the foundations of personality-第81章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　freedom　of　the　streets　appealed　to　him　as　offering　a　life　varied　enough　to　suit　his　nature；　and　with　excitement　and　adventure　always　in　the　air。　So　he　mingled　with　all　kinds　of　boys　and　men　and　at　the　age　of　fourteen　shocked　his　parents　by　being　arrested　as　one　of　a　gang　that　was　engaged　in　robbing　drunken　men　in　the　slum　quarters　of　the　city。　It　took　all　kinds　of　influence　to　get　him　released　on　probation；　but　this　was　accomplished　and　then　the　boy　disappeared　from　home。　He　was　gone　three　years　and　despite　all　search　had　completely　disappeared。　His　people　had　given　up　all　hope　of　seeing　him　again　（although　certain　members　of　his　family　were　not　at　all　saddened　by　the　prospect）　when　they　received　a　communication　from　the　police　of　a　distant　city　with　a　photograph　of　the　boy；　asking　if　it　was　true　that　he　was　their　son。　It　seems　that　J。　had　drifted　from　place　to　place；　now　working　as　newsboy；　stable　hand；　errand　boy；　messenger；　theater…usher；　until　he　had　reached　this　city。　There　he　was　wandering　on　the　streets；　hungry　and　ragged；　when　a　philanthropic　old　gentleman　noticed　him。　J。　has　the　good　fortune　to　be　very　innocent　looking；　and　no　matter　what　his　crimes；　his　face　might　belong　to　a　cherub。　A　friend　once　stated　that　if　J。　appeared　at　Heaven's　gate；　St。　Peter　would　surely　take　him　to　be　an　angel　come　back　from　a　stroll　and　let　him　in。　The　philanthropist　stopped；　the　boy　and　inquired　into　his　history。　J。　told　him　a　very　affecting　story　of　being　an　orphan　whom　a　cruel　guardian　had　robbed　of　his　heritage　and　exaggerated　his　sufferings　until　the　indignant　old　fellow　threatened　to　have　the　police　prosecute　his　betrayer。　With　a　show　of　great　magnanimity；　J。　refused　to　disclose　his　real　name；　and　the　philanthropist　took　him　home。　He　had　him　clothed　and　fed；　and　then；　taken　by　the　boy's　engaging　manners　and　bright　ways；　decided　to　educate　and　adopt　him。　He　was　dissuaded　from　the　latter　by　a　friend；　but　he　sent　J。　to　a　private　school　of　good　grade。　To　the　surprise　of　the　old　man；　J。　was　continually　getting　into　mischief；　and　finally　he　was　accused　of　stealing。　Unable　to　believe　the　school　authorities；　the　old　gentleman　took　the　boy　home　and　quizzed　him。　He　gave　an　unsatisfactory　account　of　himself　and　that　night　disappeared　with　a　considerable　sum　of　money。　The　police　were　notified；　and　a　week　later　he　was　found　in　a　house　of　the　typeso　euphemistically　calledof　〃ill　fame。〃　There　he　was　spending　the　money　lavishly　on　the　inmates　and　was　indulging　his　every　desire。　One　of　the　women；　a　police　stool…pigeon；　identified　him　as　the　boy　who　was　wanted　by　the　law；　and　he　was　arrested。　Despite　the　efforts　of　the　parents　and　the　philanthropist；　the　boy　was　given　a　prison　sentence　and　is　still　serving　it。　Characteristic　of　this　group　of　personalities　are　these　traits：　（1）　an　impatience　with　the　arduous；　an　incapacity　or　unwillingness　to　wait　for　results　in　the　ordinary　way；　（2）　a　decided　dread　of　monotony；　a　longing　for　excitement；　（3）　an　inability　to　form　permanent　purposes　and　to　inhibit　the　distracting　desires；　（4）　a　desire　to　win　others'　good　opinion　and　sympathy；therefore　he　always　lavished　his　money　on　those　whom　that　kind　of　〃good　fellowship〃　wins　and　told　pathetic　stories　to　those　whose　sentimentality　made　them　easy　victims；　（5）　a　weak　kind　of　egoism；　seeking　easy　ways　to　pleasure　and　position；　restless　under　discipline；　always　repentant　after　wrong…doing；　fluent　in　speech　but　lacking　the　courage　to　face　the　difficulties　of　life。　This　under…inhibited　type　may　suddenly　reform　and　apparently　entirely　emerge　from　difficulties。　I　have　in　mind　a　conspicuous　case；　a　young　woman　now　happily　married　and　the　mother　of　fine　children。　When　she　was　thirteen　or　fourteen　the　petty　pilferings　of　her　childhood　took　on　a　serious　character。　She　began　to　steal　from　the　person　of　strangers　and　from　the　homes　of　friends。　She　romanced　in　the　most　convincing　fashion；　told　strangers　the　most　remarkable　stories；　usually　of　such　a　nature　as　to　make　her　interesting　and　an　object　of　sympathy；　but　which　tended　to　blacken　the　reputation　of　her　family。　