the foundations of personality-第47章

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　sympathy　with　doubt。　We　resent　insincere　sympathy；　on　the　other　hand；　because　we　regret　showing　weakness　before　those　to　whom　that　weakness　is　regarded　as　such　and　who　perhaps　rejoice　at　it　as　ridiculous。　We　like　the　emotional　expression　of　children　because　we　can　always　sympathize；　through　our　tender　feeling　with　them；　and　their　very　sincerity　pleases　as　well。　Is　there　a　harm　in　the　repression　of　emotion？＇1＇　Is　emotion　a　heaped…up　tension　which；　unless　it　is　discharged；　causes　damage？　Shall　man　inhibit　his　anger；　fear；　joy；　sorrow；　disgust；　at　least　in　some　measure；　or　shall　he　express　them　in　gesture；　speech　and　act？　The　answer　is　obvious：　he　must　control　them；　and　in　that　term　control　we　mean；　not　inhibition；　not　expression　in　its　naive　sense；　but　that　combination　of　inhibition；　expression　and　intelligent　act　we　call　adjustment。　To　express　fear　in　the　face　of　danger　or　anger　at　an　offense　might　thwart　the　whole　life's　purpose；　might　bring　disaster　and　ruin。　The　emotions　are　poor　adjustments　in　their　most　violent　form；　their　natural　form；　and　invite　disaster　by　clouding　the　intelligence　and　obscuring　permanent　purposes。　Therefore；　they　must　be　controlled。　To　establish　this　control　is　a　primary　function　of　training　and　intelligence　and　does　no　harm　unless　carried　to　excess。　True；　there　is　a　relief　in　emotional　expression；　a　wiping　out　of　sorrow　by　tears；　an　increase　of　the　pleasure　of　joy　in　freely　laughing；　a　discharge　of　anger　in　the　blow　or　the　hot　word；　even　the　profane　word。　There　is　a　time　and　a　place　for　these　things；　and　to　get　so　〃controlled〃　that　one　rarely　laughs　or　shows　sadness　or　anger　is　to　atrophy；　to　dry　up。　But　the　emotional　expression　makes　it　easy　to　become　an　habitual　weeper　or　stormer；　makes　it　easy　to　become　the　over…emotional　type；　whose　reaction　to　life　is　futile；　undignified　and　a　bodily　injury。　For　emotion　is　in　large　part　a　display　of　energy；　and　the　overemotional　rarely　escape　the　depleted　neurasthenic　state。　In　fact；　hysteria　and　neurasthenia　are　much　more　common　in　the　races　freely　expressing　emotion　than　in　the　stolid；　repressed　races。　Jew；　Italian；　French　and　Irish　figure　much　more　largely　than　English；　Scotch　or　Norwegian　in　the　statistics　of　neurasthenia　and　hysteria。　＇1＇　Isador　N。　Coriat's　book；　〃The　Repression　of　Emotions〃　deals　with　the　subject　from　psychoanalytic。　point　of　view。

10。　I　have　said　but　little　on　other　emotions；on　admiration；　surprise　and　awe。　This　group　of　affective　states　is　of　great　importance。　Surprise　may　be　either　agreeable　or　disagreeable　and　is　our　reaction　to　the　unexpected。　Its　expression；　facially　and　of　body；　is　quite　characteristic；　with　staring　eyes　and　mouth　slightly　open；　raised　eyebrows；　hands　hanging　with　fingers　tensely　spread　apart；　so　that　a　thing　held　therein　is　apt　to　drop。　Surprise　heightens　the　feeling　of　internal　tension；　and　in　all　excitement　it　is　an　element；　in　that　the　novel　brings　excitement　and　surprise；　whereas　the　accustomed　gives　little　excitement　or　surprises。　In　all　wit　and　humor　surprise　is　part　of　the　technique　and　constitutes　part　of　the　pleasure。　Surprise　usually　heightens　the　succeeding　feeling；　whether　of　joy；　sorrow；　anger；　fear；　pleasure　or　pain；　or　in　any　form。　But　sometimes　the　effect　of　surprise　is　so　benumbing　that　an　incapacity　to　feel；　to　realize；　is　the　most　marked　result　and　it　is　only　afterward　that　the　proper　emotion　or　feeling　becomes　manifest。　The　reaction　to　the　unexpected　is　an　important　adjustment　in　character。　There　are　situations　beyond　the　power　of　any　of　us　quickly　to　adjust　ourselves　to　and　we　expect　the　great　catastrophe　to　surprise　and　overwhelm。　