the foundations of personality-第30章

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olled　by　some　purpose　or　purposes；　or　is　it　diffuse；　involuntary；　not　well　directed？　2。　Is　it　narrow；　so　that　it　excludes　the　greater　part　of　the　world；　or　is　it　easily　evoked　by　a　multiplicity　of　things？　In　the　breadth　of　interest　is　contained　the　breadth　of　character；　but　not　necessarily　its　intensity　or　efficiency。　There　are　people　of　narrow　but　intense　successful　interest；　and　others　of　broad；　intense　successful　interest；　but　one　meets；　too　frequently；　people　quickly　interested　in　anything；　but　not　for　long　or　in　a　practical　fashion。　There　is　a　certain　high　type　of　failure　that　has　this　difficulty。　3。　Is　its　main　trend　outward；　and　if　so；　is　there　some　special　feature　or　features　of　the　world　that　excite　interest？　4。　Is　its　main　trend　inward；　and　is　he　interested　in　emotions；　thoughts；　sensations；In　his　mind　or　his　body；　in　ideas　or　in　feelings？　For　it　is　obvious　that　the　man　interested　in　his　ideas　is　quite　a　different　person　than　he　who　is　keenly　aware　of　his　emotions；　and　that　the　hypochondriac　belongs　in　a　class　by　himself。　5。　If　there　are　special　interests；　how　do　these　harmonize　with　ability　and　with　well…defined　plan　and　purpose。　It　is　not　sufficient　to　be　keenly　interested；　though　that　is　necessary。　One　of　the　greatest　disharmonies　of　life　is　when　a　man　is　interested　when　he　is　not　proficient；　though　usually　proficiency　develops　interest　because　it　gives　superiority　and　achievement。　Interest　is　heightened　by　the　success　of　others；　for　we　are　naturally　competitive　creatures；　or　by　admiration　for　those　successful　in　any　line　of　activity。　The　desire　to　emulate　or　excel　or　to　get　power　is　a　mighty　factor　in　the　maintenance　of　interest。　〃See　how　nicely　Georgie　does　it；〃　is　a　formula　for　both　children　and　adults；　and　if　omitted；　interest　would　not　be　easily　aroused　or　maintained。　In　other　words；　the　competitive　feeling　and　desire　in　its　largest　sense　are　necessary　for　the　concentrated　excitement　of　interest。　So　any　scheme　of　social　organization　that　proposes　to　do　away　with　competition　and　desire　for　superiority　labors　under　the　psychological　handicap　of　removing　the　basis　of　much　of　the　interest　in　work　and　study　and　must　find　some　substitute　for　the　lacking　incentives　before　it　can　seriously　ask　for　the　adherence　of　those　with　a　realistic　view　of　human　nature。　One　might；　it　is　true；　establish　traditions　of　work；　bring　about　a　livelier　social　conscience　as　to　service；　but　these　are　not　sufficient　to　arouse　real　interest　in　the　vast　majority　of　the　race。　Here　and　there　one　finds　a　man　in　whom　interest　is　aroused　by　the　unsolved　problem；　by　the　reward　of　fame　and　the　pleasure　of　achievement；　but　such　persons　are　rare。　The　average　man　（and　woman）；　in　my　experience；　loses　interest　in　anything　that　does　not　directly　benefit　him　or　in　which　his　personal　competitive　feeling　is　not　aroused。　Interest　becomes　vague　and　ill…defined　the　farther　the　matter　concerned　is　from　the　direct　personal　good　of　the　individual；　and　proportionately　it　becomes　difficult　to　sustain　it。　That　is　why　in　our　day　〃dollars　and　cents〃　appeals　to　interest　are　made；　away　with　abstracts；　away　with　sentiment；　the　publicity　man　working　for　a　good　cause　now　uses　the　methods　of　the　man　selling　shoes　or　automobiles：　he　attempts　to　show　that　one's　interest　and　cooperation　are　demanded　and　necessary　because　one's　direct　personal　welfare　is　involved。　Whether　or　not　ethically　justifiable；　it　is　a　recognition　of　the　fact　that　interest　is　aroused　and　sustained；　for　the　majority；　by　some　direct　personal　involvement。　Thus　in　education；　a　fact　to　be　learned；　or　a　subject　to　be　studied；　should　be　first　sketched　or　placed　in　some　use　value　to　the　student。　Knowledge　for　knowledge's　sake　is　appealing　only　to　the　rare　scholar；　he　who　palpitates　with　interest　over　the　relationship　of　things　to　one　another；　he　who　seeks　to　discover　values。　Now　and　then　one　finds　such　a　person；　one　thrown　into　sustained　excitement　by　learning；　but　the　great　majority　of　students；　whether　in　medicine；　law　or　mathematics；　are　〃practical；〃　meaning　that　their　interests　are　relatively　narrow　and　the　good　they　seek　an　immediate　one　to　be　reaped　by　themselves。　