She　lost　place　after　place　at　work；　was　sent　to　a　hospital　to　become　a　nurse　and　demoralized　her　associates　by　her　lies　and　her　thefts。　She　was　a　very　sweet　girl　in　every　other　way；　kindly；　generous；　self…sacrificing；　studious　even；　and　her　character…contradiction　made　people　reluctant　to　believe　she　was　not　insane。　She　was　discharged　from　the　hospital；　stayed　at　home　for　a　few　months；and　then　came　the　miracle。　She　obtained　a　place　in　a　large　business　house　and　worked　there　for　seven　years　or　up　till　the　time　of　her　marriage。　She　was　steadily　promoted　and　was　accounted　the　most　reliable　and　honest　employee　of　the　establishment。　She　handled　money　and　goods；　was　absolutely　truthful　and　her　earnest　efficiency　was　noteworthy。　Her　private　life　was　in　complete　harmony　with　this　business　career。　She　helped　her　parents；　who　are　poor；　dressed　modestly；　studied　nights　and　yet　showed　the　same　fondness　for　dancing　and　good　times　that　the　normal　girl　does。　She　met　a　promising　young　business　man　who　fell　immediately　in　love　with　this　demure　looking　young　woman；　and　they　were　later　married。　Once　I　asked　her　how　the　reform　came　about。　〃I　don't　know　myself；〃　she　answered　frankly。　〃I　never　was　happywhen　I　was　the　other　way。　I　always　vowed　reform；　but　when　there　was　money　around　I'd　think　and　think　about　it　until　it　was　mine。　Then　I'd　spend　it　in　a　silly　way　to　get　rid　of　it　fast。　I　craved　good　things；　and　you　know　how　poor　we　were。　Then　I　lied　just　to　have　people　like　me　and　pity　me；　even　though　I　called　myself　a　fool　while　doing　it。　Often；　often　I　tried　to　reform　and　for　a　week　or　two　would　be　real　good。　Then　perhaps　I'd　see　some　money；　and　I'd　try　to　think　of　something　else。　But　that　money　would　come　to　my　mind；　and　I'd　get　hot　and　dizzy　thinking　about　it。　Perhaps　I'd　say；　'I'll　just　look　at　it；'　and　finally　I'd　go　and　take　itand　feel　so　relieved　and　spend　it。　After　I　left　the　hospital　it　seemed　to　me　that　I　could　never　smile　again。　I　cried　all　night　long；　I　wanted　to　die。　I　could　see　one　girl　who　thought　I　was　so　good　and　nice；　and　her　face　as　she　looked　at　me　when　I　left！　Her　eyes　were　wide　open；　and　her　mouth　was　so　stern；　and　she　looked　as　if　she　wanted　to　speak　but　she　turned　around　and　walked　away。　One　day　I　woke　up　after　a　restless　night　at　home；　and　it　seemed　to　me　that　I　had　strength；　that　something　had　turned　around　in　my　nature；　and　since　that　day　I　have　never　even　wanted　to　steal。　I　haven't　had　to　try　to　be　good；　it　came　as　natural　as　eating　and　sleeping。〃　The　sexually　under…inhibited　are　those　whose　sex　control　is　deficient。　This　may　be　either　from　over…passionate　nature；　bad　example；　deficient　mentality；　vanity　and　desire　for　good　times；　as　in　certain　girls；　etc。　To　discuss　these　types　would　be　to　write　another　book；　and　so　I　forbear。　But　this　I　wish　to　emphasize：　that　neither　age；　sex　protestation　of　indifference　and　control；　occupation　or　social　status；　alters　the　fact　that　the　history　of　the　sex　feelings；　impulses　and　struggles　is　essential　to　a　knowledge　of　character。　Without　detailing　sex　types；　these　are　some　that　are　important。　1。　The　uninhibited　impulsive；　passionate　（the　bulk　of　the　prostitutes）。　2。　The　controlled；　passionate。　Very　common。　3。　The　frigid。　Not　so　rare　as　believed。　4。　The　extremely　passionate　（nymphomania；　satyriasis）。　Rare。　Always　in　trouble。　5。　The　sensualist；　a　deliberate　seeker　of　sex　pleasure；　often　indulging　in　perversion。　Common　type。　6。　The　perverted　types；autoerotic　（masturbator）；　homosexual；　masochists；　sadists；　fetishist；　etc。　More　common　than　the　ordinary　person　dreams。　7。　The　periodic；　to　whom　sex　life　is　incidental　to　certain　periods　and　situations。　Common　among　women；　less　common　among　men。　8。　The　sublimators；　whose　sexual　activity　has　somehow　been　harnessed　to　other　great　activities。　Fairly　frequent　among　these　who　either　through　choice　or　necessity　are　to　remain　continent。　9。　The　anhedonic　or　exhausted。　Found　in　the　sensualists　and　often　reacted　to　by　the　formation　of　religious　and　ethical　codes；　which　eliminate　sex；Tolstoy；　the　hermits；　certain　Russian　sects；　etc。　There　is　under…inhibition　of　a　good　kind。　There　are　generous…hearted　people　always　ready　to　give　of　themselves　to　anything　or