the foundations of personality-第44章

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ven　be　unconscious　of　the　source　of　his　energy。　This　type　of　adjustment　is　thus　a　form　of　compensation　and　is　seen　everywhere。　In　the　case　of　many　a　woman　who　gives　herself　over　to　her　children　without　stint　you　may　find　this　sublimation　against　the　disappearance　of　romance；　even　if　no　actual　unhappiness　exists。　Where　a　woman　is　childless；　perforce　and　not　per　will；　an　intense　communal　activity　often　develops；　leading　to　good　if　that　activity　is　intelligent；　leading　to　harm　if　it　is　not。　For　sublimation　develops　the　crank　and　pest　as　well　as　the　reformer。　In　every　half…baked　reform　movement　you　find　those　who　are　striving　to　sublimate　for　a　thwarted　instinct　or　purpose。＇1＇　＇1＇　The　historian；　Higginson；　put　it　well　when　he　said　substantially；　〃There　is　a　fringe　of　insanity　around　all　reform。〃

Sublimation　is　the　mark　of　the　personality　that　will　not　admit　defeat　even　to　itself。　The　one　who　does　admit　defeat　becomes　resigned　or　seeks　illicit　compensation；other　men；　other　women；　drink。　Freud　and　his　followers　believe　that　the　neurasthenic　or　hysteric　is　striving　to　find　compensation　through　his　symptoms　or　that　he　seeks　to　fly　from　the　situation　that　way。　I　believe　that　the　symptoms　of　the　neurasthenic　and　hysteric　often　find　a　use　in　this　way；　but　are　not　caused　by　an　effort　for　compensation。　That　is；　a　neurasthenic　may　learn　that　his　or　her　pains　or　aches　give　advantages　in　sympathy；　relief　from　hard　tasks　or　disagreeable　situations；　that　they　cover　up　or　are　an　excuse　for　failure　and　inferiority；but　the　symptoms　arise　originally　from　defects　in　character　or　because　of　the　physical　and　social　situation。　Nevertheless；　it　is　well　to　keep　in　mind；　when　dealing　with　the　〃nervous；〃　that　often　enough　their　weaknesses　are　related　to　something　they　may　gain　through　them。　This　I　have　called　elsewhere　〃Will　to　power　through　weakness；〃　and　it　is　as　old　as　Adam　and　Eve。　The　weak　have　their　wills　and　their　weapons　as　have　the　strong。　The　highest　sublimation；　in　the　face　of　an　insuperable　obstacle　to　purpose　or　an　inescapable　life　situation；　finds　a　socially　useful　substitute　in　philanthropy；　kindness；　charity；　achievement　of　all　sorts；　the　lowest　seeks　it　in　a　direct　but　illicit　compensation　for　the　self　and　in　a　way　that　merely　increases　the　social　and　personal　confusion；　and　a　pathological　sublimation　in　part；　at　least；　manifests　itself　iii　sickness。　These　are　the　three　leading　forms；　but　it　must　be　remembered　that　there　are　no　pure　types　in　character；　a　man　may　sublimate　nobly　when　his　domestic　happiness　is　threatened　but　cheat　when　his　business　purposes　are　blocked；　a　woman　may　compensate　finely　for　childlessness　but　〃go　all　to　pieces〃　because　hair　is　growing　on　her　face　and　the　beauty　she　cherishes　must　go。　Contradictions　of　all　sorts　exist；　and　he　is　wise　who　does　not　expect　too　great　consistency　from　himself　or　others。　3。　〃Man；〃　says　Hocking；　〃can　prolong　the　vestibule　of　his　desire　through　infinity。〃　By　the　vestibule　of　desire　this　philosopher　means　the　deferring　of　satisfaction　for　any　impulse　or　desire。　We　love；　but　we　can　wait　for　love's　fulfillment；　we　desire　achievement；　but　we　can　work　and　watch　the　approach　of　our　goal。　Something　we　desire　is　directly　ahead；　almost　in　our　reach；　fame；　love；　riches；　vindication；　anything　you　please　from　the　sensuous　to　the　sublime　satisfaction；　and　then　an　obstacle；　a　delay；　appears；　and　the　vestibule　is　lengthened　out。　A　man　may　even　plan　for　the　satisfaction　he　can　never　hope　to　have；　and　in　his　greatest　ideal　that　vestibule　reaches　through　eternity。　That　quality　which　enables　a　man　to　work　and　wait；　to　stand　the　deferring　of　hope　and　desire；　is　patience。　The　classic　figure　of　patience　sitting　on　a　monument　is　wrong；　for　she　must　sit　on　the　eager　desires　of　man。　Nor　is　patience　only　the　virtue　of　the　good　and　farseeing；　for　we　find　patience　in　the　rogue　and　schemer。　Altruists　may　be　patient　or　impatient；　and　so　may　be　the　selfish。　Like　most　of　the　qualities；　patience　is　to　be　judged　by　the　company　it　keeps。　Nevertheless；　the　impatient　are　very　often　those　of　small　purposes　and　are　rarely　those　of　great　achievement。　For　all　great　purposes　have　to　be　spread　over　time；　have　to　overcome　obstacles；　and　these　must　be　met　with　courage　and　patience。　Impatience　is　fussiness；　fretfulness　and　a　prime　breeder　of　neurasthenia。　Patience　is　realistic；　and　though　it　may　seek　perfection　it　puts　up　with　imperfection　as　a　part　of　human　life。　But　here　I　am　drifting　into　an　error　against　which　I　warned　the　reader；of　making　an　entity　of　a　conception。　People　are　patient　or　impatient；　but　not　necessarily　throughout。　There　are　men　and　women　who　fuss　and　fume　over　trifles　who　never　falter　or　fret　when　their　larger　purposes　are　blocked　or　deferred。　Some　cannot　stand　detail　who　plan　wisely　and　with　patience。　Vice　versa；　there　are　meticulous　folk；　little　people；　whose　petty　obstacles　are　met　with　patience　and　cheerfulness；　who　revel　in　minute　detail；　but　who　want　returns　soon　and　cannot　wait　a　long　time。　We　are　not　to　ask　of　any　man　whether　he　is　patient　but　rather　what　does　he　stand　or　do　patiently？　What　renders　him　impatient？　A　form　of　impatience　of　enormous　social　importance　is　that　which　manifests　itself　in　cure…alls。　A　man　finds　that　his　will　overcomes　some　obstacles。　Eager　to　apply　this；　he　announces　that　will　cures　all　ills。　Impatient　of　evil；　men　seek　to　annihilate　it　by　denying　its　existence　or　by　loudly　chanting　that　good　thoughts　will　destroy　it。　These　are　typical　impatient　solutions　in　the　sphere　of　religion；　in　the　sphere　of　economics　men　urge　nationalization；　free　trade；　socialism　or　laissez　faire；　or　some　law　or　other　to　change　social　structure　and　human　nature。　War　itself　is　the　most　impatient　and　consequently　most　socially　destructive　method　of　the　methods　of　the　treatment　of　evil。　While　patience　is　a　virtue；　it　may　also　be　a　vice。　One　may　bear　wrongs　too　patiently　or　defer　satisfaction　too　long。　One　meets　every　day　men　and　women　who　help　injustice　and　iniquity　by　their　patience。　We　are　too　patient；　at　least　with　the　wrongs　of　others；　perhaps　we　really　do　not　feel　this　intensely　or　for　any　length　of　time。　In　fact；　the　difficulty　with　most　of　the　preaching　of　life　is　its　essential　insincerity；　for　it　counsels　patience　for　that　which　it　feels　but　little。　We　bear　the　troubles　of　others；　on　the　whole；　very　well。　Nevertheless；　there　are　Griseldas　everywhere　whom　one　would　respect　far　more　if　they　rebelled　against　their　tyrants　and　taskmasters。　Organized　wrong　and　oppression　owe　their　existence　mainly　to　the　habitual　patience　of　the　oppressed。　To　be　meek　and　mild　and　long…suffering　in　a　world　containing　plenty　of　egoists　and　cannibalistic　types　is　to　give　them　supremacy。＇1＇　We　admire　patience　only　when　it　is　part　of　a　plan　of　action；　not　when　it　is　the　mark　of　a　passive　nature。　＇1＇　Here　the　ideals　of　East　and　West　clash。　The　East；　bearing　a　huge　burden　of　misery　and　essentially　pessimistic；　exhorts　patience。　The　West；　eager　and　full　of　hope；　is　impatient。

