the foundations of personality-第35章

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eacher　is　he　who　knows　how　to　arouse　and　maintain　and　direct　interest；　the　born　achiever　is　the　man　whose　interest；　quickly　aroused；　is　easily　maintained　and　directs　effort。　To　find　the　activity　that　is　natively　interesting　and　yet　suited　to　one's　ability　is　the　aim　in　vocational　guidance。　There　are　some　curious　pathological　aspects　to　interest　〃conflict〃　aspects　of　the　subject。　A　man　finds　himself　palpitatingly　interested　in　what　is　horrible　to　him；　as　a　bird　is　fascinated　by　a　snake。　Sex　abnormalities　have　a　marvelous　interest　to　everybody；　although　many　will　not　admit　it。　Stories　of　crime　and　bloodshed　are　read　by　everybody　with　great　avidity；and　people　will　go　miles　to　the　site　of　grim　tragedy。　Court　rooms　are　packed　whenever　a　horrible　murder　is　aired　or　a　nauseating　divorce　scandal　is　tried。　A　chaste　woman　will　read；　on　the　sly　and　with　inner　rebellion；　as　many　pornographic　tales　as　she　can　get　hold　of；　and　the　〃carefully〃　brought　up；　i。　e。；　those　whose　interest　has　been　carefully　directed；　suddenly　become　interested　in　the　forbidden；　they　seek　to　peek　through　windows　when　they　should　be　looking　straight　ahead。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　interest　is　as　much　inhibited　as　conduct。　〃You　mustn't　ask　about　that〃　is　the　commonest　answer　a　child　gets。　〃That's　a　naughty　question　to　ask〃　runs　it　a　close　second。　Can　one　inhibit　interest；　which　is　the　excitement　caused　by　the　unknown？　The　answer　is　that　we　can；　because　a　large　part　of　education　is　to　do　this　very　thing。　〃Can　we　inhibit　any　interest　without　injuring　all　interests？〃　is　a　question　often　put。　My　answer　would　be　that　it　is　socially　necessary　that　interest　in　certain　directions　be　inhibited；　whether　it　hurts　the　individual　or　not。　But　the　interest　in　a　forbidden　direction　can　be　shifted　to　a　permitted　direction；　and　this　should　be　done。　In　my　opinion；　sex　interest　can　be　so　handled　and　a　blunt　thwarting　of　this　interest　should　be　avoided。　Some　explanation　leading　the　child　to　larger；　less　personal　aspects　of　sex　should　be　given。　The　interest　of　the　child　is　often　thwarted　through　sheer　laziness。　〃Don't　bother　me〃　is　the　reply　of　a　parent　shirking　a　sacred　duty。　Interest　is　the　beginning　of　knowledge；　and　where　it　is　discouraged　knowledge　is　discouraged。　Any　inquiry　can　be　met　on　the　child's　plane　of　intelligence　and　comprehension；　and　the　parent　must　arrange　for　the　gratification　of　this　fundamental　desire。　How？　By　a　question　hour　each　day；　perhaps　a　children's　hour；　a　home　university　period　where　the　vital　interest　of　the　child　will　be　satisfied。　To　return　to　the　morbid　interests：　do　they　arise　from　secret　morbid　desires？　The　Freudian　answer　to　that　would　be　yes。　And　so　would　many　another　answer。　It　is　the　answer　in　many　cases；　especially　where　the　desire　is　not　so　much　morbid　as　forbidden。　The　virgin；　the　continent　who　are　intensely　interested　in　sex　are　not　morbid；　even　though　they　have　been　forbidden　to　think　of　a　natural　craving　and　appetite。　But　when　the　interest　is　for　the　horrible　it　is　often　the　case　that　the　excitement　aroused　by　the　subject　is　pleasurable；　because　it　is　a　mild　excitement　and　does　not　quite　reach　disgust。　Confronted　with　the　real　perversity；　the　disgust　aroused　would　quite　effectually　conquer　interest。　And　here　is　a　fundamental　law　of　interest：　it　must　lead　to　a　profitable；　pleasurable　result　or　else　it　tends　to　disappear。　If　this　is　too　bold　a　statement；　let　me　qualify　it　by　stating　that　a　profitable；　pleasurable　result　must　be　foreseen　or　foreseeable。　Either　in　some　affective　state；　or　in　some　tangible　good；　interest　seeks　fulfillment。　Disappointment　is　the　foe　of　interest；　and　too　prolonged　a　〃vestibule　of　satisfaction〃　（to　use　Hocking's　phrase）　destroys　or　impairs　interest。

