the foundations of personality-第44节

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ed　as　become　obsolete。　＇1＇　Lecky：　〃History　of　European　Morals。〃　As　he　points　out；　the　belief　in　witchcraft　never　was　disproved；　it　simply　died　because　science　made　it　impossible　to　believe　that　witches　could　disorganize　natural　laws。

It　may　seem　as　if　imitation　were　a　separate　principle　in　mental　growth；　and　there　have　been　many　to　state　this。　As　is　well　known　Tarde　made　it　a　leading　factor　in　human　development。　It　seems　to　me　that　it　is　linked　up　with　desire　for　experience；　desire　for　fellowship；　and　also　with　a　strongly　competitive　feeling；　which　is　early　manifest　in　children　and　which　may　be　called　〃a　want　of　what　the　other　fellow　has。〃　Children　at　the　age　of　a　year　and　up　may　be　perfectly　pleased　with　what　they　have　until　they　see　another　child　playing　with　something；something　perhaps　identical　with　their　own。　They　then　betray　a　decided；　uncontrollable　desire　for　the　other　child's　toy；　they　are　no　longer　content　with　their　own；　and　by　one　means　or　another　they　seek　to　get　it；by　forcible　means；　by　wheedling　or　coaxing；　or　by　tormenting　their　parents。　The　disappearance　of　contentment　through　the　competitive　feeling；　the　competitive　nature　of　desire；　the　role　that　envy　plays　in　the　happiness　and　effort　of　man；　is　a　thesis　emphasized　by　every　moralist　and　philosopher　since　the　beginning　of　things。　In　the　strivings　of　every　man；　though　he　admit　it　or　not；　one　of　the　secret　springs　of　his　energy　is　this　law　of　desire；　that　a　large　part　of　its　power　and　persistence　is　in　the　competitive　feeling；　is　in　envy　and　the　wish　to　taste　what　others　are　experiencing。　A　basic　law　of　desire　lies　in　an　observation　of　Lotze；　elaborated　by　William　James。　We　may　talk　of　selfishness　and　altruism　as　if　they　were　entirely　separate　qualities　of　human　nature。　But　what　seems　to　be　true　is　that　one　is　an　extension　of　the　other；　that　is；　we　are　always　concerned　with　the　ego　feeling；　but　in　the　one　case　the　ego　feeling　is　narrow　and　in　the　other　case　it　includes　others　as　part　of　the　ego。　Lotze's　observations　on　clothes　shows　that　we　expend　ego　feeling　in　all　directions；　that　we　tend　to　be　as　tall　as　our　top　hats　and　as　penetrating　as　our　walking　sticks；　that　the　man　who　has　a　club　in　his　hand　has　a　tactile　sense　to　the　very　end　of　the　club。　James　in　his　marvelous　chapter　on　the　various　selves　points　out　that　a　man's　interests　and　affections　are　his　selves；　and　that　they　enclose　one　another　like　the　petals　of　a　rose。　We　may　speak　of　unipetalar　selves；　who　include　only　their　own　bodies　in　self…feeling；　of　bipetalar　selves　who　include　in　it　their　families；　and　from　there　on　we　go　to　selves　who　include　their　work；　their　community；　their　nation；　until　we　reach　those　very　rare　souls　whose　petals　cover　all　living　things。　So　men　extend　their　self…feeling；　if　ambitious；　to　their　work；　to　their　achievements；if　paternal　to　their　children；　if　domestic；　to　wife　and　home；　if　patriotic　to　the　nation；　etc。　Development　lies　in　the　extension　of　the　self…feeling　and　in　the　increase　of　its　intensity。　But　the　obstacle　lies　in　the　competitive　feelings；　in　that　dualism　of　man's　nature　that　makes　him　yearn　not　only　for　fellowship；　but　also　for　superiority。　These　desires　are　in　eternal　opposition；　but　are　not　necessarily　antagonistic；　any　more　than　are　the　thumb　and　the　little　finger　as　they　meet　in　some　task；　any　more　than　are　excitation　and　inhibition。　Every　function　in　our　lives　has　its　check　and　balance；　and　fellowship；　yearning　and　superiority　urge　one　another。　From　the　cradle　to　the　grave；　we　desire　fellowship　as　an　addition　to　our　gregarious　feeling。　We　ask　for　approval；　for　we　expand　under　sympathy　and　contract　under　cold　criticism。　Nothing　is　so　pleasant　as　〃appreciation；〃　which　means　taking　us　at　our　own　valuation　or　adding　to　it；；　and　there　is　no　complaint　so　common　as；　〃They　don't　understand　me；〃　which　merely　means；　〃They　blame　me　without　understanding　that　I　really　seek　the　good；　that　I　am　really　good；　though　perhaps　I　seem　not　to　be。〃　The　child　who　hurts　its　thumb　runs　to　its　mother　for　sympathy；　and　the　pain　is　compensated　for；　at　least　in　part；　by　that　sympathy。　Throughout　life　we　desire　sympathy　for　our　hurts；　except　where　that　sympathy　brings　with　it　a　feeling　of　inferiority。　To　be　helped　by　others　in　one　way　or　another　is　the　practical　result　of　this　aspect　of　fellowship。　（There　is　a　convincing　physical　element　in　the　feelings　and　desires　of　man；　evidenced　in　language　and　phrase。　Superiority　equals　aboveness；　inferiority　equals　beneathness；　sympathy　equals　the　same　feeling。　To　criticize　is　to　〃belittle〃　and　to　cause　the　feeling　of　littleness；　to　praise　is　〃to　make　a　man　expand；〃　to　enlarge　him。　