the foundations of personality-第36节

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ame；　it　uses　a　force　that　redresses　wrong　by　the　need　of　the　one　addressed　to　vindicate　himself。　When　a　man　feels　shame　he　feels　small；　inferior　in　his　own　eyes　and　in　the　eyes　of　others。　He　feels　impelled；　if　he　is　generous；　to　make　amends　or　to　do　penance；　and　thus　he　recovers　his　self…esteem。　Unfortunately；　shame　arises　more　frequently　and　often　more　violently　from　a　violation　of　custom　and　manner　than　from　a　violation　of　ethics　or　morals。　Thus　we　are　more　ashamed　of　the　so…called　〃bad　break〃　than　of　our　failures　to　be　kind。　Sometimes　our　fellow　feeling　is　so　strong　that　we　avoid　seeing　any　one　who　is　humiliated　or　embarrassed；　because　sympathy　spreads　his　feeling　to　us。　Gentle　people　are　those　who　dislike　to　shame　any　one　else；　and　often　one　of　this　type　will　endure　being　wronged　rather　than　reprimand　or　cause　humiliation　and　shame。　Let　something　be　said　to　shame　any　member　of　a　company　and　a　feeling　of　shame　spreads　through　the　group；　except　in　the　case　of　those　who　are　very　hostile。　Disgust；　too；　is　extremely　contagious；　especially　its　manifestations。　One　of　the　most　crude　of　all　manifestations；　to　spit　upon　some　one；　is　a　symbol　taken　from　disgust；　though　it　has　come　to　mean　contempt；　which　is　a　mixture　of　hatred　and　disgust。　To　raise　the　tastes　and　not　raise　the　acquisitions　is　a　sure　way　to　bring　about　chronic　disgust；　which　is　really　an　angry　dissatisfaction　mixed　with　disgust。　This　type　of　reaction　is　very　common　as　a　factor　in　neurasthenia。　In　fact；　my　motto　is　〃search　for　the　disgust〃　in　all　cases　of　neurasthenia　and　〃search　for　it　in　the　intimate　often　secret　desires　and　relationships。　Seek　for　it　in　the　husband…wife　relationship；　especially　from　the　standpoint　of　the　wife。〃　Women；　we　say；　are　more　refined　in　their　feelings　than　men；　which　is　another　way　of　saying　they　are　more　easily　disgusted　and　therefore　more　easily　injured。　For　disgust　is　an　injury；　when　chronic　or　too　easily　elicited；　and　is　then　a　sign　and　symbol　of　weakness。　Thus　disgust　is　a　great　reenforcer　of　social　taboo　and　custom；　as　well　as　morality。　Just　as　it　fails　to　keep　us　from　eating　the　wrong　kind　of　foods；　so　it　may　fail　to　keep　us　from　the　wrong　conduct。　Like　every　emotion　it　is　only　in　part　adapted　to　our　lives；　and　in　those　people　where　it　becomes　a　prominent　emotion　it　is　a　great　mischief　worker；　subordinating　life　to　finickiness　and　hindering　the　growth　of　generous　feeling。　9。　We　come　to　two　opposite　emotions；　very　readily　considered　together。　One　of　the　linkings　of　opposites　is　in　the　connection　of　Joy　and　Sorrow。　Whether　these　are　primary　emotions　or　outgrowths　of　Pleasure　and　Pain　I　leave　to　others。　For　Shand　the　fact　that　Joy　tends　to　prolong　a　situation　in　which　it　occurs　raises　it　into　an　active　emotion。　Joy　is　perhaps　the　most　energizing　of　the　emotions　for　it　tends　to　express　itself　in　shouts；　smiles　and　laughter；　dancing　and　leaping。　Sorrow　ordinarily　is　quite　the　reverse　and　expresses　itself　by　immobility；　bowed　head　and　hands　that　shut　out　from　the　view　the　sights　of　the　world。　