the foundations of personality-第8章

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else　the　girls　were　orphans　brought　up　by　a　stepmother　or　some　careless　foster　mother。　In　any　case；　through　either　example；　cruelty　or　neglect；　they　drifted　into　the　streets。　And　the　streets！　Only　the　poor　child　（or　the　child　brought　up　over　strictly）　can　know　the　lure　of　the　streets。　THERE　is　excitement；　THERE　is　freedom　from　prohibitions　and　inhibitions。　So　the　boy　or　girl　finds　a　world　without　discipline；　is　without　the　restraints　imposed　on　the　sex　instincts　and　comes　under　the　influence　of　derelicts；　sex…adventurers；　thieves；　vagabonds　and　the　aimless　of　all　sorts。　Into　this　university　of　the　vices　most　of　the　girls　I　am　speaking　of　drifted；　largely　because　the　home　influence　either　was　of　the　street　type　or　had　no　advantages　to　offer　in　competition　with　the　street。　But　the　child　on　the　streets　is　no　more　a　solitary　individual　than　the　savage　is；　or　for　that　matter　the　civilized　man。　He　quickly　forms　part　of　a　group；　a　roving　group；　called　〃The　Gang。〃　In　the　large　cities　gangs　are　usually　composed　of　boys　of　one　age　or　nearly　so；　in　the　small　towns　the　gangs　will　consist　of　the　boys　of　a　neighborhood。　In　fact；　regardless　of　whether　they　are　street　children　or　home　children；　boys　form　gangs　spontaneously。　The　gang　is　the　first　voluntary　organization　of　society；　for　the　home；　in　so　far　as　the　child　is　concerned；　is　an　involuntary　organization。　The　gang　has　its　leader　or　leaders；　usually　the　strongest　or　the　best　fighter。　At　any　rate；　the　best　fighter　is　the　nominal　leader；　though　a　shrewder　lad　may　assume　the　real　power。　The　gang　has　rules；　it　plays　according　to　regulations；　its　quarrels　are　settled　according　to　a　code；　property　has　a　definite　status　and　distribution。＇1＇　The　members　of　the　gang　are　always　quarreling　with　each　other；　but　here；　as　in　the　larger　aggregations　of　older　human　beings；　〃politics　ends　at　the　border；〃　and　the　gang　is　a　unit　against　foreign　aggression。　Indeed；　gangs　of　a　neighborhood　may　league　against　a　group　of　other　gangs；　as　did　the　quarreling　cities　of　Greece　against　Persia。　＇1＇　In　the　gang　of　which　I　was　a　member　there　was　a　ritual　in　the　formation　of　partnership；　an　association　within　the　association。　Two　boys；　fond　of　each　other　and　desiring　to　become　partners；　would　link　little　fingers；　while　a　third　boy　acting　as　a　sort　of　priestan　elder　of　the　gangwould　raise　his　hand　and　strike　the　link；　shouting；　〃Partners；　partners；　never　break！〃　This　ritual　was　a　symbol　of　the　unity　of　the　pair；　so　that　they　fought　for　each　other；　shared　all　personal　goods　（such　as　candy；　pocket　money；　etc。；）　and　were　to　be　loyal　and　sympathetic　throughout　life。　Alas；　dear　partner　of　my　boyhood；　most　gallant　of　fighters　and　most　generous　of　souls；　where　are　you；　and　where　is　our　friendship；　now？

For　the　student　of　mankind　the　gang　is　one　of　the　most　fascinating　phenomena。　Here　the　power　of　tradition；　without　the　aid　of　records；　is　seen。　Throughout　America；　in　a　mysterious　way；　all　the　boys　start　spinning　tops　at　a　certain　season　and　then　suddenly　cease　and　begin；　to　play　marbles。　Without　any　standardization　of　a　central　type　they　have　the　same　rules　for　their　games；　call　them　by　the　same　names　and　use　in　their　songs　the　same　rhymes　and　airs。　Every　generation　of　children　has　the　same　jokes　and　trick　games：　〃Eight　and　eight　are　sixteen；　stick　your　nose　in　kerosene〃〃A　dead　cat；　I　one　it；　you　two　it；　I　three　it；　you　four　it；　I　five　it；　you　six　it；　I　seven　it；　you　eight　it！〃　The　fact　is；　of　course；　that　there　are　no　generations　as　distinct　entities；　there　are　always　individuals　of　one　age；　and　there　is　a　mutual　teaching　and　learning　going　on　at　all　times；　which　is　the　basis　of　transmission　of　tradition。　Children　are　usually　more　conservative　and　greater　sticklers　for　form　and　propriety　than　even　men　are；　only　now　and　then　a　freer　mind　arises　whose　courage　and　pertinacity　change　things。　Therefore；　in　the　understanding　of　character　the　influence　of　the　environment　becomes　of　as　fundamental　importance　as　the　consideration　of　the　organic　make…up　of　the　individual。　