the foundations of personality-第66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！


on　or　another；　and　he　rarely　recognizes　the　superiority　of　his　immediate　superiors；　though　he　is　loyal　enough　to　the　boss。　He　lives　in　that　〃quiet　despair〃　that　Thoreau　so　aptly　describes　as　the　life　of　the　average　man；　and　he　seeks　escape　from　it　in　smoking；　in　belonging　to　a　variety　of　fraternal　organizations；　in　the　movies　and　the　detective　story。　He　is　a　〃good〃　father　and　husband；　which　means　that　he　turns　over　all　his　earnings；　is　faithful　and　kind。　Except　that　he　admonishes　and　punishes　his　children　when　they　are　〃bad；〃　he　takes　no　constructive　share　in　their　training　and　leaves　that　to　the　mother；　the　church　and　the　school。　He　and　his　wife　are　attached　to　one　another　through　habit　and　mutual　need；　but　they　have　some　time　since　outlived　passion　and　intense　affection。　She　has　sized　him　up　as　a　failure　and　knows　herself　doomed　to　struggle　against　poverty；　and　he　knows　that　she　understands　him。　This　mutual　〃understanding〃　keeps　them　at　arm's　length　except　in　the　face　of　danger　or　disaster；　when　they　cling　to　each　other　for　comfort　and　support。　This　is　the　history　of　many　a　marriage　that　on　its　surface　is　quiet　and　peaceful。　The　hypokinetic　types。　We　cannot　separate　energy　display　from　enthusiasm；　courage；　intelligence；　persistent　purpose；　etc。　If　I　have　made　myself　clear　in　the　preceding　pages　of　this　book；　you　will　realize　that　no　character　of　man　works　alone；　but　all　feeling；　thought　and　action　is　a　resultant　of　forces。　Nevertheless；　there　are　those　in　whom　the　fire　of　life　burns　high　and　others　in　whom　it　burns　low；　and　either　group　may　be　of　totally　different　qualities　otherwise。　There　are　people　of　low　energy　discharge；　and　these　it　seems　to　me　are　of　two　main　kinds；the　one　where　nothing　seems　to　arouse　or　create　powerful　motives　and　purposes；　and　the　other　in　whom　the　main　defect　is　a　rapidly　arising　exhaustion。　The　first　I　call　the　simple　hypokinetic　group　and　the　other　the　irritable　hypokinetic　group。　The　simple　hypokinetic　person　may　be　one　of　any　grade　of　intelligence　but　more　commonly　is　of　low　intelligence。　In　any　school　for　the　feeble…minded　one　finds　the　apathetic　imbecile；　who　can　be　kept　at　work　by　goading　and　stimulation　of　one　kind　or　another；　who　does　not　tire　especially；　but　who　never　works　beyond　a　low　level　of　speed　and　enthusiasm。　5。　A　more　interesting　type　is　T。　He　may　be　called　the　intelligent　hypokinetic；　the　high…grade　failure。　As　a　baby　he　learned　to　walk　late；　though　he　talked　early　and　well。　He　played　in　a　leisurely　sort　of　way；　running　only　when　he　had　to　and　content　as　a　rule　to　be　in　the　house。　He　was　not　seclusive；　seeming　to　enjoy　the　company　of　other　children；　but　rarely　made　any　efforts　to　seek　them　out。　He　was　quick　to　learn　but　showed　only　a　moderate　curiosity；　and　he　rarely　made　any　investigations　on　his　own　account。　It　was　noticed　that　he　seldom　asked　〃why〃　in　the　usual　manner　of　intelligent　children。　He　did　fairly　well　in　school；　he　had　a　wonderful　memory　and　seemed　to　see　very　quickly　into　intricate　problems。　It　was　always　a　great　surprise　of　his　teachers　that　he　was　so　bright；　as　one　said；　in　comparison　to　his　standing。　Once　or　twice　a　zealous　teacher　sought　to　stimulate　him　into　more　effort　and　study；　but　though　he　responded　for　a　short　time；　gradually　he　slipped　back　into　his　own　easy　pace。　He　went　through　high　school；　and　on　the　basis　of　a　splendid　memory　and　a　keen　intelligence；　which　by　this　time　were　easily　recognized；　he　was　sent　to　college。　He　took　no　part　in　athletics　and　little　part　in　the　communal　college　activities。　He　had　so　good　a　command　of　facts　and　with　this　so　cynical　a　point　of　view　that　he　became　quite　a　college　character　and　was　pointed　out　as　a　fellow　who　could　lead　his　class　if　he　would。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　nothing　could　spur　him　to　real　competitive　effort。　We　may　pass　briefly　over　his　life。　After　he　left　college；　he　drifted　from　one　position　to　another。　Usually　in　some　hack　literary　line。　Were　it　not　for　a　small　income　he　would　have　starved。　After　a　few　years　he　become　very　fat　and　gross　looking；　and　then　came　a　kindly　pneumonia　which　carried　him　off。　We　must　not　mistake　the　stolid　for　the　hypokinetic。　There　was　a　classmate　of　mine　in　the　medical　school；　a　large；　quiet　fellow；　D。　M。；　who　got　by　everything；　as　the　boys　said；　by　the　skin　of　his　teeth。　He　worked　without　enthusiasm　or　zeal；　studied　infrequently　and　managed　to　pass　along　to　his　second　year；　at　about　the　bottom　of　the　class。　In　that　year　we　took　up　bacteriology；　the　〃bug…bear〃　as　one　punster　put　it；　of　the　school。　Just　what　it　was　about　the　subject　that　aroused　D。　M。　