the foundations of personality-第15节

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　in　the　dynamics　of　life　a　right；　proper　choice；　an　appropriate　choice；　opens　wide　the　door　of　opportunity；　whereas　an　unfortunate　choice　may　commit　one　to　the　mercies　of　wrecking　forces。　Education　should　aim　to　teach　proper　choosing　and　then　proper　action。　The　capacity　for　perceiving　and　responding　to　stimuli；　for　inhibiting　or　delaying　action　and　for　choosing；　are　of　cardinal　importance　in　our　study。　But　there　is　another　phase　of　life　and　character　without　which　everything　else　lacks　unity　and　is　unintelligible。　From　the　beginning　of　life　to　the　end　there　is　choice。　Who　and　what　chooses？　From　infancy　one　sees　the　war　of　purposes　and　desires　and　the　gradual　rise　of　one　purpose　or　set　of　purposes　into　dominance；in　short；　the　growth　of　unity；　the　growth　of　personality。　The　common　man　calls　this　unity　his　soul；　the　philosopher　speaks　of　the　ego　and　implies　some　such　thing　as　this　organizing　energy　of　character。　But　a　naturalistic　view　of　character　must　reject　such　a　metaphysical　entity；　for　one　sees　the　organizing　energy　increase　and　diminish　with　the　rest　of　character　through　health；　age；　environment；　etc。　Further；　there　is　at　work　in　all　living　things　a　similar　something　that　organizes　the　action　of　the　humblest　bit　of　protoplasm。　This　organizing　energy　of　character　will　be；　for　us；　that　something　inherent　in　all　life　which　tends　to　individualize　each　living　thing。　It　is　as　if　all　life　were　originally　of　one　piece　and　then；　spreading　itself　throughout　the　world；　it　tended　to　differentiate　and　develop　（according　to　the　Spencerian　formula）　into　genera；　species；　groups　and　individuals。　This　organizing　energy　works　up　the　experiences　of　the　individual　so　that　new　formulae　for　action　develop；　so　that　what　is　experienced　becomes　the　basis　of　future　reaction。　It　must　be　remembered　that　the　world　we　live　in　has　its　great　habits。　Night　follows　day　in　a　cycle　that　never　fails；　the　seasons　are　repeated　each　year；　and　there　is　a　periodicity　in　the　lives　of　plants　and　animals　that　is　manifested　in　growth；　nutrition；　mating　and　resting。　Things　happen　again　and　again；　though　in　slightly　altered　form；　and　our　desires；　satisfied　now；　soon　repeat　their　urge。　The　great　organic　needs　and　sensations　repeat　themselves　and　with　the　periodic　world　of　outer　experience　must　be　dealt　with　according　to　a　more　or　less　settled　policy。　It　is　the　organizing　energy　that　works　out　the　policy；　that　learns；　inhibits；　chooses　and　acts；and　it　is　the　essential　character…developing　principle。　For　like　our　bodily　organs　which　are　whipped　into　line　by　the　nervous　system；　our　impulses；　instincts；　and　reflexes＇1＇　have　their　own　policy　of　action　and　therefore　need；　for　the　good　of　the　entire　organism；　discipline　and　coordination。　It　may　sound　as　if　the　body　were　made　up　of　warring　entities　and　states　and　that　there　gradually　arose　a　centralized　good；　and　though　the　analogy　may　lead　to　error；　it　offers　a　convenient　method　of　thinking。　＇1＇　Roux；　the　great　French　biologist；　has　shown　that　each　tissue　and　each　cell　competes　with　the　other　tissues　and　the　other　cells。　The　organism；　though　it　reaches　a　practical　working　unity　as　viewed　by　consciousness；　is　nevertheless　no　entity；　it　is　a　collection；　an　aggregate　of　living　cells　which　are　organized　on　a　cooperation　basis　just　as　men　are；　but　maintain　individuality　and　competition　nevertheless。

Moreover；　the　organizing　energy　seems　often　to　be　at　work　when　consciousness　itself　is　at　rest；　as　in　sleep。　Often　enough　a　man　debates　and　debates　on　lines　of　conduct　and　wakes　up　with　his　problem　solved。　Or　he　works　hard　to　learn　and　goes　to　bed　discouraged；　because　the　matter　is　a　jumble；　and　wakes　up　in　the　morning　with　an　orderly　and　useful　arrangement　of　the　facts。　A　writer　seeks　to　find　the　proper　opening；and　gives　up　in　a　frenzy　of　despair。　He　is　perhaps　walking　or　driving　when　suddenly　he　lifts　his　head　as　one　does　who　is　listening　to　a　longed…for　voice；　and　in　himself　he　finds　the　phrases　that　he　longs　for。　Something　within　has　set　itself；　so　it　seems；　the　task　of　bringing　the　right　associations　into　consciousness。　What　we　call　quickness　of　mind；　energy　of　mind；　is　largely　this　function。　It　is　this　which　adapts　us　to　different　situations；　different　groups；　by　calling　into　play　organized　modes　of　talking　or　acting。　We　pass　from　a　group　of　ladies　in　whose　presence　we　have　been　friendly　but　decorous；　perhaps　unconventionally　formal；　to　a　group　of　business　intimates；　men　of　long　acquaintance。　