the foundations of personality-第28章

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　The　tension　must　not　be　too　long　sustained；　nor　the　bodily　reaction　too　intense；　relaxation　and　lowered　attention　must　relieve　the　excitement　from　time　to　time；　but　with　these　kept　in　mind；　it　is　true　that　Man　is　a　seeker　of　excitement。　This　is　a　factor　neglected　in　the　study　of　great　social　phenomena。　The　growth　of　cities　is　not　only　a　result　of　the　economic　forces　of　the　time；　it　is　made　permanent　by　the　fact　that　the　cities　are　exciting。　The　multiplicity　and　variety　of　the　stimuli　of　a　citysocial；　sexual；　its　stir　and　bustlemake　it　difficult　for　those　once　habituated　ever　to　tolerate　the　quiet　of　the　country。　Excitement　follows　the　great　law　of　stimulation；　the　same　internal　effect；　the　same　feeling；　requires　a　greater　and　greater　stimulus；　as　well　as　new　stimuli。　So；　the　cities　grow　larger；　increase　their　modes　of　excitement；　and　the　dweller　in　the　city；　unless　fortified　by　a　steady　purpose；　becomes　a　seeker　of　excitement。　Not　only　is　excitement　pleasurable　when　reached　through　the　intrinsically　agreeable　but　it　can　be　obtained　from　small　doses　of　the　intrinsically　disagreeable。　This　is　the　explanation　of　the　pleasure　obtained　from　the　gruesome；　from　the　risk　of　life　or　limb；　or　from　watching　others　risk　life　or　limb。　Aside　from　the　sense　of　power　obtained　by　traveling　fast；　it　is　the　risk；　THE　SLIGHT　FEAR；　producing　excitement；　that　makes　the　speed　maniac　a　menace　to　the　highways。　And　I　think　that　part　of　the　pleasure　obtained　from　bitter　foods　is　that　the　disagreeable　element　is　just　sufficient　to　excite　the　gastro…intestinal　tract。　The　fascination　of　the　horrible　lies　in　the　excitement　produced；　an　excitement　that　turns　to　horror　and　disgust　if　the　disagreeable　is　presented　too　closely。　Thus　we　can　read　with　pleasurable　excitement　of　things　that　in　their　reality　would　shock　us　into　profoundest　pain。　The　more　jaded　one　is；　the　more　used　to　excitement；　the　more　he　seeks　what　are；　ordinarily；　disagreeable　methods　of　excitement。　Thus　pain　in　slight　degree　is　exciting；　and　in　the　sexual　sphere　pain　is　often　sought　as　a　means　of　heightening　the　pleasure；　especially　by　women　and　by　the　roue。　I　suspect　also　that　the　haircloth　shirt　and　the　sackcloth　and　ashes　of　the　anhedonic　hermit　were　painful　methods　of　seeking　excitement。　Sometimes　pain　is　used　in　small　amounts　to　relieve　excitement。　Thus　the　man　who　bites　his　finger　nails　to　the　quick　gets　a　degree　of　satisfaction　from　the　habit。　Indeed；　all　manner　of　habitual　and　absurd　movements；　from　scratching　to　pacing　up　and　down；　are　efforts　to　relieve　the　tension　of　excitement。　One　of　my　patients　under　any　excitement　likes　to　put　his　hands　in　very　hot　water；　and　the　pain；　by　its　localization；　takes　away　from　the　diffuse　and　unpleasant　excitement。　The　diffuse　uncontrolled　excitement　of　itching　is　often　relieved　by　painful　biting　and　scratching。　Here　is　an　effort　to　localize　a　feeling　and　thus　avoid　diffuse　discomfort；　a　sort　of　homeopathic　treatment。　3。　As　a　corollary　to　the　need　of　excitement　and　its　pleasure　is　the　reaction　to　monotony。　Monotony　is　one　of　the　most　dreaded　factors　in　the　life　of　man。　The　internal　resources　of　most　of　us　are　but　small；　we　can　furnish　excitement　and　interest　from　our　own　store　for　but　a　short　time；　and　there　then　ensues　an　intense　yearning　for　something　or　somebody　that　will　take　up　our　attention　and　give　a　direction　to　our　thought　and　action。　Under　monotony　the　thought　turns　inward；　there　is　daydreaming　and　introspection；＇1＇　which　are　pleasurable　only　at　certain　times　for　most　of　us　and　which　grow　less　pleasurable　as　we　grow　older。　Watch　the　faces　of　people　thinking　as　they　travel　alone　in　cars；and　rarely　does　one　see　a　happy　face。　The　lines　of　the　face　droop　and　sighs　are　frequent。　Monotony　and　melancholy　are　not　far　apart；　monotony　and　a　restless　seeking　for　excitement　are　almost　synonymous。　Of　course；　what　constitutes　monotony　will　differ　in　the　viewpoint　of　each　person；　for　some　are　so　constituted　and　habituated　（for　habit　is　a　great　factor）　that　it　takes　but　few　stimuli　to　arouse　a　well…sustained　interest；　and　others　need　or　think　they　need　many　things；　a　constantly　changing　set　of　circumstances　for　pleasure。　＇1＇　Stanley　Hall；　in　his　book　〃Adolescence；〃　lays　great　stress　on　monotony　and　its　effects。　See　also　Graham　Wallas'　〃The　Great　Society。〃

