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o statistics whatever of their failures。 If thought is a product of the brain activated by the rest of the organism； it would be perfectly natural to expect that thought would influence the organism。 That thought is intimately associated with impulses to action is well known。 This action largely takes place in the speech muscles but also it irradiates into the rest of the organism。 Especially is this true if the thought is associated with some emotion。 Emotion； as we shall discuss it later； is at least in large part a bodily reaction； a disturbance in heart； lungs； abdominal organs； blood vessels； sympathetic nervous system； endocrines； etc。 The effect of thought and emotion upon the body； whether to heighten its activity or to lower its activity； is； from my point of view； merely the effect of one function of the organism upon others。 We are not surprised if digestion affects thinking and mood； and we need not be surprised if thought and mood disturb or improve digestion。 And we may substitute for digestion any other organic function。 As a working basis； substantiated by the kind of proof we use in our daily lives in laboratories and machine shops； we may state that mind； character and personality are organic in their origin and are functions of the entire organism。 What a man thinks； does and feels （or perhaps we should reverse this order） is the result of environmental forces playing upon a marvelously intricate organism in which every part reacts on every other part； in which nervous energy influences digestion and digestion influences nervous energy； in which enzymes； hormones； and endocrines engage in an extraordinary game of checks and balance； which in the normal course of events make for the individual's welfare。 What a man thinks； does； and feels influences the fate of his organism from one end of life to the other。 We have not adduced in favor of the organic nature of mind； character and personality the facts of heredity。 This is a most important set of facts； for if the egg and the sperm carry mentality and personality； they may be presumed to carry them in some organic form； as organic potentialities； just as they carry size；＇1＇ color； sex； etc。 That abnormal mind is inherited is shown in family insanity in the second； third and fourth generation cases of mental disease。 Certain types of feeble…mindedness surely are transmitted from generation to generation； as witness the case of the famous （or infamous） Jukes family。 In this group vagabondage； crime； immorality and other character abnormalities appeared linked with the feeble…mindedness。 But there is plenty of evidence to show that normal character qualities are inherited as well as the abnormal。＇2＇ Galton； the father of eugenics； collected facts from the history of successful families to prove this。 It is true that he failed to take into account the facts of SOCIAL heredity； in that a gifted man establishes a place for himself and a tradition for his family that is of great help to his son。 Nevertheless； musical ability runs in families and races； as does athletic ability； high temper； passion； etc。 In short； at least the potentialities； the capacities for character； are transmitted together with other qualities as part of the capital of heredity。 ＇1＇ I have collected and published from the records and wards of the State Hospital at Taunton； Mass。； many such cases。 The whole subject is to be reviewed in a following book on the transmission of mental disease； but no one seriously doubts that there is a transference of 〃insane〃 character from generation to generation。 In fact； I believe that a little too much stress hag been laid on this aspect of mental disease and not enough on the fact that sickness may injure a family stock and cause the descendants to be insane。 Any one who has seen a single case of congenital General Paresis； where a child has a mental disease due to the syphilis of a parent； and can doubt that character and mind are organic； simply is blinded by theological or metaphysical prejudice。 ＇2＇ See his book 〃Genius。〃
This means that in studying character and personality； we must start with an analysis of the physical make…up of the individual。 We are not yet at the point in science where we can easily get at the activities of the endocrinal glands in normal mentality。 We are able to recognize certain fundamental types； but more we cannot do； nor are we able to measure nervous energy except in relatively crude ways； but these crude ways have great value under certain conditions。 When there has been a change in personality； the question of bodily disease is always paramount。 The first questions to be asked under such circumstances are； 〃Is this person sick？〃 〃Is the brain involved？〃 〃Are endocrinal glands involved？〃 〃Is there disease of some organ of the body； acting to lower the feeling of well…being； acting to slacken the purposes and the will or to obscure the intelligence？〃 There are other important questions of this type to answer； some of which may be deferred for the time。 Meanwhile； the next equally fundamental thesis is on the effect of the environment upon mind； character and personality。
CHAPTER II。 THE ENVIRONMENTAL BASIS OF CHARACTER From the time any one of us is born into the world he is subject to the influences of forces that reach backwards to the earliest days of the race。 The 〃dead hand〃 rules；yes； and the dead thought； belief and custom continue to shape the lives and character of the living。 The invention and development of speech and writing have brought into every man's career the mental life and character of all his own ancestors and the ancestors of every other man。 A child is not born merely to a father and a mother。 He is born to a group； fiercely and definitely prejudiced in custom； belief and ideal； with ways of doing； feeling and thinking which it seeks to impose on each of its new members。 Family； tribe； race and nation all demand of each accession that he accept their ideals； habits and beliefs on peril of disapproval and even of punishment。 And man is so constituted that the approval and disapproval of his group mean more to him even than his life。 The social setting into which each one is born is his social heredity。 〃The heredity with which civilization is most supremely concerned；〃 says Sir Edwin Ray Lankester； 〃is not that which is inborn in the individual。 It is the SOCIAL inheritance which constitutes the dominant factor in human progress。〃＇1＇ It is this social inheritance which shapes our characters； rough…hewn by nature。 It is by the light of each person's social inheritance that we must also judge his character。 ＇1＇ The Eugenists fiercely contest this statement； and rightly； for it is extreme。 Society is threatened at its roots by the present high birth rate of the low grade and the low birth rate of the high grade。 Environment； culture； can do much； but they cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear。 Neither can heredity make a silk purse out of silk； without culture and the environmental influences； without social heredity； the silk remains crude and with no special value。 The aims of a rational society； which we are born a thousand years too soon to see would be twofold： to control marriage and birt