the foundations of personality-第43节

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es；　clubs；　organizations　in　response　to　the　same　feeling　that　makes　sheep　graze　on　a　hillside　in　a　group；　that　makes　the　monkeys　in　a　cage　squat　together；　rubbing　sides　and　elbows。　The　home　in　which　our　child　finds　himself；　though　a　social　institution；　is　not　gregarious；　it　gives　him　only　a　limited　contact；　and　as　soon　as　he　is　able　and　self…reliant　he　seeks　out　a　little　herd；　and　on　the　streets；　in　the　schoolroom　and　playground；　he　really　becomes　a　happy　little　herd　animal。　＇1＇　One　of　my　children　would　stop　crying　if　some　one　merely　entered　his　room　when　he　was　three　weeks　old。　He　was；　and　is；　an　intensely　gregarious　boy。

Let　us　turn　back　to　the　desire　for　activity。　As　the　power　to　direct　the　eyes　develops；　as　hands　become　a　little　more　sure；　because　certain　pathways　in　brain　and　cord　〃myelinize；〃＇1＇　become　functional；　the　outside　world　attracts　in　a　definite　manner　and　movements　become　organized　by　desires；　by　purpose。　It's　a　red…letter　day　in　the　calendar　of　a　human　being　when　he　first　successfully　〃reaches〃　something；　then　and　there　is　the　birth　of　power　and　of　successful　effort。　All　our　ideas　of　cause　and　effect　originate　when　we　cause　changes　in　the　world；　when　we　move　a　thing　from　thither　to　yon。　No　philosopher；　though　he　becomes　so　intellectualized　that　he　cannot　understand　how　one　thing　or　event　causes　another；　ever　escapes　from　the　feeling　that　HE　causes　effects。　Purpose；　resistance；　success；　failure；　cause；　effect；　these　become　inextricably　wound　up　with　our　thoughts　and　beliefs　from　the　early　days　when；　looking　at　a　dangling　string；　we　reached　for　it　once；　twice；　a　dozen　times　and　brought　it　in　triumph　to　our　mouth。　And　our　idea　that　there　were　forbidden　things　came　when　the　watchful　mother　took　it　out　of　our　mouth；　saying；　〃No；　no；　baby　mustn't！〃　＇1＇　At　birth；　though　most　of　the　great　nervous　pathways　are　laid　down；　they　are　non…functional　largely　because　the　fibers　that　compose　them　are　unclothed；　non…myelinated。　The　various　kinds　of　tracts　have　different　times　for　becoming　〃myelinated〃　as　was　the　discovery　of　the　great　analogist；　Flechsig。

