the foundations of personality-第64节

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acter　is　dynamic；　and　a　fundamental　disharmony；　even　if　not　noticeable　early　in　life；　may　progress　to　the　point　of　disruption　of　the　personality。　Thus　an　individual　who　is　strongly　egoistic　in　his　purposes　and　aims　may　succeed　if　at　the　same　time　he　is　determined　intelligent　and　shrewd。　But　let　us　suppose　he　has　a　son　who　is　as　strongly　egoistic；　is　as　determined；　but　lacks　intelligence　and　shrewdness。　Not　becoming　successful；　this　person　ascribes　his　failure　to　others　and　develops　ideas　of　persecution。　Again；　a　true　poet　is　a　person　of　keen　sensibilities；　but　he　must　possess　at　the　same　time　imaginative　intelligence　and　the　power　of　words。　Let　these　be　joined　in　proper　proportions；　and　his　verse　becomes　ours　and　we　hail　him　as　a　poet。　But　let　him　lack　the　power　of　words；　and　though　he　sweat　with　a　desire　to　write　he　is　a　failure　or　a　hack　poet；　making　up　by　industry　what　he　lacks　in　beauty。　Suppose　there　is　a　man　deeply　passionate；　thrilled　by　the　beauty　of　women　and　desiring　them　with　a　fierce　ardor；　and　yet　he　has　strong　inhibitions；　great　purposes　which　hold　him　steady。　Then　throughout　life　he　seems　calm；　chaste　and　controlled；　and　no　one　knows　of　the　turmoil　and　battle　within　him。　We　may　suppose　that　old　age＇1＇　or　a　sickness　lowers　his　inhibiting　qualities；　and　a　startling　change　in　conduct　results；　one　that　we　can　scarcely　believe　and　which　we　are　inclined　to　call　a　complete　transformation　of　personality。　In　reality；　a　disharmony　has　occurred；　some　trend　has　been　released；　and　conduct；　which　is　a　resultant；　changes　its　direction。　＇1＇　Sexual　misdemeanor　is　not　uncommon　in　old　men　who　have　hitherto　been　of　hallowed　reputation。

Inhibition　control；　may　develop　later　than　it　should；　as　I　have　already　mentioned。　At　adolescence　sex　desire　comes　suddenly　into　play；　but　usually　in　one　way　or　another　there　are　checks　upon　its　effects　already　established。　But　often　there　is　not；　and　the　boy　or　girl　plunges　into　a　sex　life　that　brings　them　into　violent　conflict　with　themselves　and　society。　Despite　their　efforts　the　non…ethical　conduct　continues；　despite　their　tears　and　vows　to　reform　they　are　swept　by　〃temptation〃　into　difficulty。　Then　suddenly　or　gradually；　perhaps　long　after　every　one　despairs　of　them；　the　inhibition　appears；　and　they　settle　down　to　a　controlled　life。　What　has　happened？　We　cannot　say　in　anatomical　terms；　but　from　a　psychological　standpoint　the　function　of　inhibition；　delayed　in　its　appearance；　finally　comes　on　the　scene。　We　see　this　delay　in　other　phases　of　character；　there　is　often　delay　in　sex　feeling；　in　the　interest　in　work；　in　love　of　the　beautiful；　in　control　of　anger；　etc。　Take　the　last　mentioned：　an　irascible　child　grows　into　an　irascible　adolescent　and　even　into　a　similar　adult；　flaring　up　under　the　least　provocation；　to　the　dismay　and　disgust　of　others　and　himself。　〃He　can't　control　himself；〃　so　say　others；　and　so　thinks　he。　He　vows　reform；　but　nothing　seems　to　help。　Then　like　a　miracle　comes　the　longed…for　inhibition；　anger　is　still　there　when　his　will　is　crossed　or　his　opinion　scouted；　but　a　firm　hand　is　on　it；　and　he　maintains　a　calm　he　had　despaired　of　reaching。　Man　is　a　bundle　of　disharmonies；　as　the　great　Eli　Metchnikoff　pointed　out；　physically；　psychologically　and　sociologically。　When　these　disharmonies　are　within　average　limits　we　do　not　notice　them；　when　they　are　greater　in　degree　they　bring　about　conduct　that　at　once　claims　attention。　Sometimes　a　disharmony　is　merely　an　excess　development　of　some　ability；　in　which　case；　if　the　ability　is　socially　valuable；　we　have　the　talented　person　or　the　genius。　This　is　often　the　case　with　the　artistic　abilities　and　also　with　the　physical　powers。　If　the　disharmony　involve　an　instinct；　an　emotion　or　certain　phases　of　the　intelligence；　we　are　brought　face　to　face　with　the　abnormal。　There　is；　of　course；　disharmony　through　ordinary　defect　as　in　feeble…mindedness；　as　in　absence　of　some　essential　emotion　or　instinct。　These　are　hopeless　situations　and　belong　in　the　grim　field　of　psychopathology。　Often　what　seems　to　be　a　defect　is　a　〃sleeping〃　quality；　and　one　that　will　awaken　under　appropriate　circumstance。　Conspicuously；　maternal　love　is　of　this　nature。　One　sees　a　girl　who　has　no　interest　in　children；　considers　them　bores　and　nuisances；　who　marries　with　the　hope　she　will　be　childless；　and　with　the　first　baby　becomes　a　passionately　devoted　mother；　even　fiercely　maternal。　In　the　following　pages　I　shall　sketch　some　prominent　character　types。　This　has　been　done　by　such　masters　as　Aristotle；　Spinoza；　Kant；　La　Bruyere；　Stewart；　Ribot；　Mill；　etc。；　but　with　a　different　purpose　and　starting　point　than　mine。　Every　great　novelist　is　a　professor　of　character　depiction。　Witness　Scrooge；　Pecksniff；　Mark　Tapley；　Pickwick；　Sam　Weller　and　his　father；　created　by　Dickens；　the　four　musketeers；　especially　D'Artagnon；　of　Dumas；　Amelia　and　Rebecca　Sharp；　George；　and　the　Major　of　Thackeray；　Jane　Austen's　heroines　and　George　Eliot's　men　and　women；　the　narrators　in　the　famous　Canterbury　Inn；　the　soldiers　of　Kipling；　the　Shylocks；　Macbeths；　Rosalinds　and　Falstaffs　of　the　greatest　dramatist；　the　thousand　and　one　fictitious　and　yet　real　figures　of　literature。　The　temperament　studies　by　the　psychologists　and　philosophers　have　been　too　broad　and　too　classical　to　be　of　practical　value。　Sanguine　and　choleric　temperament；　the　bilious；　the　nervous　and　the　phlegmatic；　the　quick　and　the　slow；　all　these　are　broad　divisions；　and　no　man　really　exemplifies　them。　What　I　propose　to　do　is　less　ambitious；　but　perhaps　more　practical。　I　shall　take　a　few　of　the　qualities　with　which　the　previous　pages　have　concerned　themselves　and　show　how　they　work　out　in　individuals　mainly　sketched　from　life。　It　will　seem　that　perhaps　a　disproportionate　number　are　pathological；　but　I　wish　to　insist　that　there　is　no　sharp　line　between　the　〃normal〃　and　〃pathological〃　in　character。　In　fact；　normality　is　an　abstract　conception；　an　ideal　never　reached　or　seen；　and　each　of　us　only　approaches　that　ideal　in　greater　or　lesser　degree。　Moreover；　certain　deviations　from　the　normal　are　useful；　as　the　assemblage　of　qualities　that　make　the　genius　or　the　reformer　of　certain　types。　Others　are　not　useful；　or　at　least　not　useful　in　the　environment　and　age　in　which　the　deviated　person　finds　himself。　Undoubtedly　the　abnormal　have　helped　found　religions；　for　one　who　〃hears〃　God　and　〃sees〃　him　as　do　many　of　the　insane；　if　intelligent　and　eloquent　at　the　same　time；　easily　convinces　others；　but　if　such　a　person　occurs　in　a　group　with　well…established　belief　and　resistant　to　the　new；　the　insane　hospital　soon　lodges　the　new　apostle。　I　shall　not　attempt　to　consider　all　the　varied　shades　of　harmony　and　disharmony；　the　extraordinary　variety　of　types。　There　are　as　many　varieties　of　persons　as　there　are　people；　and　the　mathematical　possibilities　exceed　computation。　Those　depicted　are　some　of　the　outstanding　types；　in　whom　qualities　and　combinations　of　qualities　can　easily　be　seen　at　work。

