the foundations of personality-第75章

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ople　are　often　irritable　and　hypokinetic。　As　a　child　E。　〃never　could　stand　excitement　or　strain；〃　as　his　mother　says。　What　is　meant　is　this：　that　he　became　overexcited　under　almost　any　circumstances　and　became　profoundly　fatigued　afterwards。　As　we　have　seen；　the　intense　diffusion　of　excitement　throughout　the　whole　body　is　a　sign　of　the　childish　and　inferior　organism；　as　maturity　approaches　and　throughout　childhood　excitability　decreases　and　is　better　localized。　When　a　noise　is　heard　an　infant　jumps；　and　so　do　people　like　E。；　but　the　better　controlled　merely　turn　their　head　and　eyes　to　see　what　the　source　of　the　noise　may　be。　This　lack　of　control　of　excitement　extended　in　E。's　case　to　play；　entertainment；　novelty　of　any　kind；　crowds　and　especially　to　the　disagreeable　excitement　of　quarrels；　fights；　terrifying　experiences；　etc。　Under　anger　he　trembled；　grew　pale；　and　his　shouts　and　screams　were　beyond　control；　under　fear　he　became　actually　sick；　vomited　and　showed　a　liability　to　syncope　of　an　alarming　kind。　E。　was　not　the　selfish　type　of　the　neurasthenic；　he　was　gentle　and　kind　and　ready　to　share　with　everybody；　a　lovable　boy　of　an　intensely　sociable　nature。　Nevertheless；　his　high　excitability　and　his　quick　fatigue　made　it　necessary　to　shelter　him；　for　any　effort　at　toughening　merely　brought　about　a　〃breakdown。〃　Here　we　must　reemphasize　the　fundamental　importance　of　the　fatigue　reactions。　The　normal　fatigue　reaction　is　to　feel　weary；　to　desire　rest　and　to　be　able　to　rest　and　sleep。　The　abnormal　reaction；　one　directly　opposed　to　the　well…being　of　the　individual；　is　to　feel　exhausted；　to　become　restless　and　to　find　it　difficult　to　sleep。　There　are　children　who　thrive　on　excitement　and　exertion；　they　sleep　sounder　for　it；　they　recuperate　readily　and　gain　in　strength　and　endurance　with　every　ordinary　burden　put　upon　them。　There　are　others　to　whom　anything　but　the　least　excitement　and　exertion　acts　as　a　poison；　making　them　restless　and　exhausted。　Not　all　children　who　show　this　perverse　fatigue　reaction　grow　up　with　it。　It　may　be　only　a　temporary　phase　of　their　lives；　but　while　it　lasts　it　is　very　troublesome。　In　E。's　case　the　overexcitable　hypokinetic　stage　lasted　until　about　the　ninth　year；　and　then　there　was　a　great　improvement；　though　he　still　was　of　the　same　general　type。　He　became　a　fairly　good　runner　for　a　short　distance；　learned　to　swim；　though　he　stood　the　cold　water　poorly；　was　clever　and　graceful　as　a　dancer　and　was　quite　popular。　At　sixteen　he　left　school　to　enter　business；　because　of　the　straitened　means　of　his　family。　He　entered　into　adolescent　period　later　and　suffered　greatly　from　his　sixteenth　to　nineteenth　year　from；　fatigue；　hypochondriacal　fears；　and　had　to　have　a　good　deal　of　medical　attention　at　this　time。　Sex　questions　perplexed　him；　for　he　became　quite　passionate　and　at　the　same　time　had　much　moral　repugnance　to　illicit　relations。　His　sexual　curiosity　was　intense；　and　he　read　all　manner　of　books　on　the　subject；　went　to　the　burlesque　shows　on　the　sly　and　almost　became　obsessed　on　sex　matters。　At　this　stage　he　made　only　a　mediocre　showing　in　his　business　career；　though　his　evident　honesty　secured　him　promotion　to　a　clerk's　position。　After　his　nineteenth　year　he　seemed　to　gain　again　in　energy　and　endurance　and　was　fairly　well　until　his　twenty…eighth　year；　though　he　had　to　nurse　his　endurance　at　all　times；　developed　very　regular　habits　of　sleep；　diet；　etc。；　and　in　this　manner　got　along。　Once　he　had　an　opportunity　to　join　an　organization　which　would　have　paid　him　a　better　salary；　but　the　hours　were　irregular；　and　it　would　have　demanded　much　exertion　and　excitement；　so　he　passed　it　by。　In　1917　he　joined　the　army；　partly　because　of　patriotic　motives；　partly　because　he　was　convinced　that　army　life　might　develop　his　endurance　and　energy。　He　was　sent　to　an　army　post　in　the　South　and　within　two　months　of　his　entrance　had　〃broken　down。〃　He　was　sleepless；　restless；　was　irritable　and　〃jumpy；〃　had　lost　appetite　and　the　feeling　of　endurance。　Life　seemed　intolerable；　though　he　had　no　desire　to　do　away　with　himself；　for　he　had　no　quarrel　with　life　itself　but　was　disgusted　with　his　inferiority。　