the foundations of personality-第29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！


feeling　in　which　there　is　little　or　no　self…feeling。　We　do　not　extend　the　ego　to　the　piteous　object。　We　desire　to　help；　even　though　the　object　of　pity　is　an　enemy　or　disgusting。　One　of　the　commonest　struggles　of　life　is　that　between　self…interest　and　pity；and　the　selfish　resent　any　situation　that　arouses　their　pity；　because　they　dislike　to　give。　Pity　tends　to　disappear　from　the　life　of　the　soldier　and　is；　indeed；　a　trait　he　does　not　need；　in　the　lives　of　the　strong　and　successful；　pity　is　apt　to　be　a　hindering　quality。　In　a　world　in　which　competition　is　keen；　the　cooperative　gentle　qualities　hinder　success。　The　weak　seek　the　pity　of　others；　they　need　it；　and　the　pity…seeker　is　a　very　distinct　type。　The　strong　and　proud　hate　to　be　pitied；　and　when　wounded　they　hide；　shun　their　friends　and　keep　the　semblance　of　strength　with　a　brave　face。　Pity　directed　toward　oneself　as　the　object　is　self…pity；a　quality　found　in　children　and　in　a　certain　amiable；　weak；　egoistic　type；　whose　eyes　are　always　full　of　tears　as　they　talk　of　themselves。　Of　course；　at　times；　we　are　all　prone　to　this　vice　of　character；　but　there　are　some　chronically　afflicted。　Certain　so…called　sentimentalists　are　those　who　die；　tribute　their　pity　in　an　erratic　fashion。　These　are　the　vegetarians　who　are　sad　because　it　is　wrong　to　kill　for　food；　yet　they　wear　without　compunction　the　leather　of　cattle　who　have　neither　committed　suicide　nor　died　of　old　age。　And　the　anti…vivisectionists　view　without　any　stir　of　pity　the　children　of　the　slums　and　the　sick　of　all　kinds。　Pity　raises　man　to　the　divine　but；　like　all　the　gentle　qualities；　it　needs　guidance　by　reason　and　common　sense　before　it　is　of　any　value。　Just　as　there　are　objects　and　individuals　recognized　or　believed　to　be　as　somehow　favorable　and　who　evoke　tender　feeling；　so　there　are　objects　and　individuals　regarded　as　unfavorable；　perhaps　dangerous；　who　arouse　aversion　and　hatred。　The　feeling　thus　produced　is　the　other　great　sentiment　of　life；　which　on　the　whole　organizes　character　and　conduct　on　a　great　plane。　Hatred；　a　decidedly　primitive　reaction；　still　is　powerful　in　the　world　and　is　back　of　dissension　of　all　kinds；　from　lawsuits　to　war。　When　one　hates　he　is　attached　to　the　hated　object　in　a　fashion　just　the　reverse　of　the　attachment　of　love；　joy；　anger；　fear　and　sorrow　arise　under　exactly　the　opposite　circumstances；　and　the　aim　and　end　of　hate　is　to　block；　thwart　and　destroy　the　hated　one。　The　earlier　history　of　man　lays　emphasis　on　the　activities　of　hate；war；　feats　of　arms；　individual　feuds。　Hate；　unlike　love；　needs　no　moral　code　or　teaching　to　bring　it　into　activity；　it　springs　into　being　and　constantly　needs　repression。　Unlikeness　alone　often　brings　it　to　life；　to　be　too　different　from　others　is　recognized　as　a　legitimate　reason　for　hatred。　The　most　important　cause　is　conflict　of　interest　and　wounding　of　self…feeling　and　pride。　Revengeful　feeling；　fostered　by　tradition　and　〃patriotism；〃　caused　many　wars　and　in　its　lesser　spheres　of　operation　is　back　of　murders；　assaults；　insults　and　the　lesser　categories　of　injuries　of　all　kinds。　The　prime　emotion　of　hatred　is　anger；　in　its　less　intense　aspect　of　aversion　it　is　disgust。　The　aim　and　end　of　anger　is　destruction　of　the　offending　object；　the　aim　and　end　of　aversion　is　removal；　ejection。　Hate　may　be　and　often　is　a　noble　sentiment；　though　the　trend　of　modern　thought；　as　it　minimizes　personal　responsibility；　is　to　eliminate　hate　against　persons　and　intellectualize　hate　so　that　it　is　reserved　for　the　battle　against　ideas。　Whether　you　can　really　summon　all　your　effort　against　any　one；　against　his　plans；　opinions　and　actions；　unless　you　have　built　up　the　steady　sentiment　of　hatred　for　him；　is　a　nice　psychological　question。　Hate　is　most　intense　in　little　people；　in　persons　absolutely　convinced　that　their　interests；　opinions　and　plans　are　sacred；　sure　of　their　superiority　and　righteousness。　Once　let　insight　into　yourself；　your　weakness　and　your　real　motives　creep　into　your　mind　and　your　hate　against　opponents　and　obstructors　must　lessen。　Those　who　realize　most　the　fallibility　of　men　and　women；　to　whom　Pilate's　question　〃What　is　truth？〃　has　added　to　it　a　more　sceptical　question；　〃What　is　right；〃　find　it　hard　to　hate。　Therefore；　such　persons；　the　broad…minded　and　the　most　deeply　wise；　are　not　the　best　fighters　for　a　cause；　since　their　efforts　are　lessened　by　sympathy　for　the　opponent。　Here　is　the　marvel　of　Abraham　Lincoln；　rich　with　insight；　he　could　hate　slavery　and　secession　and　yet　not　hate　the　southern　people。　In　that　division　of　himself　lies　his　greatness　and　his　suffering。　