the foundations of personality-第61章

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n　reality　this　conception　is　largely　correct；　and　it　is　as　we　extend　our　ideas　of　stealing　and　lying　that　we　grow　in　morality。　Honesty；　in　relation　to　property；　is　the　control　of　the　acquisitive　impulses　and　instincts　and　is　wrapped　up　with　the　idea　of　private　property。　The　acquisitive　impulses　are　very　strong　in　most　people　but　not　necessarily　in　all；　and　we　find　great　variability　here　as　elsewhere　in　human　character。　One　child　desires　everything　he　sees；　wants　it　for　his　own　and　does　not　wish　others　even　to　touch　it；　while　another　gives　away　everything　he　has。　The　covetous；　the　indifferent；　the　generous；　the　hoarders；　the　spenders；these　are　a　few　of　the　types　one　finds　every　day　in　relation　to　the　property　and　acquisitive　feelings。　The　spirit　of　〃mine〃　needs　on　the　whole　little　encouragement；　though　the　ways　to　achieve　〃mine〃　are　part　of　education。　Mainly　the　spirit　of　〃thine〃　needs　encouragement；　and　most　of　our　law；　as　differentiated　from　religion　and　ethics；　has　been　built　up　on　settling　disputes　in　this　matter。　In　its　primary　form；　honesty　in　relation　to　property　is　the　willingness　to　conform　to　society's　rulings　in　this　matter；　e。g。；　the　belief　in　ownership　as　sacred　and　that　to　acquire　something　desired　one　must　（ethical　must）　go　through　certain　recognized　procedures。　The　whole　conception　rests　on　the　social　instinct's　inhibitions　of　the　acquisitive　instinct　and　in　the　growth　and　strength　of　feelings　of　conscience　and　duty　as　previously　described。　Social　heredity　and　tradition　operate　very　powerfully　in　the　matter　of　this　kind　of　honesty；　to　steal；　as　we　see　it；　from　neighboring　tribes　is　ethical　for　savage　races；　and　even　to　steal　such　property　as　women。　Throughout　the　ages　the　booty　of　war　was　one　of　the　recognized　rights　of　warriors；　and　even　though　to…day　we　have　conventions　protecting　the　private　property　of　the　enemy；　this　is　one　of　those　rules　definitely　understood　as　made　to　be　broken。　Stealing　is　very　common　among　children；　who　find　their　desire　for　good　things　too　strong　to　be　inhibited。　But　very　quickly　the　average　child　learns　control　in　so　far　as　certain　types　of　stealing　are　concerned。　Some；　however；　never　cease　to　steal；　and　in　my　opinion　and　experience　this　is　true　of　those　who　become　thieves　later　on。　In　very　few　cases　do　those　who　are　eventually　pickpockets　and　second…story　men　first　develop　their　art　in　adolescence　or　youth；　they　have　stolen　from　earliest　childhood。　Those　who　steal　for　the　first　time　in　adult　life　are　usually　those　exposed　to　great　temptations　and　occupying　a　position　of　trust；　such　as　the　bank　officer　or　the　trusted　employee。　Here　the　stress　of　overexpensive　tastes；　of　some　financial　burden　or　the　desire　to　get　rich　quick　through　speculation　overcome　inhibition；　especially　as　it　is　too　often　assumed　by　the　speculator　that　he　will　be　able　to　return　the　money。　How　widespread　petty　stealing　is　will　be　attested　to　by　the　hotel　keeper　and　high…grade　restaurant　owner；　whose　yearly　losses　of　linen；　silver　and　bric…a…brac　are　enormous。　The　〃best〃　people　do　not　think　it　really　wrong　to　do　this；　especially　if　the　things　taken　have　a　souvenir　value。　Farmers　whose　fruit　trees　adjoin　a　public　thoroughfare　will　also　state　that　the　average　automobilist　has　quite　a　different　code　of　morals　for　apples　and　pears　than　for　money　and　gasoline。　〃Caveat　emptor〃let　the　buyer　beware！　This　has　been　the　motto　of　the　seller　of　merchandise　since　the　beginning　of　trade。　It　has　made　for　a　lot　of　cheating　of　various　kinds；　some　of　which　has　persisted　as　part　of　the　practice　of　at　least　many　merchants　up　to　this　day。　Cheating　in　weight　or　quantity　led　to　laws；　and　there　cannot　be　any　relaxation　in　these　laws；　or　false　scales　and　measures　immediately　appear。　Cheating　in　quality　led　to　adulterations　in　food　stuffs　which　were　veritably　poisonous；　so　that　it　became　necessary　for　each　great　nation　to　pass　stringent　laws　to　prevent　very　respectable　and　very　rich　men　from　poisoning　their　customers。　Cheating　in　fabrics　still　flourishes　and　in　unsuspected　quarters；　not　always　those　of　the　small　dealer。　