Without　even　being　conscious　of　it　we　lounge　around；　feet　on　the　table；　carelessly　dropping　cigarette　ash　to　the　floor；　using　language　chosen　for　force　rather　than　elegance；　we　discuss　sports；　women；　business　and　a　whole　group　of　different　emotions；　habits　and　purposes　come　to　the　surface；　though　we　were　not　at　all　conscious　of　having　repressed　them　while　in　the　presence　of　the　ladies。　A　faux　pas　is　where　the　organizer　has　〃slipped〃　on　his　job；　lack　of　tact　implies　in　part　a　rigid　organizing　energy；　neither　plastic　nor　versatile　enough。　We　are　now　ready　to　face　certain　developments　of　these　three　main　factors；　viz。；　the　response　to　stimuli；　choice　and　inhibition；　and　the　organizing　energy。　Largely　we　might　classify　people　according　to　the　type　of　vigor　of　their　reactions　to　stimuli；　the　quality　and　vigor　of　choice　and　of　inhibition；　and　the　quality　and　vigor　of　the　organizing　energy。　We　note　that　there　are　people　who　have；　as　it　were；　exquisitely　sensitive　feelers　for　the　stimuli　of　one　kind　or　another　and　who　react　vigorously；　perhaps　excessively；　that　there　are　others　of　a　duller；　less　reactive　nature；　largely　because　they　are　stimuli…proof。　Others　are　under…inhibited；　follow　desire　or　outer　stimulus　without　heed；　without　a　brake；　others　are　over…inhibited；　too　cautious；　too　full　of　doubt；　unable　to　choose　the　reaction　that　seems　appropriate。　The　organizing　energy　of　some　is　low；　they　never　seem　to　unify　their　experiences　into　a　code　of　life　and　living；　they　are　like　a　string　of　beads　loosely　strung　together　with　disharmonious　emotions；　desires；　purposes。　In　others　this　energy　is　high；　they　chew　the　cud　of　every　experience　and　（to　change　the　metaphor）　they　weld　life's　happenings；　their　memories；　their　emotions　and　purposes　into　a　more　unified　ego；　a　real　I；　harmonious；　self…enlightened；　clearly　conscious　of　aim　and　end　and　striving　bravely　towards　it。　Or　there　is　over…unification　and　fanaticism；　with　narrow　aim　and　little　sympathy　for　other　aims。　Sketched　in　this　very　broad　way　we　see　masses　of　people；　rather　than　individuals；　and　we　are　not　finely　adjusted　to　our　subject。　Psychologists　rarely　concern　themselves　to　any　extent　with　these　matters；　they　deal　mainly　with　their　outgrowths；emotions；　instinct；　intelligence　and　will。　We　are　at　once　beset　with　difficulties　which　are　resolved　mainly　by　ignoring　them。　In　such　a　book　as　this　we　are　not　concerned　with　the　fundamental　nature　of　these　divisions　of　the　mental　life；　we　must　omit　such　questions　as　the　relation　of　instinct　to　racial　habit；　or　the　evolution　of　instinct　from　habit；　if　that　is　really　its　origin。　Again　I　must　repeat　that　we　shall　deal　with　these　as　organic；　as　arising　in　the　sensitized　individual　as　a　result　of　environmental　forces；　as　manifestations　of　a　life　which　is　as　yetand　perhaps　always　will　bemysterious　to　us。　We　shall　best　consider　these　manifestations　of　mental　activity　as　an　interplay　of　the　reactions　of　stimulation；　inhibition；　choice；　organizing　energy；　and　not　as　separate　and　totally　different　matters。　We　shall　see　that　probably　emotion　is　one　aspect　of　reaction　to　the　world；　while　instinct　is　merely　another　aspect；　that　intelligence　is　a　cerebral　shift　of　instinct；　and　that　will　is　no　unity　but　the　energy　of　instincts　and　purposes。　Before　we　go　farther　we　must　squarely　face　a　problem　of　human　thought。　Man；　since　he　started　reflecting　about　himself；　has　been　puzzled　about　his　consciousness。　How　can　a　person　be　aware　of　himself；　and　what　identifies　and　links　together　each　phase　of　consciousness？　There　is　an　enormous　range　of　thought　on　this　subject：　from　those　who　identified　consciousness　as　the　only　reality　and　considered　what　the　average　person　holds　as　realitiesthings　and　peopleas　only　phases　of　consciousness；　to　those　who；　like　Huxley；　regard　consciousness　as　an　〃epi…pbenomenon；〃　a　sort　of　overture　to　brain　activity　and　having　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　action；　nothing　to　do　with　choice　and　plan；　so　that；　as　Lloyd　Morgan　points　out；　〃An　unconscious　Shakespeare　writes　plays　acted　by　an　unconscious　troupe　of　actors　to　an　unconscious　audience。〃　The　first　extreme　view；　that　of　Berkeley　and　the　idealists；　nullifies　all　other　realities　save　that　of　the　individual　thinker　and　reduces　one　to　the　absurdities　of　Solipsism　where　a　man　writes　books　to　convince　persons　conjured　up　by　himself　and　having　no　existence　outside　of　himself；　the　other　view　nullifies　that　which　seems　to　each　of　us　the　very　essence　of　himself。　I　shall　take　a　very　simple　view　of　consciousness；＇1＇　simply　because　I　shall　deliberately　dodge　the　great　difficulties。　Consciousness　is　the　result　of　the　activities　of　a　group　of　more　or　less　permanently　excited　areas　of　the　brainareas　having　to　do　with　positions　of　the　head；　eyes　and　shoulders；　areas　having　to　do　with　vision；　hearing　and　smell；　areas　having　to　do　with　sp