The　environment　in　the　form　of　tradition；　social　ideal；　social　status；　economic　situation；　race；　religion；　family；　education　is　thus　on　the　one　hand　the　directing；　guiding；　eliciting　factor　in　character　and　on　the　other　is　the　repressing；　inhibiting；　limiting　factor。　Putting　the　whole　thing　in　another　way：　the　organism　is　the　Microcosmos；　or　little　world；　in　which　the　potentialities　of　character　are　elaborated　in　the　germ　plasm　we　inherit　from　our　ancestors；　in　the　healthy　interaction　of　brain　with　the　rest　of　the　body；　especially　the　internal　glands。　The　outside　world　is　the　Macrocosmos；　or　large　world；　and　includes　the　physical　conditions　of　existence　（climate；　altitude；　plentiness　of　food；　access　to　the　sea）　as　well　as　the　social　conditions　of　existence　（state　of　culture　of　times　and　race　and　family）。　The　social　conditions　of　existence　are　of　especial　interest　in　that　they　reach　back　ages　before　the　individual　was　born　so　that　the　lives；　thoughts；　ideals　of　the　dead　may　dominate　the　character　of　the　living。　This　macrocosmos　both　brings　to　light　and　stifles　the　character　peculiarities　of　the　microcosmos　and　the　character　of　no　man；　as　we　see　or　know　it；　ever　expresses　in　any　complete　manner　his　innate　possibilities。　The　question　arises：　What　is　the　basis　of　the　influence　of　the　social　heredity；　of　the　forces；　in　the　character　of　the　person　born　in　a　social　group？　Certain　aspects　of　this　we　must　deal　with　later；　in　order　to　keep　to　a　unified　presentation　of　the　subject。　Other　aspects　are　pertinently　to　be　discussed　now。　The　link　that　binds　man　to　man　is　called　the　social　instinct；　though　perhaps　it　would　be　better　to　call　it　the　group　of　social　instincts。　The　link　is　one　of　feeling；　primarily；　though　it　has　associated　with　it；　in　an　indissoluble　way；　purpose　and　action。　The　existence　of　the　social　instinct　is　undisputed；　its　explanation　is　varied　and　ranges　from　the　mystical　to　the　evolutionary。　For　the　mystical　（which　crops　out　in　Bergson；　Butler　and　even　in　Galton）；　the　unity　of　life　is　its　basis；　and　there　is　a　sort　of　recognition　of　parts　formerly　united　but　now　separate　individuals。　This　does　not　explain　hate；　racial　and　individual。　The　evolutionary　aspect　has　received　its　best　handling　in　recent　years　in　Trotter's　〃The　Herd；〃　where　the　social　instincts　are　traced　in　their　relation　to　human　history。　One　writer　after　another　has　placed　as　basic　in　social　instinct；　sympathy；　imitation；　suggestibility　and　the　recognition　of　〃likeness。〃　These　are　merely　names　for　a　spreading　of　emotion　from　one　member　of　a　group　to　another；　for　a　something　that　makes　members　of　the　group　teachable　and　makes　them　wish　to　teach；　that　is　back　of　the　wish　to　conform　and　help　and　has　two　sets　of　guiding　forces；　reward　and　its　derivative　praise；　punishment　and　its　derivative　blame。　Perhaps　the　term　〃derivative〃　is　not　correct；　and　perhaps　praise　and　blame　are　primary　and　reward　and　punishment　secondary。　So　eminent　a　philosopher　as　the　elder　Mill　declared　the　distribution　of　praise　and　blame　is　the　greatest　problem　of　society。〃　This　view　of　the　place　of　praise　and　blame　in　the　organization　of　character　and　in　directing　the　efforts　and　activity　of　men　is　hardly　exaggerated。　From　birth　to　death　the　pleasure　of　reward　and　praise　and　the　pain　of　punishment　and　blame　are　immensely　powerful　human　motives。　It　is　true　that　now　and　then　individuals　seek　punishment　and　blame；　but　this　is　always　to　win　the　favor　of　others　or　of　the　most　important　observer　of　men's　actions；God；　The　child　is　trained　through　the　effect　of　reward　and　punishment；　praise　and　blame；　and　these　are　used　to　set　up；　on　the　one　hand；　habits　of　conduct；　and　on　the　other　an　inner　mentor　and　guide　called　Conscience。　It　may　be　true　that　conscience　is　innate　in　its　potentialities；　but　whether　that　is　so　or　not；　it　is　the　teaching　and　training　of　the　times　or　of　some　group　that　gives　to　conscience　its　peculiar　trend　in　any　individual　case。　And　before　a　child　has　any　inward　mentor　it　depends　for　its　knowledge　of　right　and　wrong　upon　the　efforts　of　its　parents；　their　use　of　praise…reward　and　blame…punishment；　it　reacts　to　these　measures　in　accordance　with　the　strength　and　vigor　of　its　social　instincts　and　in　accordance　with　its　fear　of　punish