the foundations of personality-第75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！


；　energy；　interest　and　enthusiasm。　Fortunately　the　armistice　came　at　this　time。　S。　was　examined　and　discharged　as　well　because　he　made　no　complaints；　for　he　was　anxious　to　get　home。　This　was　his　one　great　desire。　At　home；　with　a　nice　bed　to　sleep　in；　good　food　to　eat　and　the　pleasant　faces　of　his　own　people；　his　〃nerves〃　would　yield；　he　had　no　doubt。　But　he　was　mistaken；　this　was　not　the　case。　He　became　no　better；　and　though　he　tried　his　old　〃job；〃　he　found　that　he　could　not　find　the　energy；　enthusiasm　or　concentration　necessary　for　success。　He　was　then　referred　to　the　United　States　Public　Health　Service；　where　I　saw　him；　and　he　became　my　patient。　My　first　problem　was　to　restore　the　power　of　sleeping。　This　I　succeeded　in　doing　by　means　that　were　entirely　〃physical。〃　With　that　accomplished；　the　man　became　hopeful　of　further　results；　and　this　enabled　one　to　bring　about　a　desire　for　food；　again　by　physical　means；　medicine；　in　short。　The　problem　of　awaking　S。's　interest　simmered　down　to　that　of　finding　an　outlet　for　his　ambition。　The　Federal　Vocational　Board　granted　him　the　right　to　take　up　a　business　course　in　a　college。　Though　he　found　the　study　hard　at　first；　he　was　encouraged　to　keep　on　and　told　to　expect　little　of　himself　at　first。　This　is　an　important　point；　for　if　a　man　holds　himself　to　a　high　standard　under　conditions　such　as　those　of　S。；　then　failure　brings　a　discouragement　that　upsets　the　treatment。　At　any　rate　this　method　of　readjustment；　with　its　reliance　on　medicines　to　bring　sleep　and　appetite　and　on　training　to　bring　hope　and　relief　from　introspection；　worked　splendidly。　The　fact　is　that　no　abstruse　complicated　psychological　analysis　was　necessary　here　or　in　most　cases。　A　man　is　〃jarred〃　from　light…hearted　health　to　a　grim　discouraged　state。　This　discouragement　brings　with　it　sleeplessness　and　loss　of　appetite；　and　there　gradually　develops　a　series　of　habits　which　lower　endurance　and　energy。　The　habit　elements　in　this　condition　are　not　enough　recognized；　and　also　the　fact　that　most　of　the　disability　is　physical　in　its　development　though　psychological　at　the　start。　That　is；　A。　had　a　severe　emotional　reaction　to　a　horrible　experience；　this　brought　about　insomnia　and　disordered　nutrition；　and　these；　by　lowering　the　endurance　and　ability；　brought　to　being　a　vicious　circle　of　fatigue　and　depression；　in　which　fatigue　caused　depression　and　depression　increased　fatigue。　The　treatment　must　be　directed　at　first　to　the　physical　factors；　and　with　these　conquered　the　acquired　forms　of　anhedonia　usually　yield　readily。　It　would　be　interesting　to　consider　other　types　related　to　the　anhedonic　personality。　The　complainer；　the　whiner；　the　nag；　all　these　are　basically　people　who　are　hard　to　satisfy。　The　artistic　temperament　（found　rather　frequently　in　the　non…artistic）　is　hyperesthetic；　uncontrolled；　irritably　egoistic　and　demands　homage　and　service　from　others　which　exceeds　the　merit　of　the　individual；　in　other　words；　there　is　added　to　the　anhedonic　element　an　unreasonableness　that　is　peculiarly　exasperating。　I　pass　these　interesting　people　by　and　turn　to　the　opposite　of　the　anhedonic　group；　the　group　that　is　hearty　in　tastes　and　appetites；　easily　pleased　as　a　rule　and　often　crude　in　their　relish　of　life。　There　are　two　main　divisions　of　these　hearty　simple　people；those　who　are　untrained　and　relatively　uneducated；　and　whose　simplicity　may　disappear　under　cultivation；　and　another　typecultivated；　educated；　wisewho　still　retain　unspoiled　appetite　and　hearty　enjoyment。　Briefly　let　me　introduce　Dr。　O。；　an　athlete　in　his　youth　and　always　a　lover　of　the　great　outdoors。　O。　is　Homeric　in　the　simplicity　of　his　tastes。　A　house　is　a　place　in　which　to　sleep；　clothes　are　to　keep　one　warm；　food　is　to　eat　and　the　manner　of　its　service　is　an　indifferent　matter。　He　enjoys　with　almost　huge　pleasure　good　things　to　eat　and　good　things　to　drink；　but　as　he　puts　it；　〃I　am　as　much　at　home　with　corned　beef　and　cabbage　as　I　am　with　any　epicurean　chef　d'oeuvre。　I　like　the　feel　of　silk　next　my　body；　but　cotton　pleases　me　as　much。〃　He　is　clean　and　bathes　regularly；　but　has　no　repulsion　against　dirt　and　disorder。　At　home；　among　the　utmost　refinements　of　our　present…day　life；　he　prefers　the　rough　bare　essentials　of　existence。　To　him　beauty　is　not　exotic；　but　everywhere　present；　and　he　sees　it　in　a　workman　clad　in　overalls　and　breaking　stone　quite　as　much　as　in　a　carefully　harmonized　landscape。　He　has　no　pose　about　the　beauty　of　nature　as　against　the　beauty　of　man's　creations；　and　he　thinks　that　a　puffing　freight　engine；　dragging　a　load　of　cars　up　a　grade；　is　as　much　a　thing　to　enthuse　about　as　a　graceful　deer　sniffing　the　scent　of　the　hunter　in　some　pine　grove。　