Blame　hurts　one's　feelings；〃He　wounded　me；〃　etc。）　At　the　same　time　we　are　strangely　affected　by　the　condition　of　others。　Where　no　competitive…jealousy　complex　is　at　work；　we　laugh　with　other　people　in　their　happiness；　we　are　moved　to　tears　by　suffering；　we　admire　vigor；　beauty　and　the　fine　qualities　of　others；　we　accept　their　purposes　and　beliefs；　we　are　glad　to　agree　with　the　stranger　or　the　friend　and　hate　to　disagree。　We　establish　within　ourselves　codes　and　standards　largely　because　we　wish　to　accept　and　believe　and　act　in　the　same　way　as　do　those　we　want　as　fellows。　Having　set　up　that　code　as　conscience　or　ideals；　it　helps　us　to　govern　our　lives；　it　gives　a　stability　in　that　we　tend　at　once　to　resist　jealousy；　envy；　the　〃wrong〃　emotions　and　actions。　〃Helping　others〃　becomes　a　great　motive　in　life；　responding　to　misery　with　tears；　consolation　and　kindness；　reacting　to　the　good　deeds　of　others　with　praise。　To　be　generous　and　charitable　becomes　method　for　the　extension　of　fellowship。　Asking　for　help　in　its　varied　form　of　praise；　appreciation　and　kindness；　giving　help　as　appreciation　and　kindness；　are　the　weak　and　strong　aspects　of　the　fellowship　feelings。　It　is　a　cynical　view　of　life；　perhaps；　but　it　is　probably　true　that　the　weak　phase　is　more　common　and　more　constant　than　the　second。　Almost　everybody　loves　praise　and　appreciation；　for　these　enlarge　the　ego　feeling；　and　some；　perhaps　most；　like　to　be　helped；　though　here；　as　was　above　stated；　there　is　a　feeling　of　inferiority　aroused　which　may　be　painful。　Relatively　there　are　few　who　are　ready　to　praise；　especially　those　with　whom　they　are　in　close　contact　and　with　whom　they　are　in　a　sort　of　rivalry。　The　same　is　true　of　genuine　appreciation；　of　real　warm　fellow　feeling；　the　leader；　the　hero；　the　great　man　receives　that　but　not　the　fellow　next　door。　As　for　giving；　charity；　kindness；　these　are　common　enough　in　a　sporadic　fashion；　but　rarely　are　they　sustained　and　constant；　and　often　they　have　to　depend　on　the　desire　〃not　to　be　outdone；〃　not　to　seem　inferior；have；　as　it　were；　to　be　shamed　into　activity。　For　there　is　competition　even　in　fellowship。　There　are　people；　especially　among　the　hysterics；　who　are　deeply　wounded　when　sympathy　is　not　given；　when　appreciation　and　praise　is　withheld　or　if　there　is　the　suggestion　of　criticism。　They　are　people　of　a　〃tender　ego；〃　not　self…sustaining；　demanding　the　help　of　others　and　reacting　to　the　injury　sustained；　when　it　is　not　given；　by　prolonged　emotion。　These　sensitive　folk；　who　form　a　most　difficult　group；　do　not　all　react　alike；　of　course。　Some　respond　with　anger　and　ideas　of　persecution；　some　with　a　prolonged　humiliation　and　feeling　of　inferiority；　still　others　develop　symptoms　that　are　meant　to　appeal　to　the　conscience　of　the　one　who　has　wounded　them。　On　the　other　hand；　there　are　those　whose　feeling　of　self　sustains　them　in　the　face　of　most　criticism；　who　depend　largely　upon　the　established　mentor　within　themselves　and　who　seek　to　conform　to　the　rulings　of　that　inward　mentor。　Such　people；　if　not　martyred　too　soon；　and　if　possessed　of　a　fruitful　ideal；　lay　new　criteria　for　praise　and　blame。　Contrasting　with　the　desires　and　purposes　of　fellowship　we　find　the　desires　and　purposes　of　superiority　and　power。　Primarily　these　are　based　on　what　McDougall　calls　the　instinct　of　self…display；　which　becomes　intellectualized　and　socialized　very　early　in　the　career　of　the　child。　In　fact；　we　might　judge　a　man　largely　by　the　way　he　displays　himself；　whether　by　some　essentially　personal　bodily　character；　some　essentially　mental　attribute　or　some　essentially　moral　quantity；　whether　he　seeks　superiority　as　a　means　of　getting　power　or　as　a　means　of　doing　good；　whether　he　seeks　it　within　or　without　the　code。　One　might　go　on　indefinitely；　including　such　matters　as　whether　he　seeks　superiority　with　tact　or　the　reverse　and　whether　he　understands　the　essential　shallowness　and　futility　of　his　pursuit　or　not。　To　be　superior　is　back　of　most　of　striving；　and　it　is　the　most　camouflaged　of　all　human　motives　and　pleasures。　For　this　is　true：　that　the　preaching　of　humility；　of　righteous　conduct；　of　service；　of　self…sacrifice；　by　religion　and　ethics　have　convinced　man　that　these　are　the　qualities　one　ought　to　have。　So　men　seek；　whenever　they　can；　to　dress　their　other　motives　and　feelings　in　the　garb　of　altruism。　Camouflage　of　motive　as　a　means　of　social　approval　has　thus　become　a　very　important　part　of　character；　we　seek　constantly　to　penetrate　the　camouflage　of　our　rivals　and　enemies　and　bitterly　resist　any　effort　to　strip　away　our　own；　often　enough　hiding　it　successfully　from　ourselves。　There　are　few　who　face　boldly　th