There　is；　however；　a　quiet　joy　called　relief；　which　is　like　sailing　into　a　smooth；　safe　harbor　after　a　tempestuous　voyage；　and　there　is　an　agitated　grief；　with　lamentation；　the　wringing　of　hands　and　self…punishment　of　a　frantic　kind。　Joy　and　triumph　are　closely　associated；　sorrow　and　defeat　likewise。　There　are　some　whose　rivalry…competitive　feelings　are　so　widespread　that　they　cannot　rejoice　even　at　the　triumph　of　a　friend；　and　a　little　of　that　nature　is　in　even　the　noblest　of　us。　There　are　others　who　find　sorrow　in　defeat　of　an　enemy；　so　widespread　is　their　sympathy。　This　is　the　generous　victor。　For　the　most　of　us　youth　is　the　most　joyous　period　because　youth　finds　in　its　pleasures　a　novelty　and　freshness　that　tend　to　disappear　with　experience。　For　the　same　reason　the　sorrow　of　youth；　though　evanescent；　is　unreasoning　and　intense。　Joy　and　sorrow　are　reactions　and　they　are　noble　or　the　reverse；　according　to　the　nature　of　the　person。　Joy　may　be　noble；　sensuous；　trivial　or　mean；　many　a　〃jolly〃　person　is　such　because　he　has　no　real　sympathy。　At　the　present　time　not　one　of　us　could　rejoice　over　anything　could　we　SEE　and　sympathize　deeply　with　the　misery　of　Europe　and　China；　to　say　nothing　of　that　in　our　own　country。　Nay；　any　wrong　to　others　would　blast　all　our　pleasure；　could　we　really　feel　it。　Fortunately　only　a　few　are　so　cursed　with　sympathy。　When　the　capacity　for　joyous　feeling　is　joined　with　fortitude　or　endurance；　then　we　have　the　really　cheerful；　who　spread　their　feeling　everywhere；　whom　all　men　love。　Where　cheerfulness　is　due　to　lack　of　sympathy　and　understanding；　we　speak　of　a　cheerful　idiot；　and　well　does　that　type　merit　the　name。　There　is　a　modern　cult　whose　followers　sing　〃La；　la；　la〃　at　all　times　and　places；　who　minimize　all　misfortune；　crime；　suffering；　who　find　〃good　in　everything；〃the　〃Pollyana〃　tribe。　My　objection　to　them　is　based　on　this；that　mankind　must　see　clearly　in　order　to　rid　itself　of　unnecessary　suffering。　Hiding　one's　head　（and　brains）　in　a　desert　of　optimism　merely　perpetuates　evil；　even　though　one　sufferer　here　and　there　is　deluded　into　happiness。　Sorrow　may　enrich　the　nature　or　it　may　embitter　and　narrow　it。　Wisdom　may　spring　from　it；　indeed；　who　can　be　wise　who　has　not　sorrowed？　Says　Goethe：　　〃Wer　nie　sein　Brot　in　Thranen　ass　　　　　　　Wer　nie　die　kummervollen　Nachte　　　Auf　seinem　Bette　weinend　sass　　　　　　　Er　weiss　Euch　nichthimmelischen　Machte。〃

The　afflicted　in　their　sorrow　may　turn　from　self…seeking　to　God　and　good　deeds。　But　sorrow　may　come　in　a　trivial　nature　from　trivial　causes；　the　soul　may　be　plunged　into　despair　because　one　has　been　denied　a　gift　or　a　pleasure。　The　demonstrativeness　of　grief　or　sorrow　is　not　at　all　in　proportion　to　the　emotion　felt；　it　is　more　often　based　on　the　effort　to　get　sympathy　and　help。　For　sorrow　is　〃Help；　help〃　in　one　form　or　another；　even　though　one　refuses　to　be　comforted。　All　our　emotions；　because　they　are　socially　powerful；　become　somewhat　theatrical；　in　some　completely　theatrical。　We　are　so　constituted　that　emotional　display　is　not　indifferent　to　us；　it　pleases；　repels；　annoys；　angers；　frightens；　disgusts　or　awes　us　according　to　the　kind　of　emotion　displayed；　the　displayer　and　the　circumstances。　