the foundations of personality-第29章

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　of　the　character。　5。　If　the　seeking　of　excitement；　as　such；　is　one　of　the　prime　pleasures　of　life；　organized　excitement　in　the　form　of　interest　is　the　directing　and　guiding　principle　of　activity。　At　the　outset　of　life　interest　is　in　the　main　involuntary　and　is　aroused　by　the　sights；　sounds　and　happenings　of　the　outer　world。　As　time　goes　on；　as　the　organism　develops；　as　memories　of　past　experiences　become　active；　as　peculiarities　of　personality　develop；　and　as　instincts　reach　activity；　interest　commences　to　take　definite　direction；　to　become　canalized；　so　to　speak。　In　fact；　the　development　of　interest　is　from　the　diffuse　involuntary　form　of　early　childhood　to　a　specialization；　a　condensation　into　definite　voluntary　channels。　This　development　goes　on　unevenly；　and　is　a　very　variable　feature　in　the　lives　of　all　of　us。　Great　ability　expresses　itself　in　a　sustained　interest；　a　narrow　character　is　one　with　overdeformed；　too　narrow　interest；　failure　is　often　the　retention　of　the　childish　character　of　diffuse；　involuntary　interest。　And　the　capacity　to　sustain　interest　depends　not　only　on　the　special　strength　of　the　various　abilities　of　the　individual；　but　remarkably　on　his　energy　and　health。　Sustained　〃voluntary〃　interest　is　far　more　fatiguing　than　involuntary　interest；　and　where　fatigue　is　already　present　it　becomes　difficult　and　perhaps　impossible。　Thus　after　much　work；　whether　physical　or　mental；　during　and　after　illnessespecially　in　influenza；　in　neurasthenic　states　generally；　or　where　there　is　an　inner　conflictinterest　in　its　adult　form　is　at　a　low　ebb。　There　are　two　main　directions　which　interest　may　take；　because　there　are　two　worlds　in　which　we　live。　There　is　the　inner　world　of　our　feelings；　our　thoughts；　our　desires　and　our　struggles；＇1＇and　there　is　the　outer　world；　with　its　people；　its　things；　its　hostilities；　its　friendships；　its　problems　and　facts；　its　attractions　and　repulsions。　Man　divides　his　interest　between　the　two　worlds；　for　in　both　of　them　are　the　values　of　existence。　The　chief　source　of　voluntary　interest　lies　in　desire　and　value；　and　though　these　are　frequently　in　coalescence；　so　that　the　thing　we　desire　is　the　thing　we　value；　more　often　they　are　not　in　coalescence　and　then　we　have　the　divided　self　that　James　so　eloquently　describes。　So　there　are　types　of　men　to　whom　the　outer　world；　whether　it　is　in　its　〃other　people；〃　or　its　things；　or　its　facts；　or　its　attractions　and　repulsions；　is　the　chief　source　of　interest　and　these　are　the　objective　types；　exteriorized　folks；　whose　values　lie　in　the　goods　they　can　accumulate；　or　the　people　they　can　help；　or　the　external　power　they　exercise；　or　the　knowledge　they　possess　of　the　phenomena　of　the　world；　or　the　things　they　can　do　with　their　hands。　These　are　on　the　whole　healthy…minded；　finding　in　their　pursuits　and　interest　a　real　value；　rarely　stopping　from　their　work　to　ask；　〃Why　do　I　work？　To　what　end？　Are　things　real？〃　Contrasted　with　them　are　those　whose　gaze　is　turned　inward；　who　move　through　life　carrying　on　the　activities　of　the　average　existence　but　absorbed　in　their　thoughts；　their　emotions；　their　desires；　their　conflicts；perhaps　on　their　sensations　and　coenaesthetic　streams。　Though　there　is　no　sharp　line　of　division　between　the　two　types；　and　all　of　us　are　blends　in　varying　degrees；　these　latter　are　the　subjective　introspective　folk；　interiorized；　living　in　the　microcosmos；　and　much　more　apt　than　the　objective　minded　to　be　〃sick　souls〃　obsessed　with　〃whys　and　wherefores。〃　They　are　endlessly　putting　to　themselves　unanswerable　questions；　are　apt　to　be　the　mentally　unbalanced；　or；　but　now　and　then；　they　furnish　the　race　with　one　whose　answers　to　the　meaning　of　life　and　the　direction　of　efforts　guide　the　steps　of　millions。　＇1＇　Herbert　Spencer's　description　of　these　two　worlds　is　the　best　in　literature。　〃Principles　of　Psychology。〃