At　any　rate；　the　organization　of　activity　for　definite　purposes　starts。　The　little　investigator　is　apparently　obsessed　with　the　idea　that　everything　it　can　reach；　including　its　fingers　and　toes；　are　good　to　eat；　for　everything　reached　is　at　once　brought　to　the　mouth；　the　primitive　curiosity　thus　being　gustatory。　In　this　research　the　baby　finds　that　some　few　things　are　pleasant；　many　indifferent　and　quite　a　few　disgusting　and　even　painful；　which　may　remain　as　a　result　not　far　different　from　that　obtained　by　investigation　in　later　years。　The　desire　for　pleasant　things　commences　to　guide　its　activities。　Every　new　thing　is　at　once　an　object　for　investigation；　perhaps　because　its　possibilities　for　pleasure　are　unknown。　That　curiosity　may　have　some　such　origin　is　at　least　a　plausible　statement。　At　any　rate；　desire　of　a　definite　type　steps　in　to　organize　the　mere　desire　for　activity；　and　impulse　is　controlled　by　purpose。　The　child　learns　to　creep；　and　the　delight　in　progression　lies　in　the　fact　that　far　more　things　are　accessible　for　investigation；　for　rearrangement；　for　tasting。　It　is　no　accident　that　we　speak　of　our　〃tastes〃　that　we　say；　〃I　want　to　taste　of　experience。〃　That　is　exactly　what　the　child　creeping　on　the　floor　seeks；to　taste　of　experience　and　to　anticipate；　to　realize；　to　learn。　Out　of　the　desire　for　activity　grows　a　desire　for　experience　born　of　the　pleasure　of　excitement　that　we　spoke　of　previously。　This　desire　for　experience　becomes　built　up　into　strange　forms　under　teaching　and　through　the　results　of　experience。　It　is　very　strong　in　some　who　become　explorers；　roues；　vagabonds；　scientists　as　a　result；　and　it　is　very　weak　in　others　who　stay　at　home　and　seek　only　the　safe　and　limited　experience。　You　see　two　children　in　one　room；and　one　sits　in　the　middle　of　the　floor；　perhaps　playing　with　a　toy　or　looking　around；　and　the　other　has　investigated　the　stove　and　found　it　hotter　than　he　supposed；　has　been　under　the　table　and　bumped　his　head；　has　found　an　unusually　sweet　white　lump　which　in　later　life　he　will　call　sugar。　The　good　child　is　often　without　sufficient　curiosity　to　be　bad；　whereas　the　bad　child　may　be　an　overzealous　seeker　of　experience。　So　our　child　reaching　out　for　things　develops　ideas　of　cause；　effect　and　power；　commences　to　have　an　idea　of　himself　as　a　cause　and　likes　the　feeling　of　power。　As　he　learns　to　walk；　the　world　widens；　his　sense　of　power　grows；　and　his　feeling　of　personality　increases。　Meanwhile　another　side　of　his　nature　has　been　developing　and　one　fully　as　important。　The　persons　in　his　world　have　become　quite　individual；　mother　is　now　not　alone；　for　father　is　recognized　with　pleasure　as　one　who　likewise　is　desirable。　He　carries　one　on　his　shoulder　so　that　a　pleasurable　excitement　results；　he　plays　with　one；　holds　out　strings　and　toys　and　other　instruments　for　the　obtaining　of　experience。　Usually　both　of　these　great　personages　are　friendly；　their　faces　wear　a　smile　or　a　tender　look；　and　our　little　one　is　so　organized　that　smiles　and　tender　looks　awaken　comfortable　feelings　and　he　smiles　in　return。　The　smile　is　perhaps　the　first　great　message　one　human　being　sends　to　another；　it　says；　〃See；　I　am　friendly；　I　wish　you　well。〃　Later　on　in　the　history　of　the　child；　he　will　learn　much　about　smiles　of　other　kinds；　but　at　this　stage　they　are　all　pleasant。　Though　his　parents　are　usually　friendly　and　give；　now　and　then　they　deprive；　and　they　look　different；　they　say；　〃No；　no！〃　This　〃no；　no〃　is　social　inhibition；　it　is　backed　up　by　the　power　of　deprivation；　punishment；　disapproval；　it　has　its　power　in　a　something　in　our　nature　that　gives　society　its　power　over　us。　From　now　there　steps　in　a　factor　in　the　development　of　character　of　which　we　have　already　spoken；　a　group　of　desires　that　have　their　source　in　the　emotional　response　of　the　child　to　the　parent；　in　the　emotional　response　of　an　individual　to　his　group。　Out　of　the　social　pressure　arises　the　desire　to　please；　to　win　approval；　to　get　justification；　and　these　struggle　in　the　mind　of　the　child　with　other　desires。　We　said　the　child　seeks　experience；but　not　only　on　his　own　initiative。　The　father　stands　against　the　wall；　perhaps　with　one　foot　crossing　the　other。　Soon　he　feels　a　pressure　and　looks　down；　there　is　the　little　one　standing　in　his　imitation　of　the　same　position。　Imitation；　in　my　belief；　is　secondary　to　a　desire　for　experience。　The　child　does　not　imitate　everything；　he　is　equipped　to　notice　only　simple　things；　and　these　he　imitates。　Why？　The　desire　to　experience　what　others　are　experiencing　is　a　basic　desire；　it　expresses　both　a　feeling　of　fellowship　and　a　competitive　feeling。　We　do　not　feel　a　strong　tendency　to　imitate　those　we　dislike　or　despise；　or　do　not　respect；　we　tend　to　imitate　those　we　love　and　respect；　those　for　whom　we　have　a　fellow　feeling。　Part　of　the　fellow　feeling　is　an　impulse　to　imitate　and　to　receive　in　a　positive　way　the　suggestion　offered　by　their　conduct　and　manners。　Analogous　to　imitation；　and　part　of　the　social　instinct；　is　a　credulity；　a　willingness　to　accept　as　if　personally　experienced　things　stated。　Part　of　the　seeking　of　experience　is　the　asking　of　questions；　because　the　mind　seeks　a　cause　for　every　effect；　a　something　to　work　from。　Indeed；　one　of　the　main　mental　activities　lies　in　the　explaining　of　things；　an　unrest　is　felt　in　the　presence　of　the　〃not　understood〃　which　is　not　stilled　until　the　unknown　is　referred　back　to　a　thing　understood　or　accepted　without　question。　The　child　finds　himself　in　a　world　with　laid…down　beliefs　and　with　explanations　of　one　kind　or　another　for　everything。　His　group　differs　from　other　groups　in　its　explanations　and　beliefs；　his　family　even　may　be　peculiar　in　these　matters。　He　asks；　he　is　answered　and　enjoined　to　believe。　Without　credulity　there　could　be　no　organization　of　society；　no　rituals；　no　ceremonials；　no　religions　and　customs；but　without　the　questioning　spirit　there　could　be　no　progress。　Most　of　the　men　and　women　of　this　world　have　much　credulity　and　only　a　feeble　questioning　tendency；　but　there　are　a　few　who　from　the　start　subject　the　answers　given　them　to　a　rigid　scrutiny　and　who　test　belief　by　results。　Let　any　one　read　the　beliefs　of　savages；　let　him　study　the　beliefs　of　the　civilized　in　the　spirit　in　which　he　would　test　the　statement　of　the　performance　of　an　automobile；　and　he　can　but　marvel　at　man's　credulity。　Belief　and　the　acceptance　of　authority　are　the　conservative　forces　of　society；　and　they　have　their　origin　in　the　nursery　when　the　child　asks；　〃Why　does　the　moon　get　smaller？〃　and　the　mother　answers；　〃Because；　dear；　God　cuts　a　piece　off　every　day　to　make　the　stars　with。〃　The　authorities；　recognizing　that　their　power　lay　in　unquestioning　belief；　have　always　sanctified　it　and　made　the　pious；　non…skeptical　type　the　ideal　and　punished　the　non…believer　with　death　or　ostracism。　Fortunately　for　the　race；　the　skeptic；　if　silenced；　modifies　the　strength　of　the　belief　he　attacks　and　in　the　course　of　time　even　they　who　have　defended　begin　to　shift　from　it　and　it　becomes　refuted。　Beliefs；　as　Lecky＇1＇　so　well　pointed　out；　are　not　so　of　ten　destroyed　as　become　obsolete。　＇1＇　Lecky：　〃History　of　European　Morals。〃　As　he　points　out；　the　belief　in　witc