The　psychologists　speak　of　sympathy　as　this　susceptibility　to　the　emotions　of　others；　but　there　is　an　antipathy　to　their　emotions；　as　well。　If　we　feel　that　our　emotions　will　be　〃well　received；〃　we　do　not　fear　to　display　them；　and　therein　is　one　of　the　uses　of　the　friend。　If　we　feel　that　they　will　be　poorly　received；　that　they　will　annoy　or　anger　or　disgust；　we　strive　to　repress　them。　The　expression　of　emotion；　especially　of　fear　and　sorrow；　has　become　synonymous　with　weakness；　and　a　powerful　self…feeling　operates　against　their　display；　especially　in　adults；　men　and　certain　races。　It　is　no　accident　that　the　greatest　actors　are　from　the　Latin　and　Hebrew　races；　for　there　is　a　certain　theatricality　in　fear　and　sorrow　that　those　schooled　to　repression　lose。　We　resent　what　we　call　insincerity　in　emotional　expression　because　we　fear　being　〃fooled；〃　and　there　are　many　whose　experiences　in　being　〃fooled〃　chill　sympathy　with　doubt。　We　resent　insincere　sympathy；　on　the　other　hand；　because　we　regret　showing　weakness　before　those　to　whom　that　weakness　is　regarded　as　such　and　who　perhaps　rejoice　at　it　as　ridiculous。　We　like　the　emotional　expression　of　children　because　we　can　always　sympathize；　through　our　tender　feeling　with　them；　and　their　very　sincerity　pleases　as　well。　Is　there　a　harm　in　the　repression　of　emotion？＇1＇　Is　emotion　a　heaped…up　tension　which；　unless　it　is　discharged；　causes　damage？　Shall　man　inhibit　his　anger；　fear；　joy；　sorrow；　disgust；　at　least　in　some　measure；　or　shall　he　express　them　in　gesture；　speech　and　act？　The　answer　is　obvious：　he　must　control　them；　and　in　that　term　control　we　mean；　not　inhibition；　not　expression　in　its　naive　sense；　but　that　combination　of　inhibition；　expression　and　intelligent　act　we　call　adjustment。　To　express　fear　in　the　face　of　danger　or　anger　at　an　offense　might　thwart　the　whole　life's　purpose；　might　bring　disaster　and　ruin。　The　emotions　are　poor　adjustments　in　their　most　violent　form；　their　natural　form；　and　invite　disaster　by　clouding　the　intelligence　and　obscuring　permanent　purposes。　Therefore；　they　must　be　controlled。　To　establish　this　control　is　a　primary　function　of　training　and　intelligence　and　does　no　harm　unless　carried　to　excess。　True；　there　is　a　relief　in　emotional　expression；　a　wiping　out　of　sorrow　by　tears；　an　increase　of　the　pleasure　of　joy　in　freely　laughing；　a　discharge　of　anger　in　the　blow　or　the　hot　word；　even　the　profane　word。　There　is　a　time　and　a　place　for　these　things；　and　to　get　so　〃controlled〃　that　one　rarely　laughs　or　shows　sadness　or　anger　is　to　atrophy；　to　dry　up。　But　the　emotional　expression　makes　it　easy　to　become　an　habitual　weeper　or　stormer；　makes　it　easy　to　become　the　over…emotional　type；　whose　reaction　to　life　is　futile；　undignified　and　a　bodily　injury。　For　emotion　is　in　large　part　a　display　of　energy；　and　the　overemotional　rarely　escape　the　depleted　neurasthenic　state。　In　fact；　hysteria　and　neurasthenia　are　much　more　common　in　the　races　freely　expressing　emotion　than　in　the　stolid；　repressed　races。　Jew；　Italian；　French　and　Irish　figure　much