the foundations of personality-第56章

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cibly　removed　or　destroyed。　〃A　straight　line　is　the　shortest　distance　between　two　points；〃　and　there　is　only　one　absolute　law；〃the　good　old　rule；　the　simple　plan　that　they　may　take　who　have　the　power　and　they　may　keep　who　can。〃　The　individuals　who　react　this　way　to　obstacles　are　choleric；　passionate；　egoistic　and　in　the　last　analysis　somewhat　brutal。　This　is　especially　true　if　they　seek　force　at　first；　for　with　nearly　all　of　us　extreme　provocation　or　desperation　brings　direct…action　measures。　Conspicuously　those　accustomed　to　arbitrary　power　use　this　method。　They　have　grown　accustomed　to　believing　that　their　will　or　wish　is　a　cause；　able　to　remove　obstacles　of　all　kinds。　When　at　all　opposed　the　angry　reaction　is　extreme；　and　they　tend　to　violence　at　once。　The　old…fashioned　home　was　modeled　in　tyranny；　and　the　force　reaction　of　the　father　and　husband　to　his　children　and　wife　was　sanctioned　by　law　and　custom。　The　attitude　of　the　employer　to　employee；　universally　in　the　past　and　still　prominent；　was　that　of　the　master；　able　in　ancient　times　to　use　physical　punishment　and　in　our　day　to　cut　off　a　man's　livelihood　if　he　showed　any　rebellion。　In　a　larger　social　way　War　is　crude　brute　force；　and　those　who　delude　themselves　that　the　God　of　victory　is　a　righteous　God　have　read　history　with　a　befoozled　mind。　Force；　though　the　world　rests　on　it；　is　a　terrible　weapon　and　engenders　brutality　in　him　who　uses　it　and　rebellion；　hate　and　humiliation　in　him　upon　whom　it　is　used。　It　is　an　insult　to　the　dignity　and　worth　of　the　human　being。　It　must　be　used　for　disciplining　purposes　only；on　children；　on　the　criminal；　and　then　more　to　restrain　than　to　punish。　It　cannot　disappear　from　the　world；　but　it　should　be　minimized。　Only　the　sentimentalized　believe　it　can　disappear　entirely；　only　the　brutal　rejoice　in　its　use。　Force　is　a　crude　way　of　asserting　and　obtaining　superiority；　the　gentle　hate　to　use　it；　for　it　arouses　their　sympathy　for　their　opponent。　Whoever　preaches　force　as　the　first　weapon　in　any　struggle　is　either　deluded　as　to　its　value　or　an　enemy　of　mankind。　As　a　non…inhibited　response；　force　and　brutality　appear　in　the　mentally　sick。　General　paresis；　cerebral　arterio…selerosis；　alcoholic　psychoses　present　classical　examples　of　the　impatient　brutal　reaction；　often　in　men　hitherto　patient　and　gentle。　2。　Strategy　or　cunning　appears　as　a　second　great　method　of　obtaining　the　fulfillment　of　one's　purposes。　We　all　use　strategy　in　the　face　of　superior　or　equal　power；　just　as　we　tend　to　use　force　confronted　by　inferiority。　There　is　of　course　a　legitimate　use　of　cunning；　but　there　is　also　an　anti…social　trend　to　it；　quite　evident　in　those　who　by　nature　or　training　are　schemers。　The　strategist　in　love；　war　or　business　simulates　what　he　does　not　feel；　is　not　frank　or　sincere　in　his　statements　and　believes　firmly　that　the　end　justifies　the　means。　He　uses　the　indirect　force　of　the　lie；　the　slander；　insinuation　he　has　no　aversion　to　flattery　and　briberyhe　uses　spies　and　false　witnesses。　He　is　a　specialist　in　the　unexpected　and　seeks　to　lull　suspicion　and　disarms　watchfulness；　waiting　for　the　moment　to　strike。　Sometimes　he　weaves　so　tangled　a　web　that　he　falls　into　it　himself；　and　one　of　the　stock　situations　in　humor；　the　novel　and　the　stage　is　where　the　cunning　schemer　falls　into　the　pit　he　has　dug　for　others。　In　his　highest　aspect　he　is　the　diplomat；　in　his　lowest　he　is　the　sneak。　People　who　are　weak　or　cowardly　tend　to　the　use　of　these　methods；　but　also　there　is　a　group　of　the　strong　who　hate　direct　force　and　rather　like　the　subtler　weapons。　The　strategist　tends　to　be　quite　cynical；　and　his　effect　on　his　fellow　men　is　to　increase　cynicism　and　pessimism。　They　who　have　suffered　through　the　schemer　grow　to　suspect　their　fellows　under　any　guise。　They　become　suspicious　and　hard；　determined　never　to　trust　any　one　again。　Indeed；　practical　wisdom　to　a　large　extent　is　the　wisdom　of　strategy　and　is　full　of　mottoes　and　proverbs　inculcating　non…generous　ideals。　When　people　have　been　〃fooled〃　or　misled；　the　most　valuable　of　the　social　cementing　qualities；　faith　in　one's　fellows；　is　weakened。　