He　was　hospitalized；　but　this　did　little　good　and　he　was　afterwards　discharged　as　medically　unfit。　This；　of　course；　hurt　his　pride；　but　essentially　he　was　greatly　relieved。　He　made　but　slow　improvement　until　through　the　munificence　of　Uncle　Sam　he　was　given　a　new　start　in　life　through　the　Vocational　Reeducation　Board。　Like　many　other　city　men；　he　has　dreamed　of　the　〃chicken　farm〃　as　the　ideal　occupation　free　from　too　much　work　and　yet　lucrative。　This；　of　course；　is　a　mistaken　notion；　but　while　learning　the　work　he　is　happy　and　is　slowly　regaining　his　energy。　What　time　will　bring　forth　no　one　can　tell；　but　this　is　certain：　throughout　his　life　he　will　have　to　rely　on　good　habits；　carefully　adjusted　to　his　energy；　in　order　to　protect　himself　from　the　bankruptcy　that　so　easily　comes　on　him。　A　philosophy　of　life　which　will　help　to　control　his　irritability　is　necessary；　and　the　intelligent　of　the　hypokinetic　irritable　acquire　the　habits　and　the　philosophy　necessary　for　their　welfare。　Any　neurologist　could　cite　any　number　of　such　cases　with　varying　traits　of　character；　high　intelligence　or　feeble…minded；　controlled　in　morals　or　uncontrolled；　happily　or　unhappily　situated；　whose　central　difficulty　is　an　irritable　and　easily　exhausted　store　of　energy。　They　are　easily　excited　and　excitement　burns　them　out；　that　is　the　long　and　short　of　their　situation。　Sex；　love；　hatred；　anger；　strain；　fear　in　all　its　forms；　illness；all　these　and　many　other　emotions　and　happenings　may　break　them　down。　Such　people；　and　those　who　care　for　them；　must　not　make　the　mistake　of　thinking　that　rough　handling；　strenuosity；　will　cure　what　is　apparently　a　fixed　character。　There　is　an　irritable；　high…energy　typeirritable　hyperkineticthat　is　well　contrasted　with　the　foregoing。　This　explosive　personality　works　by　fits　and　starts　but　does　not　wear　out；　merely；　as　it　were；　settles　down　to　his　ordinary　pace　when　he　rests　up。　He　is　like　a　six…day　bicycle　racer　who　plugs　along　but　every　now　and　then　sprints　like　mad　for　a　few　laps　and　then　comes　back　to　a　pace　that　would　kill　the　average　rider。　I　shall　not　trouble　to　cite　such　a　case；　but　I　can　think　of　at　least　one　man　of　good　attainments　who　is　of　this　explosive　hyperkinetic　type。　He　responds　to　every　demand　with　a　burst　of　energy；　and　his　quota　of　ordinary　activities　is　simply　appalling。　Neglecting　the　further　types　of　energy　display　for　the　simple　reason　that　this　quality　shades　off　into　every　conceivable　type　and　is　also　a　part　of　every　nature；　we　turn　to　the　types　of　emotional　mood　display。　With　these　it　is　necessary　to　consider　excitability　as　well；　and　the　most　interesting　beings　are　here　our　objects　of　study。　I　wish　first　to　emphasize　my　belief　that　where　there　is　a　great　natural　variation　in　excitability　and　emotionality　in　individuals；　there　is　not　nearly　so　much　in　races　as　we　think；　and　that　social　heredity　is　tradition　and　cultural　level　plays　the　more　important　role　in　this。　My　friend　and　colleague；　Dr。　A。　Warren　Stearns；　has　made　a　study　which　shows　that　while　the　immigrant　Italian　is　excitable　and　quick　to　anger　and　of　revengeful　reactions；　his　American…born　descendent　has　so　far　controlled　and　changed　this　type　of　reaction　that　he　does　not　especially　figure　in　police　records；　in　murders　or　assaults。　My　own　studies　of　the　second　and　especially　the　third　generation　Jew　show　there　is　an　almost　complete　approach　to　the　〃American〃　type　in　emotional　display；　in　what　is　known　as　poise。　This　third　generation　Jewish…American　has　dropped　all　the　mannerisms　of　excitability　in　gesture　and　voice；　and　his　adherence　to　good　form　includes　that　attitude　of　nonchalant　humor　so　characteristic　of　the　American。　1。　The　generally　excitable；　overemotional　type。　This　type　is　more　common　in　the　Latin；　Hebrew　and　Celtic　races。　In　some　respects　it　corresponds　to　the　hypokinetic　irritable；　but　it　is　not　necessarily　hypokinetic。　The　artistic　type　of　person；　so　called；　is　of　this　group；　but　is；　of　course；　talented　as　well。　Talent　need　not　be　present；　and　there　are　persons　of　no　artistic　ability　whatever　who　show　a　generalized；　excitable…emotional　temperame