the foundations of personality-第51章

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money。〃　The　world　is　built　up　on　the　sacrifices　of　the　idealists；　and　eternally　it　crucifies　them。　Wealth　and　power　are　to　him　who　has　a　marketable　commodity；　and　one　cannot　complain　when　true　genius　becomes　rich。　But　the　genius　to　make　money　may　be　and　often　isan　exploiting　type　of　ability；　a　selfishly　practical　industry；　which　neither　invents　nor　is　of　great　service。　The　men　who　now　do　the　basic　work　in　invention　and　scientific　work　in　laboratories　are　poorly　paid　and　only　now　and　then　honored。　Every　year　in　the　United　States　hundreds　of　them　leave　their　work　in　research　and　seek　〃paying　jobs；〃　to　the　impoverishment　of　the　world；　but　to　their　own　financial　benefit。　Countries　where　the　scramble　for　wealth　is　not　so　keen；　where　the　best　brains　do　not　find　themselves　pressed　into　business；　produce　far　more　science；　art　and　literature　than　we　do；　with　all　our　wealth。　We　will　continue　to　be　a　second…rate　nation　in　these　regards；　still　looking　for　our　great　American　novel　and　play；　still　seeking　real　singers　and　artists；　until　our　idealism　can　withstand　the　pressure　of　our　practical　civilization。　For　here　is　a　great　division　in　people。　There　are　those　who　become　enthused　by　the　noble　aims　of　life；　by　the　superiority　and　service　that　come　in　the　work　of　teacher；　priest；　physician；　scientist；　philosopher　and　philanthropist；　and　those　that　seek　superiority　and　power　in　wealth；　station　and　influence。　Those　who；　will　fellowship　and　those　who　will　power　is　a　short　way　of　putting　it；　the　idealists　and　the　practical　is　another。　Fellowship　is　built　up　on　sympathy；　pity；　friendliness　and　the　desire　to　help　others；　it　is　essentially　democratic；　and　in　it　runs　the　cooperative　activities　of　man。　For　it　is　not　true　that　〃competition　is　the　life　of　trade〃；　cooperation　is　its　life。　Men　dig　ore　in　mines；　others　transport　their　produce；　others　smelt　it　and　work　it　into　shape；　according　to　the　designs　and　plans　of　still　other　men；　then　it　is　transported　by　new　groups　and　marketed　by　an　endless　chain　of　men　whose　labors　dovetail　to　the　end　that　mankind　has　a　tool；　a　habitation　or　an　ornament。　The　past　and　present　cooperate　in　this　labor；　as　do　the　remote　ends　of　the　earth。　Competition　is　the　SPUR　of　trade；　its　mighty　sinews；　its　strong　heart　and　stout　lungs　are　cooperative。　Power　is　aristocratic；　and　elaborates　and　calls　into　play　competitive　spirit。　In　all　men　the　desire　for　power　and　the　desire　for　fellowship　blend　and　interplay　in　their　ambitions　and　activities；　in　some　fellowship　predominates；　in　others　power。　If　a　man　specializes　in　fellowship　aims；　without　learning　the　secret　of　power；　he　is　usually　futile　and　sterile　of　results；　if　a　man　seeks　power　only　and　disregards　fellowship；　is　hated　and　is　a　tyrant；　cruel　and　without　pity。　To　be　an　idealist　and　practical　is　of　course　difficult　and　usually　involves　a　compromise　of　the　ideal。　Some　degree　of　compromise　is　necessary；　and　the　rigid　idealist　would　have　a　better　sanction　for　his　refusal　to　compromise　if　he　or　any　one　could　be　sure　of　the　perfection　of　his　ideal。　The　practical　seek　their　own　welfare　or　the　welfare　of　others　through　direct　means；　through　exerting　the　power　and　the　influence　that　is　money　and　station。　Rarely　do　they　build　for　a　distant　future；　and　their　goal　is　in　some　easily　and　popularly　understood　good。　What　they　say　and　what　they　do　applies　to　getting　rich　or　healthy；　to　being　good　in　a　conventional　way；　success　is　their　goal　and　that　success　lies　in　the　tangibles　of　life。　They　easily　become　sordid　and　mean；　since　it　is　not　possible　always　to　separate　good　and　evil　when　one　is　governed　by　expediency　and　limited　idea　of　welfare。　This　is　also　true；that　while　the　practical　usually　tend　to　lose　idealism　entirely；　and　find　themselves　the　tools　of　habits　and　customs　they　cannot　break　from；　now　and　then　a　practical　man　reaches　a　high　place　of　power　and　becomes　the　idealist。　Though　all　men　seek　power　and　fellowship；　we　have　a　right　to　ask　what　are　a　man's　leading　pursuits。　And　we　must　be　prepared　to　tear　off　a　mask　before　we　understand　the　most　of　our　fellows；　for　society　and　all　of　life　is　permeated　with　disguise。　