the foundations of personality-第64章
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ern woman has a harder time in bearing her children; and worst of all she is showing either a reluctance or an inability to nurse them。 Small families are becoming the rule; especially among the better to do。 On the other hand; the history of the home is the gradual domestication of the man; his greater devotion to the children and to his wife。 The increase in divorce has its roots in social issues too big to be discussed with profit here; but perhaps the principal item is the emancipation of woman who is now freer to decline unsatisfactory relations with her mate。 '1' 〃The Nervous Housewife。〃
2。 The sex passion; as a direct feeling; is undoubtedly stronger in the male; as it is biologically necessary it should be; since upon him devolves the active part in the sex relationship。'2' The sexologists point out two types of sex feeling; one of which is supposed to be typically male; the other typically female。 '2' See Havelock Ellis; Krafft…Ebbing; Freud。
The male feeling is called sadism; after an infamous nobleman who wrote on the subject。 It is a delight in power; especially in cruelty; and shows itself in a desire for the subjection of the female。 In its pathological forms it substitutes cruelty for the sexual relation; and we have thus the horrible Jack the Rippers; etc。 The Freudians go to the extreme of seeing in all love of power a sadism; but the truth is that the sadistic impulse is the love of power; cruelly or roughly expressed in sex。 The cave man of the stories is a sadist of a type; and one generally approved of; at least in theory。 A little of sadism is shown in the delight in pinching and biting so often seen; and the expression 〃I'd like to eat you up〃 has a playful sadism in it。 The opposite of sadism is masochism。 This is a delight in being roughly used; in being the victim of aggression。 The typical female is supposed to rejoice in the power and strength of the male as exerted on her。 The admiration women often give to the uncouthly strong; their praise of virility; is masochistic in its origin。 The desire of the peasant woman to be beaten as a mark of man's love is supposed to be masochistic; a pleasure in pain; which is held to be a primitive female reaction。 Sex psychopathology discloses innumerable cases where extreme sadism and masochism exist in both sexes; that is; not only males but females are sadistic; and so not only females but males are masochistic。 Undoubtedly in minor degree both qualities express themselves in male and female; undoubtedly the male is more frequently a sadist than is the female。 Though the majority of women may thrill in the strength and power of the lover; there are relatively few American women who will tolerate real roughness or cruelty。 As a matter of fact the basic feelings in sex love; aside from the sexual urge itself; are tenderness and admiration。 Naturally men desire to protect; and this becomes part of their tenderness; they admire and love the beauty of women and are attracted by the essential (or supposed essential) feminine qualities。 And as naturally women desire to be protected; this enhances their tenderness; and their admiration is elicited by the peculiar male characters of strength; hardihood and aggressiveness; as well as by beauty and human qualities generally。 Though the love of conquest is a part of sex feeling; it is neither male nor female; but is that feeling of superiority and power so longed for in all relations。 Men like to conquer the proud; reserved; haughty woman because she piques them; and women often set out to 〃win〃 the reserved 〃woman hater〃 for the same reason。 Thus tenderness and sex passion; with sadism and masochism in lesser degree; are basic in sex feeling; but other qualities enter so largely that any complete analysis is almost impossible。 The belief; engendered by romance and teaching; that happiness lies in love; spurs youth on。 Admiration for achievement; love of beauty; desire for the social standing that winning some one gives; desire for home and perhaps even for children are some of the factors of love。 Sex passion varies enormously in people。 In some men it is an almost constant desire; obsessive; and is relatively uncritical and unchoosing。 Occasionally; though much more rarely; the same condition is found in women。 Such abnormal individuals are almost certain of social disaster; and when married their conduct usually leads to divorce or desertion。 Then there is a wide range of types down to the almost sexless persons;'1' the frigid; who are much more commonly found among women than men。 In fact; with many women active sex desire may never occur; and for others it is a rarity; while still others find themselves definitely desirous only after pregnancy。 Not only are women less passionate; but their desire is more 〃finicky;〃 more in need of appropriate circumstances; the proper setting and the chosen mate than with man。 In other words; sex desire is more physical and urgent in the man and more psychical and selective in the woman。 '1' Some claim that the 〃frigid〃 woman is such because her mate is ignorant of the art of love。 This is true of some frigid women。 Instruction to men and women about to be married on the technique of sexual life might well take a fine place in the curriculum of life。
A curious by…product of the sexual feeling is fetichism。 To do it justice; fetichism is found in all feeling toward others; but is most developed in sex relation。 The fetich is a symbol of the desired person; thus the handkerchief and glove of the woman or the hat of the man。 Pathologically any part of the dressthe shoe or the undergarmentsmay become so closely associated with sexual feeling as to evoke it indiscriminately or even to displace it。 Normal fetich formation may become a bit foolish and sentimental but never becomes a predominant factor in sex relationship。 The history of modesty is the history of the sex taboo。 As pointed out; the sex feelings are the most restricted of any of the instincts。 I despair of giving an adequate summary of this; but it may be best stated by declaring that all the restrictions we hold as imperative have; at one time or another in some place; been regarded as sacred and desirable。 Brother and sister marriages were favored by Egyptian royalty; prostitution was a rite in Phoenician worship; phallic worship frankly held as a symbol that which to…day we hold profane (in a silly way); plural marriage was and is countenanced in a large part of the world to…day; marriage for love is held as foolish in most countries; even now。 The practice of child restriction now prevalent in Europe and America would be looked at with horror in those countries where children of ten or eleven are allowed to marry。 Exogamy; endogamy; monogamy; polygamy;all these are customs and taboos; and though in our day and country monogamy has the social and religious sanction; there is nothing to indicate that this is a permanent resting place for marriage。 Certainly the statistics of divorce indicate a change in the permanent status of marriage。 What this is meant to emphasize is the social nature of sexual modesty。 Modesty of other kind rests either on a moderate self…valuation or a desire to avoid offense by not emphasizing one's own value; or it is both。 However sexual modesty originated; practically it consists in the concealing of certain parts of the body; avoiding certain topics of conversation; especially in the presence of the other sex; and behaving in such fashion as to restrict sexual demonstration。 There is a natural coyness in women which has been socially emphasized by restrictions in dress; conduct and speech to a ridiculous degree。 Thus it was immodest in our civilization for women to show their legs; and the leg became the symbol of the femaleness of the woman or girl; as also did the breast。'1' The body became taboo; and at present; when women are commencing to dress so that the legs are shown; the arms are bare; and the back and shoulders visible; the cry of immodesty; immorality and social demoralization is raised; as if real morality rested in these ridiculous; barbaric taboos。 '1' All the anthropologists; Tyler; McLennan; Ellis and especially Frazier; deal at length with this fascinating subject。 The psychopat