CHAPTER　VIII。　THE　SENTIMENTS　OF　LOVE；　FRIENDSHIP；　HATE；　PITY　AND　DUTY。　COMPENSATION　AND　ESCAPE　I　shall　ignore　the　complexities　that　arise　when　we　seek　to　organize　our　reactions　into　various　groups　by　making　a　simple　classification　of　feeling；　for　the　purposes　of　this　book。　There　is　a　primary　result　of　any　stimulation；　whether　from　within　ourselves　or　without；　which　we　have　called　excitement。　This　excitement　may　have　a　pleasurable　or　an　unpleasurable　quality；　and　we　cannot　understand　just　what　is　back　of　pleasure　and　pain　in　this　sense。　Such　an　explanation；　that　pleasure　is　a　sign　of　good　for　the　organism　and　pain　a　sign　of　bad；　is　an　error　in　that　often　an　experience　that　produces　pleasure　is　a　detriment　and　an　injury。　If　pleasure　were　an　infallible　sign　of　good；　no　books　on　character；　morals　or　hygiene　would　need　to　be　written。　This　primary　excitement；　when　associated　with　outer　events　or　things；　becomes　differentiated　into　many　forms。　Curiosity　（or　interest）　is　the　focusing　of　that　excitement　on　particular　objects　or　ends；　in　order　that　the　essential　value　or　meaning　of　that　object　or　individual　become　known。　Curiosity　and　interest　develop　into　the　seeking　of　experience　and　the　general　intellectual　pursuits。　We　have　already　discussed　this　phase　of　excitement。　An　object　of　interest　may　then　evoke　further　feeling。　It　may　be　one's　baby；　or　one's　father　or　a　kinsman　or　a　female　of　the　same　species。　A　type　of　feeling　FAVORABLE　to　the　object　is　aroused；　called　〃tender　feeling；〃　which　is　associated　with　deep…lying　instincts　and　has　endless　modifications　and　variations。　Perhaps　its　great　example　is　the　tender　feeling　of　the　mother　for　the　baby；　a　feeling　so　strong　that　it　leads　to　conduct　of　self…　sacrifice；　conduct　that　makes　nothing　of　privation；　suffering；　even　death；　if　these　will　help　the　object　of　the　tender　feeling；　the　child。　Tender　feeling　of　this　type；　which　we　call　love；　is　a　theme　one　cannot　discuss　dryly；　for　it　sweeps　one　into　reveries；　it　suggests　softly　glowing　eyes；　not　far　from　tears；　tenderly　curved　lips；　just　barely　smiling；　and　the　soft　humming　of　the　mother　to　the　babe　in　her　arms。　It　is　the　soft　feeling　which　is　the　unifying　feeling；　and　when　it　reaches　a　group　they　become　gentle　in　tone　and　manners　and　feel　as　one。　The　dream　of　the　reformer　has　always　been　the　extension　of　this　tender　feeling　from　the　baby；　from　the　child　and　the　helpless；　to　all　men；　thus　abolishing　strife；　conquering　hate；　unifying　man。　This　type　of　love　is　also　paternal；　though　it　is　doubtful　whether　as　such　it　ever　reaches　the　intensity　it　does　in　the　mother。　By　a　sort　of　association　it　spreads　to　all　children；　to　all　little　things；　to　all　helpless　things；　except　where　there　exists　a　counter　feeling　already　well　established。　Though　typical　in　the　mother；　child　relationship；　tender　feeling　or　love；　exists　in　many　other　relationships。　The　human　family；　with　its　close　association；　its　inculcated　unity　of　interests；　in　its　highest　form　is　based　on　the　tender　feeling。　The　noble　ideal　of　the　brotherhood　of　man　comes　from　an　extension　of　the　feeling　found　in　brothers。　The　brotherly　feeling　is　emphasized；　though　the　sisterly　feeling　is　fully　as　strong；　merely　because　the　male　member　of　genus　homo　has　been　the　articulate　member；　he　has　written　and　talked　as　if　he；　and　not　his　sister；　were　the　important　human　personage。　So　fraternal　feeling　is　tender　feeling；　existing　between　members　of　the　same　family；　or　the　love　that　we　conceive　ought　to　be　present。　Is　such　love　instinctive；　as　is　the　maternal　lo