Nevertheless；　we　judge　people　by　the　way　they　react　to　the　unexpected；　the　man　who　rallies　quickly　from　the　confusion　of　surprise　is；　we　say；　〃cool…headed；〃　keeps　his　wits　about　him；　and　the　man　who　does　not　so　rally　or　adjust　〃loses　his　head；〃〃loses　his　wits。〃　Part　of　this　cool…headedness　is　not　only　the　rallying　from　surprise　but　also　the　throwing　off　of　fear。　A　warning　has　for　its　purpose；　〃Don't　be　surprised！〃　and　training　must　teach　resources　against　the　unexpected。　〃If　you　expect　everything　you　are　armed　against　half　the　trouble　of　the　world。〃　The　cautious　in　character　minimize　the　number　of　surprises　they　may　get　by　preparing。　The　impulsive；　who　rarely　prepare；　are　always　in　danger　from　the　unforeseen。　Aside　from　preparation　and　knowledge；　there　is　in　the　condition　of　the　organism　a　big　factor　in　the　reaction　to　the　unexpected。　Fatigue；　neurasthenia；　hysteria　and　certain　depressed　conditions　render　a　man　more　liable　to　react　excessively　and　badly　to　surprise。　The　tired　soldier　has　lessened　resources　in　wit　and　courage　when　surprised；　for　fatigue　heightens　the　confusion　and　numbness　of　surprise　and　decreases　the　scope　of　intelligent　conduct。　Choice　is　made　difficult；　and　the　neurasthenic　doubt　is　transformed　to　impotence　by　surprise。　Face　to　face　with　what　is　recognized　as　superior　to　ourselves　in　a　quality　we　hold　to　be　good；　we　fall　into　that　emotional　state；　a　mingling　of　surprise　and　pleasure；　called　admiration。　In　its　original　usage；　admiration　meant　wonder；　and　there　is　in　all　admiration　something　of　that　feeling　which　is　born　in　the　presence　of　the　superior。　The　more　profound　the　admiration；　the　greater　is　the　proportion　of　wonder　in　the　feeling。　We　find　it　difficult　to　admire　where　the　competitive　feeling　is　strongly　aroused；　though　there　are　some　who　can　do　so。　It　is　the　essence　of　good　sportsmanship；　the　ideal　aimed　at；　to　admire　the　rival　for　his　good　qualities；　though　sticking　fast　to　one's　confidence　in　oneself。　The　English　and　American　athletes；　perhaps　also　the　athletes　of　other　countries；　make　this　part　of　their　code　of　conduct　and　so　are　impelled　to　act　in　a　way　not　entirely　sincere。　Wherever　jealousy　or　envy　are　strongly　aroused；　admiration　is　impossible；　and　so　it　comes　about　that　men　find　it　easy　to　praise　men　in　other　noncompetitive　fields　or　for　qualities　in　which　they　are　not　competing。　Thus　an　author　may　strongly　admire　an　athlete　or　a　novelist　may　praise　the　historian；　a　beautiful　woman　admires　another　for　her　learning；　though　with　some　reservation　in　her　praise；　and　a　successful　business　man　admires　the　self…sacrificing　scientist；　albeit　there　is　a　little　complacency　in　his　approval。　He　is　truly　generous…hearted　who　can　admire　his　competitor。　I　do　not　mean　lip…admiration；　through　the　fear　of　being　held　jealous。　Many　a　man　joins　in　the　praise　of　one　who　has　outstripped　him；　with　envy　gnawing　at　his　heart；　and　waits　for　the　first　note　of　criticism　to　get　out　the　hammer。　〃He　is　very　finebut〃　is　the　formula；　and　either　through　innuendo；　insinuation　or　direct　attack；　the　〃subordinate〃　statement　becomes　the　most　sincere　and　significant。　But　there　are　those　who　can　admire　their　conqueror；　not　only　through　the　masochism　that　lurks　in　all　of　us；　but　because　they　have　lifted　their　ideal　of　achievement　and　character　higher　than　their　own　possibilities　and　seek　in　others　the　perfection　they　cannot　hope　to　have　in　themselves。　In　other　words；　where　competition　is　hopeless；　in　the　presence　of　the　greatly　superior；　a　feeling　of　humility　which　is　really　admiration　to　the　point　of　worship　comes　over　us；　and　we　can　glory　in　the　quality　we　love。　To　admire