And；　misrepresentation　flourished　in　advertising　openly　and　blatantly　until　very　recently。　It　is　true　that　advertising　has　changed　its　tastes　and　uses　dignified　and　high…flown　language；　protesting　the　abnormally　virtuous　ideal　of　service　of　the　article　advertised；　but　can　it　be　true　that　the　makers　of　every　car　believe　it　to　be　so　remarkable　in　performance　and　appearance？　To　the　credit　of　American　merchants　let　it　be　stated　that　a　widespread　improvement　has　taken　place　in　these　matters；　and　that　on　the　whole　there　never　was　a　more　unanimous　determination　to　render　service　as　at　present。　Yet　while　the　goal　of　business　is　profit；　and　the　goal　of　the　buyer　is　the　bargain；　so　long　will　there　be　a　mutual　over…reaching　that　does　not　fall　far　short　of　dishonesty。　There　are　types　that　are　scrupulously　honest　in　that　they　will　not　take　a　penny　of　value　not　obtained　in　the　orthodox　way　of　buying；　trading　or　earning；　who　will　take　advantage　of　necessity；　whose　moral　code　does　not　include　that　fine　sense　of　honor　that　spurns　taking　advantage　of　adversity。　These　are　the　real　profiteers；　and　in　the　last　analysis　they　add　to　their　dishonesty　an　essential　cruelty；　though　often　they　are　pillars　of　the　church。　I　have　dwelt　on　the　dishonest；　the　types　of　honest　men　and　women　who　give　full　value　in　work　and　goods　to　all　whom　they　deal　with　are　of　course　more　numerous。　The　industrial　world　revolves　around　those　who　resist　temptation；　who　work　faithfully；　who　give　honest　measure　and　seek　no　unfair　advantage。　But　that　business　is　no　brotherhood　is　an　old　story；　and　poor　human　nature　finds　itself　forced　by　necessity　and　competition　into　ways　that　are　devious　and　not　strictly　honest。　It's　the　system　that　is　at　fault；　for　men　have　formed　a　scheme　of　creating　and　distributing　values　that　severely　tries　and　often　weakens　their　ideals。　Truth　in　the　sense　of　saying　what　is　true　and　truth　in　the　sense　of　getting　at　ultimate　relations　are　two　different　matters。　The　first　kind　of　truth　is　the　basis　of　social　intercourse；　the　second　kind　the　goal　of　philosophic　efforts。　Speaking　the　truth　invariably　is　not　an　easy　matter　and　in　the　strictest　sense　is　quite　questionable　as　to　value。　The　white　lie；　so…called；　the　pleasant；　assumed　interest；　the　untruth　intended　to　smooth　social　relations　are　shock　absorbers　and　are　part　of　the　courtesy　technique。　In　a　more　technical　sense；　the　untruth　told　to　obtain　some　advantage　or　to　escape　the　disagreeable　in　one　form　or　another　is　held　to　be　dishonorable；　but　is　very　widely　practiced。　People　are　enraged　at　being　deceived　if　the　deception　is　the　work　of　an　outsider　or　one　not　liked；　they　are　shocked　if　deceived；　lied　to；　by　one　they　love。　The　lie　stands　as　the　symbol　of　weakness；　but　to　be　〃taken　in〃　has　more　than　the　material　hurt　the　lie　inflicts；　it　wounds　vanity　and　brings　doubt　and　suspicion　into　social　relations；　all　of　which　are　very　disagreeable。　It　is　held　by　ethical　teachers　to　be　worse　to　lie　about　faults　than　to　have　committed　the　faults；　though　this　may　be　modified　to　mean　only　the　minor　faults。　All　judges　and　lawyers　will　testify　that　〃the　truth；　the　whole　truth　and　nothing　but　the　truth〃　is　very　seldom　told　in　court。　Controversy　is　the　enemy　of　truth；　and　when　the　fighting　spirit　is　aroused；　candor　disappears。　Where　any　great　interest　is　involved；　where　the　opponent　is　seeking　to　dispossess　or　to　evade　payment；　or　where　legal　punishment　may　be　felt；　the　truth　must　be　forced　from　most　people。　Moreover；　passion　blinds；　and　the　natural　and　astonishing　inaccuracy　in　observation　and　reporting＇1＇　that　every　psychologist　knows　is　multiplied　wherever　great　emotions　are　at　work。　If　perjury　were　really　punished；　the　business　of　the　courts　would　be　remarkably　increased。　＇1＇　Not　only　is　this　true　in　law　but　in　all　controversy；　whether　theological；　scientific；　social　or　personal；　the　ego…feeling　enters　in　its　narrowest　and　blindest　aspects　to　defeat　honor；　justice　and　truth。

All　this　is　normal　lying；not　habitual　but　occurring　under　certain　circumstances。　As　clearly　motivated　is　the　lying　of　the　braggart；　the　one　who　invents　stories　that　emphasize　his　exceptional　qualities。　The　braggart　however　is　a　mere　novice　as　compared　with