Now　and　then　one　seeks　to　appear　worse　than　he　is；　hates　fuss　and　praise；　but　this　rare　bird　（to　use　slang　and　Latin　in　one　phrase）　is　the　exception　that　proves　the　rule　that　men　on　the　whole　try　to　appear　better　than　they　are。　Rarely　does　a　man　say；　〃I　am　after　profit　and　nothing　else；〃　although　occasionally　he　does；　rarely　does　the　scientist　say；　〃I　seek　fame　and　reward；〃　even　though　his　main　stimulus　may　be　this　desire　and　not　the　ideal　of　adding　to　the　knowledge　of　the　world。　Behind　the　philanthropist　may　lurk　the　pleasure　in　changing　the　lives　of　others；　behind　the　reformer　the　picture　of　himself　in　history。　The　best　of　men　may　and　do　cherish　power　motives；　and　we　must　say　that　to　seek　power　is　ethically　good；　provided　it　does　not　injure　fellowship。　One　must　not；　however；　be　misled　by　words；　duty；　service；　fellowship　come　as　often　to　the　lips　of　the　selfish　as　the　unselfish。　We　spoke　of　power　as　a　form　of　superiority。　Since　all　superiority　is　comparative；　there　are　various　indirect　ways　of　seeking　superiority　and　avoiding　inferiority。　One　of　these　is　by　adverse　criticism　of　our　fellows。　The　widespread　love　of　gossip；　the　quick　and　ever…present　tendency　to　disparage　others；　especially　the　fortunate　and　the　successful；　are　manifestations　of　this　type　of　superiority　seeking。　Half　the　humor　of　the　world　is　the　pleasure；　produced　by　a　technique；　of　feeling　superior　to　the　boor；　the　pedant；　the　fool；　the　new　rich；　the　pompous；　the　over…dignified；　etc。　Half；　more　than　half；　of　the　conversation　that　goes　on　in　boudoir；　dining　room；　over　the　drinks　and　in　the　smoking　room；　is　criticism；　playful　and　otherwise；　of　others。　There　are　people　in　whom　the　adversely　critical　spirit　is　so　highly　developed　that　they　find　it　hard　to　praise　any　one　or　to　hear　any　one　praisedtheir　criticism　leaps　to　the　surface　in　one　way　or　another；　in　the　sneer；　in　the　〃butt；〃　in　the　joke；　in　the　gibe；　in　the　openly　expressed　attack。　This　way　of　being　superior　may　be　direct　and　open；　more　often　it　is　disguised。　Many　a　woman　（and　man）　who　denounces　the　sinner　receives　from　her　contemplation　of　that　sinner　the　most　of　her　feeling　of　virtue　and　goodness。　The　more　bitterly　the　self…acknowledged　〃saint〃　denounces　the　sinner；　the　more；　by　implication；　he　praises　himself。　People　seek　the　strangest　roads　to　the　feeling　of　superiority。　From　that　classical　imbecile　who　burnt　down　the　Temple　of　Diana　to　the　crop　of　young　girls　who　invent　tales　of　white　slavery　in　order　to　stand　in　the　public　eye　as　conspicuous　victims；　notoriety　has　been　mistaken　for　fame　by　those　desperate　for　public　attention。　To　be　superior　some　way；　even　if　only　in　crime　and　foolishness；　brings　about　an　immense　amount　of　laughable　and　deplorable　conduct　to　which　only　a　Juvenal　could　do　justice。　The　world　yields　to　superiority　such　immense　tribute　that　to　obtain　recognition　as　superior　becomes　a　dominant　motive。　How　that　superiority　is　to　be　reached　presents　great　difficulties；　and　the　problem　is　solved　according　to　the　character　of　the　individual。　At　the　same　time　that　we　seek　superiority　we　seek　to　be　liked；　to　be　esteemed；　to　be　respected。　These　are　not　the　same　things；　but　are　sufficiently　alike　in　principle　to　be　classed　together。　With　some　the　desire　to　be　liked　becomes　a　motive　that　ruins　firmness　of　purpose　and　success；　as　in　the　well…known　〃good　fellow；〃accommodating；　obliging　and　friendly；　who　sacrifices　achievement　to　this　minor　form　of　fellowship。　On　a　larger　plane　there　is　the　writer　or　artist　who　sacrifices　his　best　capacities　in　order　to　please　the　popular　fancy；　seeks　popularity　rather　than　greatness；　for　it　is　seldom　that　the　two　coincide。　Back　of　many　a　man's　〃respectability〃　is　the　fear　of　being　disliked　or　discredited　by　his　group。　TO　BE　RESPECTABLE；　TO　LIVE　SO　THAT　NEITHER　THE　NEIGHBORS　NOR　ONE'S　OWN　RATHER　UNCRITICAL　CONSCIENCE　CAN　CRITICIZE；　IS　PERHAPS　THE　MOST　COMMON　AIM　IN　LIFE。　There　are　some　who　are　all　things　to　all　men；　merely　out　of　the　desire　to　be　agreeable；　who　find　it　easy　to　agree　with　any　opinion；　because　they　have　not　the　courage　to　be　disliked。　Even　the　greatest　men　yield　to　the　desire　to　be　admired　and　liked；　thoug