Despite　the　disintegrating　effect　of　unscrupulous　shrewdness；　it　is　common　enough　to　hear　men　say　of　a　successful　votary　of　the　art；　〃Well；　I　give　him　credit。　He　is　a　very　clever　fellow；　and　he　has　brought　home　the　bacon。〃　Success　is　so　highly　prized　and　admired　that　the　means　of　obtaining　it　becomes　secondary　in　the　eyes　of　the　majority。　3。　The　role　of　speech　in　the　relationships　of　human　beings　is　of　course　too　great　to　be　over…estimated。　Speech　becomes　the　prime　weapon　in　swaying　and　molding　the　opinions　and　acts　of　others。　It　is　the　medium　of　the　threat　of　force　and　the　stratagem　of　cunning；　but　also　it　enters　human　life　as　the　medium　of　persuasion　and　conviction。　The　speech　ability；　the　capacity　to　use　words　in　attaining　purpose；　shows　as　striking　variations　as　any　other　capacity。　Though　a　function　of　intelligence；　the　power　to　speak　（and　write）　convincingly　and　easily；　is　not　at　all　related　to　other　phases　of　intelligence。　Though　it　can　be　cultivated；　good　verbalism　is　an　innate　ability；　and　a　most　valuable　one。　The　power　to　speak　clearly　so　as　to　express　what　is　on　one's　own　mind　is　uncommon；　as　any　one　can　testify　who　has　watched　people　struggling　to　express　themselves。　〃You　know〃　is　a　very　frequent　phrase　in　the　conversation　of　the　average　man；　and　he　means　that；　〃My　words　are　inadequate；　but　you　know　what　I　mean。〃　The　delight　in　the　good　writer　or　speaker　is　that　he　relieves　other　people's　dissatisfaction　in　their　own　inadequate　expression　by　saying　what　they　yearn　to　say　for　themselves；　thus　giving　them　a　vicarious　achievement。　But　the　power　of　clear　expression　is　not　at　all　the　power　of　persuasion；　although　it　may　be　a　part　of　it。　One　may　clearly　express　himself　and　antagonize　others。　The　persuader　seeks　to　discover　the　obstacles　to　agreement　with　him　in　the　minds　of　others　and　to　remove　or　nullify　them。　He　may　seek　to　do　this　by　a　clear　exposition　of　his　wishes　and　desires；　by　showing　how　these　will　benefit　the　others　（or　at　least　not　harm　them）；　by　meeting　logically　or　otherwise　the　objections　and　demonstrating　their　futility。　This　he　will　attempt；　if　he　is　wise　and　practical；　only　in　a　limited　group　or　among　those　who　are　keen…minded　and　open　to　reason。　Even　with　them　he　will　have　to　kindle　and　maintain　their　interest；　and　he　must　arouse　a　favorable　emotional　state。　This　latter　is　the　principal　goal　in　persuasion。　Every　good　speaker　or　writer　who　seeks　to　reach　the　mass　of　people　needs　the　effect　of　the　great　feelingsof　patriotism；　sympathy　and　humorneeds　flattery；　gross　or　subtle；　makes　people　laugh　or　smile　or　feel　kindly　disposed　to　him　before　he　attempts　to　get　their　cooperation。　He　must　place　himself　on　their　level；　be　regarded　as　one　of　them；　fellowship　and　the　cooperative　tendencies　must　be　awakened　before　logic　will　have　value。　The　persuader　cuts　his　cloth　to　suit　his　case。　He　is　a　psychologist　of　the　intuitive　type。　He　may　thunder　and　scold　if　he　finds　in　his　audience；　whether　numbering　one　or　a　million；　a　tendency　to　yield　to　authority；　and　he　then　poses　as　that　authority；　handing　out　his　dicta　in　an　awe…inspiring　fashion。　He　will　awaken　the　latent　trend　to　ridicule　and　scoffing　by　pointing　out　inconsistency　in　others；　or　he　may　awaken　admiration　for　his　fairness　and　justice　by　lauding　his　opponent；　taking　care　not　to　overdo　it。　Persuasion　is　often　a　part　of　scheming；　rarely　is　it　used　by　the　forceful；　except　in　the　authoritative　way　or　to　arouse　anger　against　the　opponent。　It　is　the　weapon　of　those　who　believe　in　democracy；　for　all　exposition　has　persuasion　as　its　motive。　A　statement　must　not　only　be　true　to　others；to　the　mass。　Therefore　persuasion　as　applied　to　the　great　mass　of　people　is　rarely　closely　knit　or　a　fine　exposition　of　truth　and　historical　evolution；　that　one　must　leave　for　the　highbrow　book　or　treatise。　It　is　passionate　and　pleading；　it　thunders　and　storms；　it　has　wit　and　humor；　it　deals　with　symbols　and　analogies；　it　plays　on　the　words　of　truth；　justice；　ideals；　patriotism。　It　may　be　honest　and　truthful；　but　it　cannot　be　really　accurate　or　of　high　intellectual　value。　And　the　persuasion　that　seeks　private　ends　from　private　audiences　〃sizes〃　up　it