I　never　knew；　but　a　remarkable　transformation　took　place。　The　man　changed　over；　studied　hard；　read　outside　literature　and　actually　asked　for　the　privilege　of　working　in　the　laboratory　Sundays　and　holidays　so　that　he　might　learn　more。　When　this　was　known　to　the　rest　of　the　class；　there　were　bets　placed　that　he　would　not　〃last；〃　but　quite　to　the　surprise　of　everybody　D。　M。　gained　in　momentum　as　he　went　along。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　his　interest　on　the　subject　grew；　and　he　is　now　a　bacteriologist　of　good　standing。　In　fact；　his　lack　of　interest　in　other　matters　has　helped　him；　since　he　has　no　distracting　tastes　or　pleasures。　Thus　there　are　persons　of　specialized　interest　and　energy；　and　it　may　well　be　that　there　is　for　most　of　the　hypokinetic　a　line　of　work　that　would　act　to　energize　them。　The　problem；　therefore；　in　each　case　is　to　find　the　latent　ability　and　interest　and　to　regard　no　case　as　really　hopeless。　I　say　this　despite　the　fact　that　I　believe　some　cases　are　hopeless。　The　pessimistic　attitude　on　the　part　of　parent　or　teacher　kills　effort；　the　optimistic　attitude　fosters　energetic　effort。　6。　The　irritable　hypokinetic。　Irritability＇1＇　of　a　pathological　type　as　a　phase　of　lowered　energy　is　well　known　to　every　physiologist　and　in　the　practical　everyday　world　is　seen　in　the　tired　and　sick。　There　are　people　who　from　the　very　start　of　life　show　lowered　endurance；　who　respond　to　certain　stimuli　in　an　excessive　manner　and　are　easily　exhausted。　This　type　the　neurologist　calls　the　congenital　neurasthenic；　and　it　may　be　we　are　dealing　here　with　some　defect　in　the　elimination　of　fatigue　products。　This；　however；　is　only　a　guess；　and　the　disease　factor；　if　there　is　any；　is　entirely　unknown。　I　do　not　pretend　that　the　person　I　am　to　describe　is　entirely　representative　of　this　group。　Indeed；　no　dozen　cases　would　show　all　the　symptoms　and　peculiarities　of　the　irritable　hypokinetic　group。　＇1＇　One　must　take　care　not　to　mistake　the　irritability　which　is　the　characteristic　of　all　living　tissue　for　the　irritability　here　considered。

E。　is　a　man　at　present　thirty　years　of　age。　In　person　he　is　of　average　height；　rather　slender；　with　delicate　features；　somewhat　bald；　quick　in　action　and　speech。　He　flushes　easily　and　thus　often　has　high　color；　especially　when　fatigued　or　excited。　This　〃vasomotor　irritability；〃　as　the　physicians　call　it；　is　quite　common　in　this　group　of　people；　and　in　fact　in　all　neurasthenia；　whether　acquired　or　congenital。　Though　I　have　described　E。　as　belonging　to　the　slender　type　of　person；　it　is　necessary　to　say　that　stout；　rugged…looking　people　are　often　irritable　and　hypokinetic。　As　a　child　E。　〃never　could　stand　excitement　or　strain；〃　as　his　mother　says。　What　is　meant　is　this：　that　he　became　overexcited　under　almost　any　circumstances　and　became　profoundly　fatigued　afterwards。　As　we　have　seen；　the　intense　diffusion　of　excitement　throughout　the　whole　body　is　a　sign　of　the　childish　and　inferior　organism；　as　maturity　approaches　and　throughout　childhood　excitability　decreases　and　is　better　localized。　When　a　noise　is　heard　an　infant　jumps；　and　so　do　people　like　E。；　but　the　better　controlled　merely　turn　their　head　and　eyes　to　see　what　the　source　of　the　noise　may　be。　This　lack　of　control　of　excitement　extended　in　E。's　case　to　play；　entertainment；　novelty　of　any　kind；　crowds　and　especially　to　the　disagreeable　excitement　of　quarrels；　fights；　terrifying　experiences；　etc。　Under　anger　he　trembled；　grew　pale；　and　his　shouts　and　screams　were　beyond　control；　under　fear　he　became　actually　sick；　vomited　and　showed　a　liability　to　syncope　of　an　alarming　kind。　E。　was　not　the　selfish　type　of　the　neurasthenic；　he　was　gentle　and　kind　and　ready　to　share　with　everybody；　a　lovable　boy　of　an　intensely　sociable　nature。　Nevertheless；　his　high　excitability　and　his　quick　fatigue　made　it　necessary　to　shelter　him；　for　any　effort　at　toughening　merely　brought　about　a　〃breakdown。〃　Here　we　must　reemphasize　the　fundamental　importance　of　the　fatigue　reactions。　The　normal　fatigue　reaction　is　to　feel　weary；　to　desire　rest　and　to　be　able　to　rest　and　sleep。　The　abnormal　reaction；　one　directly　opposed　to　the　well…being　of　the　individual；　is　to　feel　exhausted；　to　become　restless　and　to　find　it　difficult　to　sleep。　There　are　children　who　thrive　on　excitement　and　exertion；　they　sleep　sounder　for　it；　they　recuperate　readily　and　gain　in　strength　and　endurance　with　every　ordinary　burden　put　upon　them。　There　are　others　to　whom　anything　but　the　least　excitement　and　exertion　acts　as　a　poison；　making　them　restless　and　exhausted。　Not　all　children　who　show　this　perverse　fatigue　reaction　grow　up　with　it。　It　may　be　only　a　temporary　phase　of　their　lives；　but　while　it　lasts　it　is　very　troublesome。　In　E。's