the foundations of personality-第40章

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is　not　at　all　appealing　and　often　enough　rather　repelling。　In　the　sex　field；　a　deep　repulsion　is　often　felt　when　lust　alone　has　brought　the　man　and　woman　together　or　when　the　situation　is　illegal　or　unhallowed。　With　satisfaction　of　desire；　the　inhibiting　forces　come　to　their　own；　and　the　violence　of　repentance　and　disgust　may　be　extreme。　Stanley　Hall；　Havelock　Ellis　and　other　writers　lay　stress　on　this；　and；　indeed；　one　of　the　bases　of　asceticism　is　this　disgust。　Further；　when　we　have　no　desires　or　passion；　the　sight　of　others　hugging　and　kissing；　or　acting　〃intimate〃　in　any　way；　is　usually　disgusting；　an　offense　against　〃good　taste〃　based　on　the　〃bad　taste〃　it　arouses　in　the　observer。　In　memory　we　are　often　disgusted　at　what　we　did　in　the　heat　of　desire；　but　usually　memory　itself　does　not　prevent　us　from　repeating　the　act；　desire　itself　must　slacken。　Thus　the　old　are　often　intensely　disgusted　at　the　conduct　of　the　young；　and　it　is　never　wise　for　a　young　couple　to　live　with　older　people。　For　in　the　early　days　of　married　life　the　intensity　of　the　intimate　feelings　needs　seclusion　in　order　to　avoid　disgusting　others。　It　is　no　accident　that　Dame　Grundy　is　depicted　as　an　elderly　person　with　a　〃sour　look〃；　her　prudishness　has　an　origin　in　disgust　at　that　which　she　has　outlived。　Sometimes　the　old　are　wisenot　often　enoughand　then　their　humor；　love　and　sympathy　keeps　them　from　disgust。　Love　counteracts　disgust。　The　young　girl　who　turns　in　loathing　from　uncleanliness　finds　it　easy　and　a　pleasure　to　care　for　her　soiled　baby。　In　fact；　tender　feeling　of　any　kind　overcomesor　tends　to　overcomedisgust；　and　pity；　the　tenderest　of　all　feelings　and　without　passion；　impels　us　to　march　into　the　very　jaws　of　disgust。　The　angry　may　have　no　pity；but　they　are　not　less　unkind　in　commission　than　the　disgusted　are　unkind　in　omission。　Thus　a　too　refined　breeding　leads　people　away　from　effective　pity　and　that　sturdiness　of　conduct　which　is　real　philanthropy。　Indeed；　too　much　of　refinement　increases　the　number　of　disgusting　things　in　the　world；　he　who　must　have　this　or　that　luxury　is　not　so　much　pleased　with　it　as　disgusted　without　it。　Raising　standards　in　things　material　cannot　increase　the　happiness　or　contentment　of　the　world；　for　it　merely　makes　men　impatient　and　disgusted　at　lesser　standards。　We　cannot　hope　to　increase　happiness　through　the　material　improvements　of　civilization。　Self…disgust　and　shame　are　not　identical　but　are　so　kindred　that　shame　may　well　be　studied　here。　Shame　is　lowered　self…valuation；　brought　on　by　social　or　self…disapproval。　Usually　it　is　acute　and；　like　fear；　it　tends　to　make　the　individual　hide　or　fly。　It　is　based　on　insight；　and　there　are　thus　some　who　are　never　ashamed；　simply　because　they　do　not　understand　disapproval。　Shame　is　essentially　a　feeling　of　inferiority；　and　when　we　say　to　a　man；　〃Shame　on　you；〃　we　say；　〃You　have　done　wrong；　humble　yourself；　be　little！〃　When　we　say；　〃I　am　ashamed　of　you；〃　we　say；　〃I　had　pride　in　you；　I　enlarged　myself　through　you；　and　now　you　make　me　little。〃　When　the　community　cries　shame；　it　uses　a　force　that　redresses　wrong　by　the　need　of　the　one　addressed　to　vindicate　himself。　When　a　man　feels　shame　he　feels　small；　inferior　in　his　own　eyes　and　in　the　eyes　of　others。　He　feels　impelled；　if　he　is　generous；　to　make　amends　or　to　do　penance；　and　thus　he　recovers　his　self…esteem。　Unfortunately；　shame　arises　more　frequently　and　often　more　violently　from　a　violation　of　custom　and　manner　than　from　a　violation　of　ethics　or　morals。　Thus　we　are　more　ashamed　of　the　so…called　〃bad　break〃　than　of　our　failures　to　be　kind。　Sometimes　our　fellow　feeling　is　so　strong　that　we　avoid　seeing　any　one　who　is　humiliated　or　embarrassed；　because　sympathy　spreads　his　feeling　to　us。　Gentle　people　are　those　who　dislike　to　shame　any　one　else；　and　often　one　of　this　type　will　endure　being　wronged　rather　than　reprimand　or　cause　humiliation　and　shame。　Let　something　be　said　to　shame　any　member　of　a　company　and　a　feeling　of　shame　spreads　through　the　group；　except　in　the　case　of　those　who　are　very　hostile。　