贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > the foundations of personality >

第85章

the foundations of personality-第85章

小说: the foundations of personality 字数: 每页4000字

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!



appetite that characterizes his every activity。 O。 is no mystic; proclaiming his unity with all existence; in the fashion of Walt Whitman。 Rather he is a man with a huge capacity for pleasure; not easily disgusted or annoyed; with desires that reach in every direction yet with controlled purpose to guide his life。 As he passes into middle age he finds his pleasures narrowing; as all men do; and he finds his appetites and tastes are becoming more restricted。 This is because his purpose becomes more dominant; his habits are more imperious; his energy less exuberant。 In thought O。 is almost a pessimist because his knowledge of life; his intelligence and his sympathy make it difficult to understand the need of suffering; of disease and of conflict。 But in emotion he still remains an optimist; glad to be alive at any price and rejoicing in the life of all things。 Apropos of this contradiction between thought and mood; it is sometimes found reversed。 There are those whose philosophy is optimistic; who will not see aught but good in the world; yet whose facial expression and actions exhibit an essential melancholy。 In every category of character there are specialists; individuals whose main reactions are built around one great trait。 Thus there are those whose egoism takes the form of pride in family; or in personal beauty; or some intellectual capacity; or in being independent of others; who worship self…reliance or self…importance。 There are the individuals whose social instincts express themselves in loquacity; in a talkativeness that is the main joy of their lives; though not at all the joy of other lives。 A fascinating series of personalities in this respect come to my mindL。 B。; who talks at people; never with them; since he seems to take no note of their replies; T。 K。; who seems to regard conversation as largely a means of demonstrating her superiority; for she picks her subjects with the care a general selects his battlefield; F。; who is a born pedagogue and seeks to instruct whoever listens to him; whose conversation is a lecture and a monologue; R。 O。; the reticent; says little but that pertinent and relevant; cynical and shrewd; and R。 V。; who says little and that with timidity and error。 So there are specialists in caution and 〃common sense;〃 self…controlled; never rash; calculating; cool and egotistic; narrow and successful。 Every one knows this type; as every one knows the 〃fool;〃 with his poor judgment; his unwise confidence in himself and others; his lack of restraint。 There is the tactful man; conciliating; pliant; seeking his purposes through the good will of others which he obtains by 〃oil〃 and agreeableness; and there is the aggressive man; preferring to fight; energetic; at times rash; apt to be domineering; and crashing on to victory or defeat according to the caliber of his opponents and the nature of the circumstances。 Those whose ego feeling is high; whose desire for superiority matches up well with their feeling of superiority are often called the conceited。 Really they are conceited only if they show their feelings; as; for example; does W。 Wherever he goes W。 seeks to occupy the center of the stage; brags of his achievements and his fine qualities。 〃I am the kind〃 is his prefix to his bragging。 W。 thinks that everything he does or says is interesting to others; and even that his illnesses are fascinating to others。 If he has a cold he takes a remarkable pride in detailing every pain and ache and every degree of temperature; as if the experience were remarkable and somehow creditable。 But W。 is very jealous of other's achievements and is bored to death except when he can talk or perform。 W。 does not know how to camouflage his egoism; but F。 does。 Fully convinced of his own superiority and with a strong urge at all times to demonstrate this; he 〃knows enough〃 to camouflage; to disguise and modify its manifestations。 In this way he manages to be popular; just as W。 is decidedly unpopular; and many mistake him for modest。 When he wishes to put over his own opinion he prefaces his statements by 〃they say;〃 and though whatever organization he enters he wishes to lead; he manages to give the impression that he is reluctant to take a prominent part。 A man of ability and good judgment; the narrow range of F。's sympathies; his lack of sincere cordial feeling; is hidden by a really artistic assumption of altruism that deceives all save those who through long acquaintance know his real character。 One sees through W。 on first meeting; he wears no mask or disguise; but F。 defies detection; though their natures are not radically different except in wisdom and tact。 Half and more of the actions; poses and speech of men and women is to demonstrate superiority or to avoid inferiority。 There are some who feel inwardly inferior; yet disguise this feeling successfully。 This feeling of inferiority may arise from purely accidental matters; such as appearance; deformity; tone of voice; etc。; and the individual may either hide; become seclusive or else brazen it out; so to speak。 A famous Boston physician was a splendid example of a brusque; overbearing mask used to hide a shrinking; timid; subjectively inferior personality。 Always very near…sighted and unattractive; he was essentially shy and modest but decided or felt that this was a rough world and the way to get ahead was to be rough。 Towards the weak and sick he was kindness itselfgentle; sympathetic and patientbut towards his colleagues he was a boor。 Distant; haughty; quick to demand all the consideration due him; he was noted far and wide for the caustic way he attacked others for their opinions and beliefs and the respect he required for his own。 The general opinion of physicians was that he was a conceited; arrogant; aristocratic man; and he was avoided except for his medical opinion; which was usually very sound。 Those admitted to the sanctum of this man's real self knew him to be really modest and self…deprecatory; anxious to do right and almost obsessed by the belief that he knew but little compared to others。 One day there walked into my office a lady; head of a large enterprise; who had been pointed out to me some time previously as the very personification of self…assurance and superiority。 A dignified woman of middle age; whose reserve and correct manners impressed one at once; she bore out in career and casual conversation this impression of one whose confidence and belief in herself were not misplaced; in other words; a harmoniously developed egotist。 What she came to consult me about; washer feeling of inferiority! All of her life; said she; she had been overawed by others。 As a girl her mother ruled her; and her younger sister; more charming and more vivacious; was the pet of the family。 Brought up in a strict church; she developed a firmness of speech and conduct that inhibited the frankness and friendliness of her social contacts。 Because of this; and her overserious attitudes generally; girls of her own age rather avoided her; and she became painfully self…conscious in their company as well as in the company of men。 She wanted to 〃let go〃 but could not; and in time felt that there was something lacking in her; that people laughed at her behind her back and that no one really liked her。 Her reaction to this was to determine that she would not show her real feelings; that she would deal with the world on a basis of 〃business only〃 and cut out friendship from her life。 Her intelligence and her devotion to her work brought her success; and she would have gone her way without regard for her 〃inferiority complex〃 had not chance thrown in her way a young woman colleague who saw through her elder's pose and became her friend。 My patient drank in this friendship with an avidity the greater for her long loneliness; and she was very happy until the younger woman fell in love with a man and began to neglect her colleague。 This broke Miss B。's spirit。 〃Had I not known friendship I might have gone on; but now I feel that every one must see what a fool I am and what a fool I have been。 I am more shy than ever; I feel as if every one were really stronger than I am; and that some day everybody will see through my pose;and then where will I be?〃 Hide…and…go…seek is one of the great

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的