lectures11-13-第2节
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babes are suggested； and men pent into a burning theatre have
been known to cut their way through the crowd with knives。＇144＇
＇144＇ 〃'Love would not be love；' says Bourget； 'unless it could
carry one to crime。' And so one may say that no passion would be
a veritable passion unless it could carry one to crime。〃
（Sighele： Psychollogie des sectes； p。 136。） In other words；
great passions annul the ordinary inhibitions set by
〃conscience。〃 And conversely； of all the criminal human beings；
the false； cowardly； sensual； or cruel persons who actually live；
there is perhaps not one whose criminal impulse may not be at
some moment overpowered by the presence of some other emotion to
which his character is also potentially liable； provided that
other emotion be only made intense enough。 Fear is usually the
most available emotion for this result in this particular class
of persons。 It stands for conscience； and may here be classed
appropriately as a 〃higher affection。〃 If we are soon to die； or
if we believe a day of judgment to be near at hand； how quickly
do we put our moral house in orderwe do not see how sin can
evermore exert temptation over us！ Old…fashioned hell…fire
Christianity well knew how to extract from fear its full
equivalent in the way of fruits for repentance； and its full
conversion value。
One mode of emotional excitability is exceedingly important in
the composition of the energetic character； from its peculiarly
destructive power over inhibitions。 I mean what in its lower
form is mere irascibility； susceptibility to wrath； the fighting
temper； and what in subtler ways manifests itself as impatience；
grimness； earnestness； severity of character。 Earnestness means
willingness to live with energy； though energy bring pain。 The
pain may be pain to other people or pain to one's selfit makes
little difference； for when the strenuous mood is on one； the aim
is to break something； no matter whose or what。 Nothing
annihilates an inhibition as irresistibly as anger does it； for；
as Moltke says of war； destruction pure and simple is its
essence。 This is what makes it so invaluable an ally of every
other passion。 The sweetest delights are trampled on with a
ferocious pleasure the moment they offer themselves as checks to
a cause by which our higher indignations are elicited。 It costs
then nothing to drop friendships； to renounce long…rooted
privileges and possessions； to break with social ties。 Rather do
we take a stern joy in the astringency and desolation； and what
is called weakness of character seems in most cases to consist in
the inaptitude for these sacrificial moods； of which one's own
inferior self and its pet softnesses must often be the targets
and the victims。＇145＇
＇145＇ Example： Benjamin Constant was often marveled at as an
extraordinary instance of superior intelligence with inferior
character。 He writes （Journal； Paris； 1895； p。 56）； 〃I am tossed
and dragged about by my miserable weakness。 Never was anything
so ridiculous as my indecision。 Now marriage； now solitude； now
Germany； now France hesitation upon hesitation； and all because
at bottom I am UNABLE TO GIVE UP ANYTHING。〃 He can't 〃get mad〃
at any of his alternatives； and the career of a man beset by such
an all…round amiability is hopeless。
So far I have spoken of temporary alterations produced by
shifting excitements in the same person。 But the relatively
fixed differences of character of different persons are explained
in a precisely similar way。 In a man with a liability to a
special sort of emotion； whole ranges of inhibition habitually
vanish； which in other men remain effective； and other sorts of
inhibition take their place。 When a person has an inborn genius
for certain emotions； his life differs strangely from that of
ordinary people； for none of their usual deterrents check him。
Your mere aspirant to a type of character； on the contrary； only
shows； when your natural lover； fighter； or reformer； with whom
the passion is a gift of nature； comes along； the hopeless
inferiority of voluntary to instinctive action。 He has
deliberately to overcome his inhibitions； the genius with the
inborn passion seems not to feel them at all； he is free of all
that inner friction and nervous waste。 To a Fox； a Garibaldi； a
General Booth； a John Brown； a Louise Michel； a Bradlaugh； the
obstacles omnipotent over those around them are as if
non…existent。 Should the rest of us so disregard them； there
might be many such heroes； for many have the wish to live for
similar ideals； and only the adequate degree of
inhibition…quenching fury is lacking。＇146＇
＇146＇ The great thing which the higher excitabilities give is
COURAGE； and the addition or subtraction of a certain amount of
this quality makes a different man； a different life。 Various
excitements let the courage loose。 Trustful hope will do it；
inspiring example will do it； love will do it； wrath will do it。
In some people it is natively so high that the mere touch of
danger does it； though danger is for most men the great inhibitor
of action。 〃Love of adventure〃 becomes in such persons a ruling
passion。 〃I believe；〃 says General Skobeleff； 〃that my bravery
is simply the passion and at the same time the contempt of
danger。 The risk of life fills me with an exaggerated rapture。
The fewer there are to share it； the more I like it。 The
participation of my body in the event is required to furnish me
an adequate excitement。 Everything intellectual appears to me to
be reflex； but a meeting of man to man； a duel； a danger into
which I can throw myself headforemost； attracts me； moves me；
intoxicates me。 I am crazy for it； I love it； I adore it。 I run
after danger as one runs after women； I wish it never to stop。
Were it always the same； it would always bring me a new pleasure。
When I throw myself into an adventure in which I hope to find it；
my heart palpitates with the uncertainty； I could wish at once to
have it appear and yet to delay。 A sort of painful and delicious
shiver shakes me； my entire nature runs to meet the peril with an
impetus that my will would in vain try to resist。 （Juliette Adam：
Le General Skobeleff； Nouvelle Revue； 1886； abridged。） Skobeleff
seems to have been a cruel egoist； but the disinterested
Garibaldi； if one may judge by his 〃Memorie；〃 lived in an
unflagging emotion of similar danger…seeking excitement。
The difference between willing and merely wishing； between having
ideals that are creative and ideals that are but pinings and
regrets； thus depends solely either on the amount of
steam…pressure chronically driving the character in the ideal
direction； or on the amount of ideal excitement transiently
acquired。 Given a certain amount of love； indignation；
generosity； magnanimity； admiration； loyalty； or enthusiasm of
self…surrender； the result is always the same。 That whole raft
of cowardly obstructions； which in tame persons and dull moods
are sovereign impediments to action； sinks away at once。 Our
conventionality；＇147＇ our shyness； laziness； and stinginess； our
demands for precedent and permission； for guarantee and surety；
our small suspicions； timidities； despairs； where are they now？
Severed like cobwebs； broken like bubbles in the sun
〃Wo sind die Sorge nun und Noth
Die mich noch gestern wollt' erschlaffen？
Ich scham' mich dess' im Morgenroth。〃
The flood we are borne on rolls them so lightly under that their
very contact is unfelt。 Set free of them； we float and soar and
sing。 This auroral openness and uplift gives to all creative
ideal levels a bright and caroling quality； which is nowhere more
marked than where the controlling emotion is religious。 〃The
true monk；〃 writes an Italian mystic； 〃takes nothing with him but
his lyre。〃
＇147＇ See the case on p。 69； above； where the writer describes
his experiences of communion with the Divine as consisting
〃merely in the TEMPORARY OBLITERATION OF THE CONVENTIONALITIES
which usually cover my life。〃
We may now turn from these psychological generalities to those
fruits of the religious state which form the special subject of
our present lecture。 The man who lives in his religious centre
of personal energy； and is actuated
