the foundations of personality-第54章
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man becomes husband； father； worker in some definite field of industry； ambition becomes narrowed down to the possibilities or is entirely discarded as hopeless。 The character becomes a collection of habits； with some controlling purpose and some characteristic relaxations。 This at least is true of the majority of men。 Here and there are those who have not been able to form a unification even along such simple lines； they are without steady habits； derelicts morally； financially and socially； or if with means independent of personal effort they are wastrels and idlers。 And again there are the doers and thinkers of the world； the fortunate； whose lives are associated with successful purposes； whose ambitions grow and grow until they reach the power of which they dreamed。 There are the reformers living in a fever heat of purpose； disdaining rest and relaxation； dangerously near fanaticism and not far from mental unbalance； but achieving through that unbalance things the balanced never have the will to attempt。 He who works merely to get rich or powerful or to provide food for his family cannot understand the zealots who see the world as a place where SOMETHING MUST happen；where slavery MUST be abolished； women MUST have votes； children MUST go to school until sixteen； prostitution MUST disappear； alcohol MUST be prohibited； etc。 Such people miss the pretty； pleasant relaxing joys of life； but they gain in intensity of life what they lose in diffuseness。 This war of the permanent unified purposes versus the temporary scattering desiresthe power of inhibition is involved in the health and vigor of the person。 Disease； fatigue and often enough old age show themselves in lowered purpose； in the failure of the will （in the sense of the energy of purpose）； in a scattering of activity。 Indeed； in the senile states one too often sees the disappearance of moral control where one least expected it。 And one of the greatest tragedies of our times occurred when an elderly statesman； on the brink of arterial disease of the brain； lost the strength and firmness of purpose that hitherto had characterized him。 One of the worst features of the government of nations is the predominance of old men in the governing bodies。 For not only are they apt to have over…intellectualized life； not only have they become specialists in purpose and therefore narrow； but the atrophy of the passions and desires of youth and middle life has rendered them unfit to legislate for the bulk of the race； who are the young and middle…aged。 It is no true democracy where old age governs the rest of the periods of life。 Unification of purpose often goes too far。 Men lose sight of the duties they owe to wife and family in their pursuit of wealth or fame； they forget that relaxation and pleasure…seeking are normal and legitimate aims。 They deify a purpose； they attach it to themselves so that it becomes more essentially themselves than their religion or their family。 They speak of their work as if every letter were capitalized and lose sympathy and interest in the rest of the wide striving world。 Men grow hard； even if philanthropists； in too excessive a devotion to a purpose； and soon it is their master； and they are its slaves。 Happy is he who can follow his purpose efficiently and earnestly； but who can find interest in many things； pleasure in the wide range of joys the world offers and a youthful curiosity and zest in the new。 Every human being； no matter how civilized and unified； how modern and social in his conduct； has within him a core of uncivilized； disintegrating； ancient and egoistic desires and purposes。 〃I feel two natures struggling within me〃 is the epitome of every man's life。 This is what has been called conflict by the psychoanalysts； and my own disagreement with them is that I believe it to be distinctly conscious in the main。 A man knows that the pretty young girls he meets tempt him from his allegiance to his wife and his desires to be good； a woman knows that the prosaic husband no longer pleases； and why he does not please；only if you ask either of them bluntly and directly they will deny their difficulties。 The organic activities of the body； basic in desire of all kinds； are crude and give rise to crude forbidden wishes； but the struggle that goes on is repressed； rebelled against and gives rise to trains of secondary symptoms；fatigue； headache； indigestion； weariness of life and many other complaints。 It is perfectly proper to complain of headache； but it is a humiliation to say that you have chosen wrongly in marriage； or that you are essentially polygamous； or that an eight…hour day of work at clerking or bookkeeping disgusts and bores you。 People complain of that which is proper and allows them to maintain self…respect； but they hide that which may lower them in the eyes of others。 Gain their confidence； show that you see deeper than their words and you get revelations that need no psychoanalytic technique to elicit and which are distinctly conscious。 This brings me to the point that the constant inhibition； blocking and balking of desires and wishes； though in part socially necessary and ethically justifiable； is decidedly wearisome； at times to all； and to many at all times。 It seems so easy and pleasant to relax in purposes； in morals； in thought； to be a vagrant spirit seeking nothing but the pleasures right at hand； to be like a traditional bee flitting from the rose to rose of desire。 （Only the bee is a decidedly purposive creature； out for business not pleasure。） 〃Why all this striving and self…control？〃 cries the unorganized in all of us。 〃Why build up when Death tears down？〃 cries the pessimist in our hearts。 Great epochs in history are marked by different answers to these questions； and in our own civilization there has grown up a belief that bodily pleasure in itself is wrong； that life is vanity unless yoked to service and effort。 The Puritan idea that we best serve God in this way has been modified by a more skeptical idea that we serve man by swinging our efforts away from bodily pleasure and toward work； organized to some good end； but essentially the idea of inhibition； control； as the highest virtue； remains。 Such an ideal gains force for a time； then grows too wearisome； too extreme； and a generation grows up that throws it off and seeks pleasure frankly； paints； powders； dances； sings； develops the art of 〃living；〃 indulges the sense； becomes loose in morals； and hyperesthetic and over…refined in tastes。 Then the ennui； boredom and disgust that always follow sensual pleasures become diffuse； happiness cannot come through the seeking of pleasure and excitement and anhedonia of the exhausted type arises。 Preachers； prophets； seers and poets vigorously proclaim the futility of pleasure； and the happiness of service； inhibition comes into its own again and a Puritan cycle recommences。 Stoic； epicurean； Roman republic； Roman empire； Puritan England； Restoration； Victorian days； early twentieth century； for to…day we are surging into an era of revolt against form； custom； tradition； in a word against inhibition。 As with periods； so with people； self…indulgence； i。 e。； indulgence of the passing desires； follows the idealism of adolescence。 Youth sows its wild oats。 Then the steadying purposes appear partly because the pleasure of indulgence passes。 Marriage； responsibility； straining effort mark the passing of ten or a dozen years； then in middle life； and often before； things get flat and without savor； monotony creeps in and a curiosity as to the possibilities of pleasure formerly experienced is awakened。 （I believe that most of the sexual unfaithfulness in men and women over thirty springs not from passion but from curiosity。） There occurs a dangerous age in the late thirties and early forties； one in which self…indulgence makes itself clamorous。 The monotony of labor； the fatigue of inhibition make themselves felt； and at this time men （and women） need to add relaxation and pleasure of a legitimate kind。 Golf； the fishing trip； games of all kinds； legitimate excitement which need not be inhibited is necessary。 This need of excitement without inhibition is behind most of the gambling and card playing； it explains the extraordinary attrac