Imbued　with　a　zeal　for　living　and　a　desire　for　experience；　O。　has　not　been　as　successful　as　one　more　cautious　and　less　impetuous　might　have　been。　He　loves　his　profession　so　well　that　he　would　rather　spend　a　day　on　an　interesting　case　in　the　ward　of　some　hospital　than　to　treat　half　a　dozen　rich　patients　in　his　consulting　room。　His　purpose　is　indeed　unified；　he　seeks　to　learn　and　to　impart；　but　the　making　of　money　seems　to　him　a　necessary　irrelevance；　almost　an　impertinent　intrusion　upon　the　real　purposes　of　life。　He　is　eager　to　know　people；　he　shows　a　naive　curiosity　about　them；　an　interest　that　flatters　and　charms。　All　the　phenomena　of　lifeesoteric；　commonplace；　queer　and　conventionalare　grist　to　his　mill。　His　sexual　life　has　not　differed　greatly　from　that　of　other　men。　In　his　early　youth　his　passions　outran　his　inhibitions；　and　he　tasted　of　this　type　of　experience　with　the　same　gusto　with　which　he　delved　into　books。　As　he　reached　early　manhood　he　fell　in　love　and　pledged　himself　to　chastity。　Though　he　fell　out　of　love　soon　his　pledge　remained　in　full　force；　and　though　he　cursed　himself　as　a　fool　he　held　himself　aloof　from　sex　adventure。　When　he　was　twenty…seven　he　again　fell　in　love；　had　an　impetuous　and　charming　courtship　and　married。　He　loves　his　wife；　and　there　is　in　their　intimacy　a　buoyant　yet　controlled　passion　which　values　love　for　its　own　sake。　He　enters　into　his　duties　as　father　with　the　same　zeal　and　appetite　that　characterizes　his　every　activity。　O。　is　no　mystic；　proclaiming　his　unity　with　all　existence；　in　the　fashion　of　Walt　Whitman。　Rather　he　is　a　man　with　a　huge　capacity　for　pleasure；　not　easily　disgusted　or　annoyed；　with　desires　that　reach　in　every　direction　yet　with　controlled　purpose　to　guide　his　life。　As　he　passes　into　middle　age　he　finds　his　pleasures　narrowing；　as　all　men　do；　and　he　finds　his　appetites　and　tastes　are　becoming　more　restricted。　This　is　because　his　purpose　becomes　more　dominant；　his　habits　are　more　imperious；　his　energy　less　exuberant。　In　thought　O。　is　almost　a　pessimist　because　his　knowledge　of　life；　his　intelligence　and　his　sympathy　make　it　difficult　to　understand　the　need　of　suffering；　of　disease　and　of　conflict。　But　in　emotion　he　still　remains　an　optimist；　glad　to　be　alive　at　any　price　and　rejoicing　in　the　life　of　all　things。　Apropos　of　this　contradiction　between　thought　and　mood；　it　is　sometimes　found　reversed。　There　are　those　whose　philosophy　is　optimistic；　who　will　not　see　aught　but　good　in　the　world；　yet　whose　facial　expression　and　actions　exhibit　an　essential　melancholy。　In　every　category　of　character　there　are　specialists；　individuals　whose　main　reactions　are　built　around　one　great　trait。　Thus　there　are　those　whose　egoism　takes　the　form　of　pride　in　family；　or　in　personal　beauty；　or　some　intellectual　capacity；　or　in　being　independent　of　others；　who　worship　self…reliance　or　self…importance。　There　are　the　individuals　whose　social　instincts　express　themselves　in　loquacity；　in　a　talkativeness　that　is　the　main　joy　of　their　lives；　though　not　at　all　the　joy　of　other　lives。　A　fascinating　series　of　personalities　in　this　respect　come　to　my　mindL。　B。；　who　talks　at　people；　never　with　them；　since　he　seems　to　take　no　note　of　their　replies；　T。　K。；　who　seems　to　regard　conversation　as　largely　a　means　of　demonstrating　her　superiority；　for　she　picks　her　subjects　with　the　care　a　general　selects　his　battlefield；　F。；　who　is　a　born　pedagogue　and　seeks　to　instruct　whoever　listens　to　him；　whose　conversation　is　a　lecture　and　a　monologue；　R。　O。；　the　reticent；　says　little　but　that　pertinent　and　relevant；　cynical　and　shrewd；　and　R。　V。；　who　says　little　and　that　with　timidity　and　error。　So　there　are　specialists　in　caution　and　〃common　sense；〃　self…controlled；　never　rash；　calculating；　cool　and　egotistic；　narrow　and　successful。　Every　one　knows　this　type；　as　every　one　knows　the　〃fool；〃　with　his　poor　judgment；　his　unwise　confidence　in　himself　and　others；　his　lack　of　restraint。　There　is　the　tactful　man；　conciliating；　pliant；　seeking　his　purposes　through　the　good　will　of　others　which　he　obtains　by　〃oil〃　and　agreeableness；　and　there　is　the　aggressive　man；　preferring　to　fight；　energetic；　at　times　rash；　apt　to　be　domineering；　and　crashing　on　to　victory　or　defeat　according　to　the　caliber　of　his　opponents　and　the　nature　of　the　circumstances。　Those　whose　ego　feeling　is　high；　whose　desire　for　superiority　matches　up　well　with　their　feeling　of　superiority　are　often　called　the　conceited。　Really　they　are　conceited　only　if　they　show　their　feelings；　as；　for　example；　does　W。　Wherever　he　goes　W。　seeks　to　occupy　the　center　of　the