4。　Because　man　foresees　he　wishes。　Rather　than　the　reasoning　animal；　we　might　speak　of　the　human　being　as　the　wishing　animal。　An　automatically　working　instinct　would　produce　no　wish。　The　image　of　something　which　has　been　experienced　arouses　an　excitement　akin　to　the　secretion　of　saliva　at　the　thought　of　food。　The　wish　which　accompanies　the　excitement　is　a　dissatisfaction；　a　tingling；　an　incomplete　pleasurable　emotional　state　which　presses　to　action。　Sensuous　pleasure；　power；　conformity　to　the　ideal；　whatever　direction　the　wish　takes；　are　sought　because　of　the　wish。　Right　education　is　to　train　towards　right　wishing。　Because　the　wish　is　the　prelude　to　action；　it　became　all　powerful　in　mythology　and　superstition。　Certain　things　would　help　you　get　your　wishes；　others　would　obstruct　them。　Wishes　became　animate　and　had　power；power　to　destroy　an　enemy；　power　to　help　a　friend；　power　to　bring　good　to　yourself。　But　certain　ceremonies　had　to　be　observed；　and　certain　people；　magicians　and　priests　had　to　be　utilized　in　order　to　give　the　wish　its　power。　Wisdom　and　magic　were　mainly　the　ways　of　obtaining　wishes。　Childhood　still　holds　to　this；　and　prayer　is　a　faith　that　your　wish；　if　placed　before　the　All…Mighty；　will　be　fulfilled。　Since　wishing　brings　a　pleasurable　excitement