Restlessness；　eager　searching　for　change；　intense　dissatisfaction　are　the　natural　fruit　of　monotony。　Here　is　an　important　item　in　the　problems　of　our　times。　Side　by　side　with　growth　of　the　cities　and　their　excitement　is　the　growing　monotony　of　most　labor。　The　factory；　with　its　specialized　production；　reduces　the　worker　to　a　cog　in　the　machinery。　In　some　factories；　in　the　name　of　efficiency；　the　windows　are　whitewashed　so　that　the　outside　world　is　shut　out　and　talking　is　prohibited；　the　worker　passes　his　day　performing　his　unvaried　task　from　morning　to　night。　Under　such　circumstances　there　arises　either　a　burning　sense　of　wrong；　of　injustice；　of　slavery　and　a　thwarting　of　the　individual　dignity；　or　else　a　yearning　for　the　end　of　the　day；　for　dancing；　drinking；　gambling；　for　anything　that　offers　excitement。　Or　perhaps　both　reactions　are　combined。　Our　industrial　world　is　poorly　organized　economically；　as　witness　the　poor　distribution　of　wealth　and　the　periodic　crises；　but　it　is　abominably　organized　from　the　standpoint　of　the　happiness　of　the　worker。　Of　this；　more　in　another　place。　Monotony　brings　fatigue；　because　there　is　a　shutting　out　of　the　excitement　that　acts　as　an　antidote　to　fatigue…feeling。　A　man　who　works　without　fatigue　six　days　a　week　is　tired　all　day　Sunday　and　longs　for　Monday。　The　modern　housewife；＇1＇　with　her　four　walls　and　the　unending；　uninteresting　tasks；　is　worn　out；　and　her　fatigue　reaction　is　the　greater　the　more　her　previous　life　has　been　exciting　and　varied。　Fatigue　often　enough　is　present　not　because　of　the　work　done　but　because　the　STIMULUS　TO　WORK　HAS　DISAPPEARED。　Monotony　is　an　enemy　of　character。　Variety；　in　its　normal　aspect；　is　not　only　the　spice　of　life；　it　is　a　great　need。　Stabilization　of　purpose　and　work　are　necessary；　but　a　standardization　that　stamps　out　the　excitement　of　variety　is　a　deadly　blow　to　human　happiness。　＇1＇　See　my　book　〃The　Nervous　Housewife！〃

Under　monotony　certain　types　of　personalities　develop　an　intense　inner　life；　which　may　be　pathological；　or　it　may　be　exceedingly　fruitful　of　productive　thought。　Some　build　up　a　delusional　thought　and　feeling。　For　delusion　merely　means　uncorrected　thought　and　belief；　and　we　can　only　correct　by　contact　and　collision。　The　whole　outer　world　may　vanish　or　become　hostile　and　true　mental　disease　develop。　Perhaps　it　is　more　nearly　correct　to　say　that　minds　predisposed　to　mental　disease　find　in　monotony　a　circumstance　favoring　disease。　On　the　other　hand；　a　vigorous　mind　shut　out　from　outer　stimuli＇1＇　finds　in　this　circumstance　the　time　to　develop　leisurely；　finds　a　freedom　from　distraction　that　leads　to　clear　views　of　life　and　a　proper　expression。　A　periodic　retirement　from　the　busy；　too…busy　world　is　necessary　for　the　thinker　that　he　may　digest　his　material；　that　he　may　strip　away　unessential　beliefs；　that　he　may　find　what　it　is　he　really　needs；　strives　for　and　ought　to　have。　＇1＇　Perhaps　this　is　why　real　genius　does　not　flourish　in　our　crowded；　over…busy　days；　despite　the　great　amount　of　talent。

4。　Here　we　come　to　another　corollary　of　the　need　for　excitement；　the　need　of　relaxation。　At　any　rate；　satisfaction　and　pleasure　need　periods　of　hunger　in　order　to　be　felt。　In　the　story　of　Buddha　he　is　represented　as　being　shielded　from　all　sorrow　and　pain；　living　a　life　filled　with　pleasure　and　excitement；　yet　he　sought　out　pain。　So　excitement；　if　too　long　continuedor　rather　if　a　situation　that　produces　excitement　of　a　pleasurable　kind　be　too　long　enduredwill　result　in　boredom。　〃Things　get　to　be　the　same；〃　whether　it　be　the　excitement　of　love；　the　city；　sports　or　what　not。　This　is　a　basic　law　of　all　pleasures。　In　order　that　life　may　have　zest；　that　excitement　may　be　easily　and　pleasurably　evoked　and　by　normal　means；　we　need　relaxation；　periods　free　from　excitement；　or　we　must　pass　on　to　a　costly　chase　for　excitement　that　brings　breakdown　of　the　character。　5。　If　the　seeking　of　excitement；　as　such；　is　one　of　the　prime　pleasures　of　life；