the foundations of personality-第13章

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re；　as　has　been　postulated；　is　there　a　toxin　of　fatigue；　or　is　there　a　〃vaso…motor〃　reaction；　a　shift　of　the　blood　supply　causing　a　cerebral　anaemia　and　thus　creating　the　〃sleepy〃　feeling？　The　capacity　to　sleep　is　a　factor　of　great　importance　and　we　shall　deal　with　it　later　under　a　separate　heading　as　part　of　the　mechanism　of　success　and　failure。　At　present　we　shall　simply　point　out　that　each　person　builds　up　a　set　of　habits　regarding　sleep；as　to　hour；　kind　of　place；　warmth；　companionship；　ventilation　and　even　the　side　of　the　body　he　shall　lie　on；　and　that　a　change　in　these　preliminary　matters　is　often　attended　by　insomnia。　Moreover；　a　change　from　the　habitual　in　the　general　conduct　of　lifea　new　city　or　town；　a　strange　bed；　a　disturbance　in　the　moods　and　emotionsmay　upset　the　sleep　capacity。　Those　in　whom　excitement　persists；　or　whose　emotions　are　persistent；　become　easily　burdened　with　the　dreaded　insomnia。　Sleep　is　dependent　on　an　exclusion　of　excitement　and　exciting　influences。　If；　however；　exciting　influences　become　habitual　they　lose　their　power　over　the　organism　and　then　the　individual　can　sleep　on　a　battle　field；　in　a　boiler　factory；　or　almost　anywhere。　Conversely；　many　a　New　Yorker　is　lulled　to　sleep　by　the　roar　of　the　great　city　who；　finds　that　the　quiet　of　the　country　keeps　him　awake。　＇1＇　As　good　a　book　as　any　on　the　subject　of　sleep　is　Boris　Sidis's　little　monograph。