Disgust；　too；　is　extremely　contagious；　especially　its　manifestations。　One　of　the　most　crude　of　all　manifestations；　to　spit　upon　some　one；　is　a　symbol　taken　from　disgust；　though　it　has　come　to　mean　contempt；　which　is　a　mixture　of　hatred　and　disgust。　To　raise　the　tastes　and　not　raise　the　acquisitions　is　a　sure　way　to　bring　about　chronic　disgust；　which　is　really　an　angry　dissatisfaction　mixed　with　disgust。　This　type　of　reaction　is　very　common　as　a　factor　in　neurasthenia。　In　fact；　my　motto　is　〃search　for　the　disgust〃　in　all　cases　of　neurasthenia　and　〃search　for　it　in　the　intimate　often　secret　desires　and　relationships。　Seek　for　it　in　the　husband…wife　relationship；　especially　from　the　standpoint　of　the　wife。〃　Women；　we　say；　are　more　refined　in　their　feelings　than　men；　which　is　another　way　of　saying　they　are　more　easily　disgusted　and　therefore　more　easily　injured。　For　disgust　is　an　injury；　when　chronic　or　too　easily　elicited；　and　is　then　a　sign　and　symbol　of　weakness。　Thus　disgust　is　a　great　reenforcer　of　social　taboo　and　custom；　as　well　as　morality。　Just　as　it　fails　to　keep　us　from　eating　the　wrong　kind　of　foods；　so　it　may　fail　to　keep　us　from　the　wrong　conduct。　Like　every　emotion　it　is　only　in　part　adapted　to　our　lives；　and　in　those　people　where　it　becomes　a　prominent　emotion　it　is　a　great　mischief　worker；　subordinating　life　to　finickiness　and　hindering　the　growth　of　generous　feeling。　9。　We　come　to　two　opposite　emotions；　very　readily　considered　together。　One　of　the　linkings　of　opposites　is　in　the　connection　of　Joy　and　Sorrow。　Whether　these　are　primary　emotions　or　outgrowths　of　Pleasure　and　Pain　I　leave　to　others。　For　Shand　the　fact　that　Joy　tends　to　prolong　a　situation　in　which　it　occurs　raises　it　into　an　active　emotion。　Joy　is　perhaps　the　most　energizing　of　the　emotions　for　it　tends　to　express　itself　in　shouts；　smiles　and　laughter；　dancing　and　leaping。　Sorrow　ordinarily　is　quite　the　reverse　and　expresses　itself　by　immobility；　bowed　head　and　hands　that　shut　out　from　the　view　the　sights　of　the　world。　There　is；　however；　a　quiet　joy　called　relief；　which　is　like　sailing　into　a　smooth；　safe　harbor　after　a　tempestuous　voyage；　and　there　is　an　agitated　grief；　with　lamentation；　the　wringing　of　hands　and　self…punishment　of　a　frantic　kind。　Joy　and　triumph　are　closely　associated；　sorrow　and　defeat　likewise。　There　are　some　whose　rivalry…competitive　feelings　are　so　widespread　that　they　cannot　rejoice　even　at　the　triumph　of　a　friend；　and　a　little　of　that　nature　is　in　even　the　noblest　of　us。　There　are　others　who　find　sorrow　in　defeat　of　an　enemy；　so　widespread　is　their　sympathy。　This　is　the　generous　victor。　For　the　most　of　us　youth　is　the　most　joyous　period　because　youth　finds　in　its　pleasures　a　novelty　and　freshness　that　tend　to　disappear　with　experience。　For　the　same　reason　the　sorrow　of　youth；　though　evanescent；　is　unreasoning　and　intense。　Joy　and　sorrow　are　reactions　and　they　are　noble　or　the　reverse；　according　to　the　nature　of　the　person。　Joy　may　be　noble；　sensuous；　trivial　or　mean；　many　a　〃jolly〃　person　is　such　because　he　has　no　real　sympathy。　At　the　present　time　not　one　of　us　could　rejoice　over　anything　could　we　SEE　and　sympathize　deeply　with　the　misery　of　Europe　and　China；　to　say　nothing　of　that　in　our　own　country。　Nay；　any　wrong　to　others　would　blast　all　our　pleasure；　could　we　really　feel　it。　Fortunately　only　a　few　are　so　cursed　with　sympathy。　When　the　capacity　for　joyous　feeling　is　joined　with　fortitude　or　endurance；　then　we　have　the　really　cheerful；　who　spread　their　feeling　everywhere；　whom　all　men　love。　Where　cheerfulness　is　due　to　lack　of　sympathy　and　understanding；　we　speak　of　a　cheerful　idiot；　and　well　does　that　type　merit　the　name。　There　is　a　modern　cult　whose　followers　sing　〃La；　la；　la〃　at　all　times　and　places；　who　minimize　all　misfortune；　crime；　suffering；　who　find　〃good　in　everything；〃the　〃Pollyana〃　tribe。　My　objection　to　them　is　based　on　this；that　mankind　must　see　clearly　in　order　to　rid　itself　of　unnecessary　suffering。　Hiding　one's　head　（and　brains）　in　a　desert　of　optimism　merely　perpetuates　evil；　even　though　one　sufferer　here　and　there　is　deluded　into　happiness。　Sorrow　may　enrich　the　nature　or　it　may　embitter　and　narrow　it。　Wisdom　may　s