The　disappearance　of　personal　hate　from　the　world　can　only　come　when　men　realize　the　essential　unity　of　mankind。　For　part　of　the　psychological　origin　of　hate　lies　in　unlikeness。　Great　unlikeness　in　color　and　facial　line　seems　to　act　as　a　challenge　to　the　feeling　of　superiority。　Wherever　a　〃different〃　group　challenges　another's　superiority；　or　enters　into　active　competition　for　the　goods　of　life；　there　hate　enters　in　its　most　virulent　form。　The　disappearance　of　the　〃unlike〃　feeling　is　very　slow　and　is　hindered　by　the　existence　of　small　〃particular〃　groups。　Little　nationalities；＇1＇　small　sects；　even　exclusive　clubs　and　circles　are　means　of　generating　difference　and　thus　hate。　＇1＇　The　more　nationalities；　each　with　its　claim　to　a　great　destiny；　the　more　wars！　There　is　the　essential　danger　and　folly　of　tribal　patriotism。

We　shall　not　enter　into　the　origin　of　hate　through　the　danger　to　purpose；　through　rivalry　among　those　not　separated　by　unlikeness。　Hate　seems　to　be　a　chronic　anger；　or　at　least　that　emotion　kept　at　a　more　or　less　constant　level　by　perception　of　danger　and　the　threat　at　personal　dignity　and　worth。　Obstructed　love　or　passion　and　the　feeling　of　〃wrong；〃　i。　e。；　injury　done　that　was　not　merited；　that　the　personal　conscience　does　not　justify；　furnish　the　most　virulent　types　of　hatred。　〃Love　thine　enemies〃　is　still　an　impossible　injunction　for　most　men。　We　cannot　hope　to　trace　the　feeling　of　revenge　in　its　effects　on　human　conduct。　Though　at　present　religion　and　law　both　prohibit　revengeful　acts；　the　desire　〃to　get　even〃　flames　high　in　almost　every　human　breast　under　all　kinds　of　injury　or　insult。　This　form　of　hate　may　express　itself　crudely　in　the　vendetta　of　the　Sicilian；　the　feud　of　the　Tennessee　mountaineer；　or　the　assault　and　battery　of　an　aggrieved　husband；　it　is　behind　the　present…day　conflict　in　Ireland；　and　it　threatened　Europe　for　forty　years　after　the　Franco…Prussian　War；　and　no　man　knows　how　profoundly　it　will　influence　future　world　affairs　because　of　the　Great　War。　Often　it　disguises　itself　as　justice；　the　principle　of　the　thing；　in　those　who　will　not　admit　revenge　as　a　motive；　and　the　eclipsed　and　beaten　take　revenge　in　slander；　innuendo　and　double…edged　praise。　To　some　revenge　is　a　devil　to　be　fought　out　of　their　hearts；　to　others　it　is　a　god　that　guides　every　act。　We　may　define　nobility　of　character　as　the　withdrawal　from　revenge　as　a　motive　and　the　substitution　for　it　of　justice。　Some　hatred　expresses　itself　openly　and　fearlessly　and　as　such　gains　some　respect；　even　from　its　own　object。　Other　hatred　plots　and　schemes；　the　intelligence　lends　itself　to　the　plans　completely　and　the　whole　personality　suffers　in　consequence。　Some　hatred；　weak　and　without　self…confidence；　or　seeking　the　effect　of　surprise；　is　hypocritical；　dissimulates；　affects　friendly　feeling；　rubs　its　hands　over　insults　and　awaits　the　opportune　moment。　This　type　is　associated　in　all　minds　with　a　feeling　of　disgust；　for　at　bottom　we　rather　admire　the　〃good〃　hater。　We　have　spoken　of　these　three　specialized　and　directed　outgrowths　of　excitement；　interest；　love　and　hatred　as　if　they　were　primarily　directed　to　the　outside　world；　though　in　a　previous　chapter　we　discussed　the　introspective　interest。　What　shall　we　call　the　love　and　hatred　a　man　has　for　himself？　Is　the　self…regarding　sentiment　any　different　than　the　sentiment　of　love　for　others？　Is　that　hate　and　disgust　we　feel　for　ourselves；　or　for　some　action　or　thought；　different　from　the　hate　and　disgust　we　have　for　others？　Judged　by　Shand's　dicta　that　anger　and　fear　are　aroused　if　the　object　of　love　is　threatened；　joy　is　aroused　as　it　prospers；　and　sorrow　if　it　is　deeply　injured　or　lost；　self…love　remarkably　resembles　other…love。　The　pride　we　take　in　our　own　achievements　is　unalloyed　by　jealousy；　and　there　is　always　a　trace　of　jealousy　in　the　pride　we　take　in　the　achievements　of　others；　but　there　is　no　difference　in　the　pride　itself。　There　is　no　essential　difference　in　the　〃good〃　we　seek　for　ourselves　and　in　the　good　we　seek　for　others；　for　what　we　seek　will　depend　on　our　idea　of　〃good。〃　Thus　the　ambitious　mother　seeks　for　her　daughter　a　rich　husband　and　the　idealist　seeks　for　his　son　a　career　of　devotion　to　the　ideal。　And　the　sensualist　devoted　to　the　good　of　his　belly　and　his　pocket　loves　his　child　and　shows　it　by　feeding　and　enriching　him。　There　seems　to　be　lacking；　however；　the　glow　of　tender　feeling　in　self…love。　The　projection　of　the　self…interest　to　others　has　a　passion；　a　melting　in　it　that　self…love　never　seems　to　possess；　though　it　may　be　constant　and　ever…operating。　Self…regard；　self…admiration　or　conceit　may　be　very　high　and　deeply　felt；　but　though　more　common　than　rea