Sleeplessness　often　enough　is　a　habit。　Something　happens　to　a　man　that　deeply　stirs　him；　as　an　insult；　or　a　falling　out　with　a　friend；　or　the　loss　of　money；something　which　disturbs　what　we　call　his　poise　or　peace　of　mind。　He　becomes　sleepless　because；　when　he　goes　to　bed　and　the　shock…absorbing　objects　of　daily　interest　are　removed；　his　thoughts　revert　back　to　his　difficulty；　he　becomes　again　humiliated　or　grieved　or　thrown　into　an　emotional　turmoil　that　prevents　sleep。　After　the　first　night　of　insomnia　a　new　factor　enters；the　fear　of　sleeplessness　and　the　conviction　that　one　will　not　sleep。　After　a　time　the　insult　has　lost　its　sting；　or　the　difficulty　has　been　adjusted；　there　is　no　more　emotional　distress；　but　there　is　the　established　sleeplessness；　based　on　habitual　emotional　reaction　to　sleep。　I　know　one　lady　whose　fear　reached　the　stage　where　she　could　not　even　bear　the　thought　of　night　and　darkness。　It　is　in　these　cases　that　a　powerful　drug　used　two　or　three　nights　in　succession　breaks　up　the　sleepless　habit　and　reestablishes　the　power　to　sleep。　People　differ　in　their　capacity　to　form　habits　and　in　their　love　of　habits。　The　normal　habits；　thoroughness；　neatness　and　method　come　easily　to　some　and　are　never　really　acquired　by　others。　People　of　an　impetuous；　explosive　or　reckless　character；　keenly　alive　to　every　shade　of　difference　in　things；　find　it　hard　to　be　methodical；　to　carry　on　routine。　The　impatient　person　has　similar　difficulties。　Whereas　others　take　readily　to　the　same　methods　of　doing　things　day　by　day；　and　these　are　usually　non…explosive；　well　inhibited；　patient　persons；　to　whom　the　way　a　thing　is　done　is　as　important　as　the　goal　itself。　Here　comes　a　very　entertaining　problem；　the　question　of　the　value　of　habits。　Good　habits　save　time　and　energy；　tend　to　eliminate　useless　labor　and　make　for　peace　and　quiet。　But　there　is　a　large　body　of　persons　who　come　to　value　habits　for　themselves　and；　indeed；　this　is　true　to　a　certain　extent　of　all　of　us。　Once　an　accustomed　way　of　doing　things　is　established　it　becomes　not　only　a　path　of　least　resistance；　but　a　sort　of　fixed　point　of　view；　and；　if　one　may　mix　metaphors　a　trifle；　a　sort　of　trunk　for　the　ego　to　twine　itself　around。　There　is　uneasiness　in　the　thought　of　breaking　up　habits；　an　uneasiness　that　grows　the　more　as　we　become　older　and　is　deepened　into　agony　if　the　habit　is　tinged　with　our　status　in　life；　if　it　has　become　a　sort　of　measure　of　our　respectability。　Thus　a　good　housekeeper　falls　into　the　habits　of　doing　things　which　were　originally　a　mark　of　her　ability；　which　she　holds　as　sacred　and　values　above　her　health　and　energy。　There　are　people　who　fiercely　resent　a　new　way　of　doing　things；　they　have　woven　their　most　minor　habits　into　their　ego　feeling　and　thus　make　a　personal　issue　of　innovations。　These　are　the　upholders　of　the　established；　they　hate　change　as　such；　they　are　efficient　but　not　progressive。　In　its　pathological　form　this　type　becomes　the　〃health　fiends〃　who　never　vary　in　their　diet　or　in　their　clothing；　who　arise　at　a　certain　time；　take　their　〃plunge〃　regardless；　take　their　exercise　and　their　breakfasts　alike　as　a　health　measure　without　real　enjoyment；　etc。；　who　grow　weary　if　they　stay　up　half　an　hour　or　so　beyond　their　ordinary　bedtime；　they　are　the　individuals　who　fall　into　health　cults；　become　vegetarians；　raw　food　exponents；　etc。　Opposed　to　the　group　that　falls　into　habits　very　readily　is　the　group　that　finds　it　difficult　to　acquire　habitual　ways　of　working　and　living。　All　of　us　seek　change　and　variety；　as　well　as　stability。　Some　cannot　easily　form　habits　because　they　are　quickly　bored　by　the　habitual。　These　restless　folk　are　the　failures　or　the　great　successes；　according　to　their　intelligence　and　good　fortune。　There　is　a　low…grade　intelligence　type；　without　purpose　and　energy；　and　there　is　a　high…grade　intelligence　type；　seeking　the　ideal；　restless　under　imperfection　and　restraint；　disdaining　the　commonplace　and　the　habits　that　go　with　it。　Is　their　disdain　of　habit…forming　and　customs　the　result　of　their　unconventional　ways；　or　do　their　unconventional　ways　result　because　they　cannot　easily　form　habits？　It　is　very　probable　that　the　true　wanderer　and　Bohemian　finds　it　difficult；　at　least　in　youth；　to　form　habits；　and　that　the　pseudo…Bohemian　is　merely　an　imitation。　Habit　is　so　intimately　a　part　of　all　traits　and　abilities　that　we　would　be　anticipating　several　chapters　of　this　book　did　we　go　into　all　the　habit　types。　Social　conditions；　desire；　fatigue；　monotony；　purpose；　intelligence；　inhibition；　all　enter　into　habit　and　habit　formation。　Youth　experiments　with　habit；　old　age　clings　to　it。　Efficiency　is　the　result　of　good　habits　but　originality　is　the　reward　of　some　who　discard　habits。　A　nation　forms　habits　which　seem　to　be　part　of　its　nature；　until　emigration　to　another　land　shows　the　falsity　of　this　belief。　So　with　individuals：　a　man　feels　he　must　eat　or　drink　so　much；　gratify　his　sex　appetite　so　often；　sleep　so　many　hours；　exercise　this　or　that　amount；　seek　his　entertainment　in　this　or　that　fashion；until　something　happens　to　make　the　habit　impossible　and　he　finds　that　what　he　thought　a　deeply　rooted　mode　of　living　was　a　superficial　routine。　Though　good　habits　may　lead　to　success　they　may　also　bar　the　way　to　the　pleasures　of　experience；　that　is　their　danger。　A　man　who　finds　that　he　must　do　this　or　that　in　such　a　way　had　better　beware；　he　is　getting　old；　no　matter　what　his　age。＇1＇　For　we　grow　older　as　we　lose　mobility；in　joints；　muscles；　skin　and　our　ways　of　doing；　feeling　and　thinking！　It　is　a　transitory　stage　of　the　final　immobility　of　Death。　＇1＇　Says　the　talkative　Autocrat　of　the　Breakfast　Table：　〃There　is　one　mark　of　age　that　strikes　me　more　than　any　of　the　physical　ones；　I　mean　the　formation　of　Habits。　An　old　man　who　shrinks　into　himself　falls　into　ways　that　become　as　positive　and　as　much　beyond　the　reach　of　outside　influences　as　if　they　were　governed　by　clock　work。〃

We　have　not　considered　the　pathological　habits；　such　as　alcoholism；　excessive　smoking　and　eating；　perverse　sex　habits。　The　latter；　the　perverse　sex　habits；　will　be　studied　when　discussing　the　sex　feelings　and　purposes　in　their　entirety。　Alcoholism　is　not　yet　a　dead　issue　in　this　country　though　those　who　are　sincere　in　wishing　their　fellows　well　hope　it　soon　will　be。　It　stands；　however；　as　a　sort　of　paradigm　of　bad　habit…　forming　and　presents　a　problem　in　treatment　that　is　typical　of　such　habits。　Not　all　persons　have　a　liability　to　the　alcoholic　habit。　For　most　people　lack　of　real　desire　or　pleasure　prevented　alcoholism。　The　majority　of　those　who　drank　little　or　not　at　all　were　not　in　the　least　tempted　by　the　drug。　〃Will　power〃　rarely　had　anything　to　do　with　their　abstinence　and　the　complacency　with　which　they　held　themselves　up　as　an　example　to　the　drunken　had　all　the　flavor　of　Phariseeism。　To　some　the　taste　i