Recognizing　this　fact　in　the　abstract；　the　most　of　teaching　is　conducted　on　the　plane　of　the　real　scholar；　and　the　average　student　is　left　to　find　values　for　himself。　From　first　to　last　in　teaching　I　would　emphasize　usevalue；　true；　I　would　seek　to　broaden　the　conception　of　usevalue；　so　that　a　student　would　see　that　usefulness　is　a　social　value；　but　no　matter　how　abstract　and　remote　the　subject；　its　relationship　to　usefulness　would　be　preliminary　and　continuously　emphasized　in　order　to　sustain　interest。　Interest；　like　any　other　form　of　excitement；　needs　new　stimuli　and　periods　of　relaxation。　People　under　the　driving　force　of　necessity　continue　at　their　work　for　longer　periods　of　time　and　more　constantly　than　is　psychologically　possible　for　the　maintaining　of　interest。　So　it　disappears；　and　then　fatigue　sets　in　at　once；a　fatigue　that　is　increased　by　the　effort　to　work　and　the　regret　and　rebellion　at　the　change。　The　memory　seems　to　suffer　and　a　fear　is　aroused　that　〃I　am　losing　my　memory〃；　the　threat　to　success　brings　anguish　and　often　the　health　becomes　definitely　impaired。　Overconcentrated；　too　long　maintenance　of　interest　brings　apathy；an　apathy　that　cannot　be　dispelled　except　by　change　and　rest。　Here　there　is　wide　individual　variation　from　those　who　need　frequent　change　and　relaxation　periods　to　those　who　can　maintain　interest　in　a　task　almost　indefinitely。　A　hobby；　or　a　secondary　object　of　interest；　is　therefore　a　real　necessity　to　the　man　or　woman　battling　for　a　purpose；　whose　interest　must　be　sustained。　It　acts　to　relax；　to　shift　the　excitement　and　to　allow　something　of　the　feeling　of　novelty　as　one　reapproaches　the　task。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　excitement　and　interest　are　not　easily　separated　from　their　derivatives　and　elaborations。　Desire；　purpose；　ambition；　imply　a　force；　interest　implies　a　direction　for　that　force。　Interest　may　be　as　casual　as　curiosity　aroused　by　the　novel　and　strange；　or　as　deep…seated　and　specialized　as　a　talent。　The　born　teacher　is　he　who　knows　how　to　arouse　and　maintain　and　direct　interest；　the　born　achiever　is　the　man　whose　interest；　quickly　aroused；　is　easily　maintained　and　directs　effort。　To　find　the　activity　that　is　natively　interesting　and　yet　suited　to　one's　ability　is　the　aim　in　vocational　guidance。　There　are　some　curious　pathological　aspects　to　interest　〃conflict〃　aspects　of　the　subject。　A　man　finds　himself　palpitatingly　interested　in　what　is　horrible　to　him；　as　a　bird　is　fascinated　by　a　snake。　Sex　abnormalities　have　a　marvelous　interest　to　everybody；　although　many　will　not　admit　it。　Stories　of　crime　and　bloodshed　are　read　by　everybody　with　great　avidity；and　people　will　go　miles　to　the　site　of　grim　tragedy。　Court　rooms　are　packed　whenever　a　horrible　murder　is　aired　or　a　nauseating　divorce　scandal　is　tried。　A　chaste　woman　will　read；　on　the　sly　and　with　inner　rebellion；　as　many　pornographic　tales　as　she　can　get　hold　of；　and　the　〃carefully〃　brought　up；　i。　e。；　those　whose　interest　has　been　carefully　directed；　suddenly　become　interested　in　the　forbidden；　they　seek　to　peek　through　windows　when　they　should　be　looking　straight　ahead。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　interest　is　as　much　inhibited　as　conduct。　〃You　mustn't　ask　about　that〃　is　the　commonest　answer　a　child　gets。　〃That's　a　naughty　question　to　ask〃　runs　it　a　close　second。　Can　one　inhibit　interest；　which　is　the　excitement　caused　by　the　unknown？　The　answer　is　that　we　can；　because　a　large　part　of　education　is　to　do　this　very　thing。　〃Can　we　inhibit　any　interest　without　injuring　all　interests？〃　is　a　question　often　put。　My　answer　would　be　that　it　is　socially　necessary　that　interest　in　certain　directions　be　inhibited；　whether　it　hurts　the　individual　or　not。　But　the　interest　in　a　forbidden　direction　can　be　shifted　to　a　permitted　direction；　and　this　should　be　done。　In　my　opinion；　sex　interest　can　be　so　handled　and　a　blunt　thwarting　of　this　interest　should　be　avoided。　Some　explanation　leading　the　child　to　larger；　less　personal　aspects　of　sex　should　be　given。　The　interest　of　the　child　is　often　thwarted　through　sheer　laziness。　〃Don't　bother　me〃　is　the　reply　of　a　parent　shirking　a　sacred　duty。