the foundations of personality-第73章

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unsafe〃　attitude。　He　pities　the　unfortunate　but　is　not　truly　sympathetic；　in　that　it　rarely　occurs　to　him　that　success　and　failure　are　relative；　that　an　accident　might　have　shipwrecked　his　fortunes　and　that　his　good　qualities　are　as　innate　as　his　complexion。　For　this　man　prides　himself　on　his　strong　will　and　courage；　whereas　he　merely　has　within　him　a　fine　engine　in　whose　construction　he　had　no　part。　2。　The　hyperkinetic；　controlled；　impractical　person。　B。　is；　in　the　fundamentals　of　energy　and　control；　singularly　like　A。；　but　because　of　the　nature　of　his　interests　and　purposes　their　lives　have　completely　diverged　so　that　no　one　would　ordinarily　recognize　the　kinship　in　type。　B。　is　and　always　has　been　a　worker；　enthusiastic　and　enduring；　and　he　has　stuck　to　his　last　with　a　fidelity　that　is　remarkable。　He　is　very　likable　in　the　ordinary　sense；pleasant　to　look　at；　cheerful；　ready　to　joke；　laugh　or　to　help　the　other　fellow。　Nevertheless；　he　has　only　a　few　friends　and　is　a　distinctly　disappointed　man　at　heart；　because　his　interests　are　in　the　ordinary　sense；　impractical。　B。　early　became　interested　in　physiology。　From　the　very　start　he　found　in　the　workings　of　the　human　body　a　fascination　that　concentrated　his　efforts。　Poor；　he　worked　hard　enough　to　obtain　scholarships　and　fellowships　in　one　university　after　another　until　finally　he　became　a　Ph。　D。　Here　was　a　great　error　from　the　practical　standpoint；　for　had　he　become　an　M。　D。；　he　would　have　had　a　profession　that　offered　an　independent　financial　future。　But；　in　his　zeal；　he　did　not　wish　to　take　on　the　extended　program　of　the　physician；　and　he　saw　clearly　that　he　might　become　a　better　scientist　as　a　Ph。　D。　He　became　a　teacher　in　one　school　after　another；　did　a　good　deal　of　research　work；　but　has　not　been　fortunate　enough　to　make　any　epoch…making　discoveries。　He　is　one　of　those　splendid；　painstaking；　energetic　men　found　in　every　university　who　turn　out　good　pieces　of　work　of　which　only　a　few　know　anything；　and　from　which　in　the　course　of　time　some　genius　or　lucky　scientist　culls　a　few　facts　upon　which　to　build　up　a　great　theory　or　a　new　doctrine。　He　married　one　of　his　own　students；　a　fine　woman　but　unluckily　not　very　strong；　and　so　there　fell　on　him　many　a　domestic　duty　that　a　thousand　extra　dollars　a　year　would　have　turned　over　to　a　maid。　Thus　B。　is　an　obscure　but　respected　member　of　the　faculty　of　a　small　university。　He　teaches　well；　though　he　dislikes　it；　and　he　is　happy　at　the　times　when　he　works　hard　at　some　physiological　problem。　He　loves　his　family　and　has　vowed　that　his　son　will　be　a　business　man。　He　feels　inferior　as　he　contemplates　his　obscure　existence；　with　its　precarious　financial　state；　its　drudgery　and　most　of　all　the　gradual　disappearance　of　his　ideals。　He　is　frank　to　himself　alone；　wishes　he　had　made　money；　but　is　apt　to　sneer　at　the　world　of　the　〃fat　and　successful〃　as　less　than　his　intellectual　equal。　He　compares　his　own　rewards　with　that　of　the　successful　man　knowing　less　and　with　a　narrower　outlook。　Thus；　through　success；　A。　is　broadening　and　becoming　something　of　an　idealist。　B。　is　narrowing　and　through　failure　is　losing　his　ideals。　This　is　not　an　uncommon　effect　of　success　and　failure。　Where　success　leads　to　arrogance　and　conceit　it　narrows；　but　where　the　character　withstands　this　result　the　increased　experience　and　opportunity　is　of　great　value　to　character。　Failure　may　embitter　and　thus　narrow　through　envy　and　lost　energy；　but　also　it　may　strip　away　conceit　and　overestimation　and　thus　lead　to　a　richer　insight　into　life。　3。　The　hyperkinetic；　uncontrolled　or　shallow。　This　type；　although　quick　and　apparently　energetic；　is　deficient　in　a　fundamental　of　the　personality；　in　the　organizing　energy。　This　deficiency　may　extend　into　all　phases　of　the　mental　life　or　in　only　a　few　phases。　Thus　we　see　people　whose　thinking　is　rapid；　energetic；　but　they　cannot　〃stick〃　to　one　line　of　thought　long　enough　to　reach　a　goal。　Others　are　similarly　situated　in　regard　to　purposes；　they　are　enthusiastic；　easily　stirred　into　activity；　but　rarely　do　their　purposes　remain　fixed　long　enough　for　success。　