There　is　a　good　and　a　bad　side　to　the　two　types　of　interest。　The　objective　minded　conquer　the　world　in　dealing　with　what　they　call　reality。　They　bridge　the　water　and　dig　up　the　earth；　they　invent；　they　plow；　they　sell　and　buy；　they　produce　and　distribute　wealth；　and　they　deal　with　the　education　that　teaches　how　to　do　all　these　things。　They　find　in　the　outer　world　an　unalterable　sense　of　reality；　and　they　tend　rather　naively　to　accept　themselves；　their　interests　and　efforts　as　normal。　In　their　highest　forms　they　are　the　scientist；　reducing　to　law　this　tangle　of　outer　realities；　or　the　artist；　who　though　he　is　a　hybrid　with　deep　subjective　and　objective　interest；　nevertheless　remodels　the　outer　world　to　his　concept　of　beauty。　These　objective…minded　folk；　the　bulk　of　the　brawn　and　in　lesser　degree　of　the　brain　of　the　world；　are　apt　to　be　〃materialists；〃　to　value　mainly　quantity　and　to　be　self…complacent。　Of　course；　since　no　man　is　purely　objective；　there　come　to　them　as　to　all　moments　of　brooding　over　the　eggs　of　their　inner　life；　when　they　wonder　whether　they　have　reached　out　for　the　right　things　and　whether　the　goods　they　seek　or　have　are　worth　while。　Such　introspective　interest　comes　on　them　when　they　are　alone　and　the　outer　world　does　not　reach　in；　or　when　they　have　witnessed　death　and　misfortune；　or　when　sickness　and　fatigue　have　reduced　them　to　a　feeling　of　weakness。　For　it　is　true　that　the　objective　minded　are　more　often　robust；　hearty；　with　more　natural　lust；　passion　and　desire　than　your　introspectionists；　more　virile　and　less　sensitive　to　fine　impressions。　The　introspectionists；　culling；　chewing　the　cud　of　their　experiences　and　sensations；　find　in　their　own　reactions　the　realities。　In　fact；　interested　in　consciousness；　they　are　sometimes　bold　enough　to　deny　the　realities　of　anything　else。　Where　the　others　build　bridges；　they　build　up　the　ideas　of　eternal　good　and　bad；　of　beauty；　of　the　transitory　and　the　permanent；　of　now　and　eternity。　They　deal　with　abstract　ideas；　and　they　luxuriate　in　emotions。　They　build　up　beliefs　where　thought　is　the　only　reality　and　is　omnipotent。　They　are　the　founders　of　religious；　cults；　fads　and　fancies。　They　inculcate　the　permanent　ideals；　because　they　are　the　only　ones　who　interest　themselves　in　something　beside　the　show　of　the　universe。　But　too　often　they　are　the　sick　folk。　Without　the　hardihood　and　the　energy　to　conquer　the　outer　world；　they　fall　back　on　a　world　requiring　less　energy　to　study；　less　energy　to　conquer。　Sometimes　they　develop　a　sense　of　unreality　which　vitiates　all　their　efforts　to　succeed；　or　they　become　hypochondriacs；　feeling　every　flutter　of　the　heart　and　every　vague　ache　and　pain。　The　Hamlet　doubting　type　is　an　introspectionist　and　oscillates　in　his　mind　from　yea　to　nay　on　every　question。　Such　as　this　type　develop　ideas　of　compensation　and　power　and　become　cranks　and　fake　prophets。　Or　else；　and　this　we　shall　see　again；　they　become　imbued　with　a　sense　of　inferiority；　feel　futile　as　against　the　red…blooded　and　shrink　from　others　through　pain。　Everywhere　one　sees　these　phases　of　interest　in　antagonism　and　cooperation。　The　〃healthy…minded〃　acknowledge　the　leadership　of　a　past　introspectionist　but　despise　the　contemporary　one　as　futile　and　light…headed。　The　introverted　（to　use　a　Freudian　term）　call　the　others　Philistines；　and　mock　them　for　their　lack　of　spiritual　insight；　yet　in　everything　they　do　they　depend　for　aid　and　sustenance　upon　them。　Introspection　gives　no　exact　measurements　of　value；　but　it　gives　value　and　without　it；　there　can　be　no　wisdom。　But　always　it　needs　the　correction　of　the　outer　world　to　keep　it　healthy。　While　we　have　dealt　here　with　the　extremes　of　extrospection　and　introspection；　it　is　safe　to　say　that　in　the　vast　majority　of　people　there　is　a　definite　and　unassailable　interest　in　both　of　these　directions。　Interest　in　others　is　not　altruism　and　interest　in　the　self　is　not　self…interest　or　egoism。　But；　on　the　whole；　they　who　are　not　interested　in　others　never　become　philanthropists；　they　who　are　not　interested　in　things　never　become　savants；　and　they　who　do　not　dig　deep　into　themselves　are　not　philosophers。　There　are；　therefore；　certain　practical　aspects　to　the　study　of　interest　which　are　essential　parts　of　the　knowledge　of　character。　1。　Is　the　interest　of　the　one　studied　controlled　by　some　purpose　or　purposes；　or　is　it　diffuse；　involuntary；　not　well　directed？　2。　Is　it　narrow