits。　An　old　man　who　shrinks　into　himself　falls　into　ways　that　become　as　positive　and　as　much　beyond　the　reach　of　outside　influences　as　if　they　were　governed　by　clock　work。〃

We　have　not　considered　the　pathological　habits；　such　as　alcoholism；　excessive　smoking　and　eating；　perverse　sex　habits。　The　latter；　the　perverse　sex　habits；　will　be　studied　when　discussing　the　sex　feelings　and　purposes　in　their　entirety。　Alcoholism　is　not　yet　a　dead　issue　in　this　country　though　those　who　are　sincere　in　wishing　their　fellows　well　hope　it　soon　will　be。　It　stands；　however；　as　a　sort　of　paradigm　of　bad　habit…　forming　and　presents　a　problem　in　treatment　that　is　typical　of　such　habits。　Not　all　persons　have　a　liability　to　the　alcoholic　habit。　For　most　people　lack　of　real　desire　or　pleasure　prevented　alcoholism。　The　majority　of　those　who　drank　little　or　not　at　all　were　not　in　the　least　tempted　by　the　drug。　〃Will　power〃　rarely　had　anything　to　do　with　their　abstinence　and　the　complacency　with　which　they　held　themselves　up　as　an　example　to　the　drunken　had　all　the　flavor　of　Phariseeism。　To　some　the　taste　is　not　pleasing；　to　others　the　immediate　effects　are　so　terrifying　as　automatically　to　shut　off　excess。　Many　people　become　dizzy　or　nauseated　almost　at　once　and　even　lose　the　power　of　locomotion　or　speech。　In　many　countries　and　during　many　centuries　most　of　those　who　became　alcoholic　were　such　largely　through　the　social　setting　given　to　alcohol。　Because　of　the　psychological　effects　of　this　drug　in　removing　restraint；　inhibition　and　formality；　in　its　various　forms　it　became　the　symbol　of　good…fellowship；　and　because　it　has　an　apparent　stimulation　and　heat…producing　effect　there　grew　up　the　notion　that　it　aided　hard　labor　and　helped　resist　hardship。　As　the　symbol　of　good…fellowship　it　grew　into　a　tradition　of　the　most　binding　kind；　so　that　no　good　time；　no　coming　together　was　complete　without　it；　and　its　power　is　celebrated　in　picturesque　songs　and　picturesque　sayings　the　world　over。　Hospitality；　tolerance；　good　humor；　kindliness　and　the　pleasant　breaking　down　of　the　barriers　between　man　and　man；　and　also　between　man　and　woman；　all　these　lured　generation　after　generation　into　the　alcoholic　habit。　There　are　relatively　normal　types　of　the　heavy　drinker；the　socially　minded　and　the　hard　manual　worker。　But　there　is　a　large　group　of　those　who　find　in　alcohol　a　relief　from　the　burden　of　their　moods；　who　find　in　its　real　effect；　the　release　from　inhibitions；　a　reason　for　drinking　beyond　the　reach　of　reason。　Do　you　feel　that　the　endless　monotony　of　your　existence　can　no　longer　be　borne；drink　deep　and　you　color　your　life　to　suit　yourself。　Do　disappointment　and　despair　gnaw　at　your　love　of　life　so　that　nothing　seems　worth　while；some　bottled　〃essence　of　sunshine〃　will　give　new；　fresh　value　to　existence。　Are　you　a　victim　of　strange；　uncaused　fluctuations　of　mood　so　that　periodically　you　descend　to　a　bottomless　pit　of　melancholy；　well；　then；　why　suffer；　when　over　the　bar　a　man　will　furnish　you　a　release　from　agony？　And　so　men　of　certain　types　of　temperament；　or　with　unhappy　experiences；　form　the　alcoholic　habit　because　it　gives　them　surcease　from　pain；　it　deals　out　to　them；　temporarily；　a　new　world　with　happier　mood；　lessened　tension　and　greater　success。　Seeking　relief＇1＇　from　distressing　thoughts　or　moods　is　perhaps　one　of　the　main　causes　of　the　narcotic　habit。　The　feeling　of　inferiority；　one　of　the　most　painful　of　mental　conditions；　is　responsible　for　the　use　not　only　of　alcohol　but　also　of　other　drugs；　such　as　cocaine；　heroin；　morphine；　etc。　One　of　the　most　typical　cases　of　this　I　have　known　is　of　a　young　man　of　twenty…five；　a　tall　fellow　with　a　very　unattractive　face　who　had　this　feeling　of　inferiority　almost　to　the　point　of　agony；　especially　in　the　presence　of　young　women；　but　also　in　any　situation　where　he　would　be　noticed。　He　was　fast　becoming　a　hermit　when　he　discovered　that　a　few　drinks　completely　removed　this　feeling。　From　that　time　on　he　became　a　steady　drinker；　with　now　and　then　a　short　period　when　he　would　try　to　stop　drinking；　only　to　resume　when　he　found　himself　obsessed　again　by　the　dreaded　inferiority　complex。　＇1＇　This　is　the　main　theme　of　De　Quincey's　〃Confessions　of　an　Opium　Eater。〃

Similarly　a　shameful　position；　such　as　that　of　the　prostitute　or　the　chronic　criminal；　is　〃relieved〃　by　alcohol　and　drugs；　so　that　the　majority　of　these　types　of　unfortunates　are　either　drunkards　or　〃dopes。〃　Too　often　have　reformers　reversed　the　relationship；　believing　that　alcohol　caused　prostitution　and　crime。　Of　course　that　relationship　exists；　but　more　often；　in　my　experience；　the　alcohol　is　used　to　keep　up　the　〃ego〃　feeling；　without　which　few　can　bear　life。　Curiously　enough；　one　of　the　sex　perversions；　masturbation；　has　in　a　few　cases　a　similar　genesis。　I　have　known　patients　who；　when　under　the　influence　of　depression；　or　humiliated　in　some　way　or　other；　found　a　compensating　pleasure　in　the　act。　Here　we　come　to　a　cardinal　truth　in　the　understanding　of　ourselves　and　our　fellows　and　one　we　shall　pursue　in　detail　later；that　face　to　face　with　mental　pain；　men　seek　relief　or　pleasure　or　both　by　alcohol；　drugs；　sensual　pleasures　of　all　ki