As　a　rule　this　class　is　inconstant　in　affections；　though　warm　and　sympathetic。　They　gush　but　never　organize　their　philanthropic　efforts；　so　that　they　rarely　do　any　real　good。　Often　the　most　lovable　of　people；　they　are　at　the　same　time　the　despair　of　those　who　know　them　best。　M。　is　a　woman　who　makes　a　fine　first　impression；　is　very　pretty；　with　nice　manners　and　a　quick；　flattering　interest　in　every　one　she　meets。　She　is　usually　classed　as　intelligent　because　she　is　vivacious；　that　is；　her　mind　follows　the　trend　of　things　quickly；　and　she　marshals　whatever　she　knows　very　readily。　As　one　who　knows　her　well　says；　〃She　shows　all　her　goods　the　first　time。　You　really　do　not　know　how　slender　her　stock　in　trade　is　until　you　see　the　same　goods　and　tricks　every　time　you　meet　her。〃　Needless　to　say　her　critic　is　a　woman。　M。　is　interested　in　something　new　each　week。　The　〃new〃　usually　fascinates　her；　and　she　becomes　so　extraordinarily　busy　that　she　hardly　has　time　to　eat　or　sleep。　She　is　always　put　on　committees　if　the　organization　heads　do　not　know　her；　but　if　they　do；　she　is　carefully　slated　for　something　of　no　importance。　After　a　short　time　her　interest　has　shifted　to　something　else。　Thus　she　passes　from　work　in　behalf　of　blind　babies　to　raising　funds　for　a　home　for　indigent　actors；　from　energy　spent　in　philanthropy　to　energy　spent　in　learning　the　latest　dances。　Her　enthusiasm　never　cools　off；　though　its　goal　always　changes。　Fortunately　she　is　married　to　a　rich　man　who　views　her　with　affection　and　a　shrug　of　his　shoulders。　Her　children　know　her；　now　and　then；　she　becomes　extraordinarily　interested　in　their　welfare；　much　to　their　disgust　and　rebellion；　for　they　have　long　since　sized　her　up。　She　has　often　been　on　the　verge　of　a　love　affair　with　some　man　who　is　professionally　interested　in　something　into　which　she　has　leaped　for　a　short　time。　She　raves　about　him；　follows　him；　flatters　and　adores　him；　and　then；　before　the　poor　fellow　knows　where　he　is　at；　she　is　out　of　love　and　off　somewhere　else。　This　mutability　of　affection　has　undoubtedly　saved　her　from　disaster。　Were　she　not　rich；　M。　would　be　one　of　the　social　problems　that　the　social　workers　cannot　understand　or　handle；　e。　g。；　there　is　a　type　who　never　sticks　to　anything；　not　because　he　is　bored　quickly；　or　is　inefficient；　but　because　he　is　at　the　mercy　of　the　new　and　irrelevant。　Without　sufficient　means　he　throws　up　his　job　and　tries　to　get　the　new　work　he　longs　to　do。　Sometimes　he　fails　to　get　it；　and　then　he　becomes　an　unemployed　problem。　This　type　of　uncontrolled　energy　reaches　its　height　in　the　manical　or　manic　phase　of　the　disease　already　described　as　manic　depressive　insanity。　The　〃manic　personality；〃　which　need　not　become　insane；　is　characterized　by　high　energy；　vivacious　emotions；　rapid　flow　of　thought　and　irrelevant　associations。　4。　The　mesokineticmedium　or　average　in　their　energy　（feeling　and　power）run　the　range　of　the　vast　groups　we　call　the　average。　This　type　is　spurred　on　by　necessity；　custom　and　habit　to　steady　work　and　steady　living。　Possessed　of　practical　wisdom；　their　world　is　narrow；　their　affections　only　called　out　for　their　kindred　and　immediate　friends。　Their　interests　are　largely　away　from　their　work　and　as　a　rule　do　not　include　the　past　or　future　of　the　race。　Usually　conservative；　they　accept　the　moral　standards　as　absolute　and　are　quick　to　resent　changes　in　custom。　They　follow　leaders　cheerfully；　are　capable　of　intense　loyalty　to　that　cause　which　they　believe　to　stand　for　their　interests。　Yet　each　individual　of　the　mass　of　men；　though　he　never　rises　above　mediocrity；　presents　to　his　intimates　a　grouping　of　qualities　and　peculiarities　that　gives　him　a　distinct　personality。　C。　is　one　of　those　individuals　whose　mediocre　energy　has　stood　between　him　and　so…called　success。　At　present　he　is　forty　and　occupies　about　the　same　position　that　he　did　at　twenty。　As　a　boy　he　was　fond　of　play　but　never　excelled　in　any　sport　and　never　occupied　a　place　of　leadership。　He　had　the　usual　pugnacious　code　of　boys；　but　because　he　was　friendly　and　good…natured　rarely　got　into　a　fight。　He　liked　to　read　and　was　rather　above　the　average　in　intelligence；　but　he　n