CHAPTER　XVII。　SOME　CHARACTER　TYPES　There　is　one　kind　of　energy　discharger　that　we　may　call　the　hyperkinetic；　controlled　practical　type。　This　group　is　characterized　by　great　and　constant　activity；　well　controlled　by　purpose；　with　eagerness　and　enthusiasm　manifested　in　each　act　but　not　excessively。　1。　A。　is　one　of　these　people。　In　school　he　specialized　in　athletics　and　was　a　fine　all…round　player　in　almost　every　sport。　When　he　left　high　school　to　go　to　work　he　at　once　entered　business。　His　employers　soon　found　him　to　be　a　tireless　worker；　steady　and　purposeful　in　everything。　In　addition　to　carrying　on　his　duties　by　day；　A。　studied　nights；　carefully　choosing　his　subjects　so　that　they　related　directly　to　his　business。　Despite　the　fact　that　his　work　was　hard　and　his　studies　exacting；　A。　had　energy　enough　left　to　join　social　organizations　and　to　take　a　leading　part　in　their　affairs。　He　became　quickly　known　as　one　of　those　busy　people　who　always　are　ready　to　take　on　more　work。　Naturally　this　led　to　his　becoming　a　leader；　first　in　his　social　relations　and　second　in　his　business。　Always　practical　in　his　judgments　and　actions；　A。　fell　in　love　with　the　daughter　of　a　rich　family　and　married　her；　with　the　full　approval　of　her　relatives；　who　were　keen　enough　to　see　that　his　energy；　power　and　control　were　destined　for　success。　The　leading　traits　that　A。　manifests　hinge　around　his　high　energy　and　control。　He　is　honest　and　conventional；　devoted　to　the　ideals　of　his　group　and　admires　learning；　but　he　is　not　in　any　sense　a　scholar。　He　is　a　poor　speaker；　in　the　ordinary　sense　of　that　term；　but　curiously　effective；　nevertheless；　because　his　earnest　energy　and　sturdy　common　sense　win　approval　as　〃not　a　theorist。〃　But　mainly　he　wins　because　he　is　tireless　in　energy　and　enthusiasm　and　yet　has　yoked　these　qualities　to　ordinary　purposes。　The　average　man　he　meets　understands　him　thoroughly；　sympathizes　with　him　completely　and　accepts　him　as　a　leader　after　his　own　heart。　So　A。　has　become　rich　and　respected。　As　times　goes　on；　as　he　is　brought　more　and　more　into　contact　with　large　affairs　outside　of　business；　as　a　trustee　of　hospitals　and　a　director　of　charitable　organizations；　he　broadens　out　but　not　into　an　〃unsafe〃　attitude。　He　pities　the　unfortunate　but　is　not　truly　sympathetic；　in　that　it　rarely　occurs　t