the foundations of personality-第84章

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ommittees　if　the　organization　heads　do　not　know　her；　but　if　they　do；　she　is　carefully　slated　for　something　of　no　importance。　After　a　short　time　her　interest　has　shifted　to　something　else。　Thus　she　passes　from　work　in　behalf　of　blind　babies　to　raising　funds　for　a　home　for　indigent　actors；　from　energy　spent　in　philanthropy　to　energy　spent　in　learning　the　latest　dances。　Her　enthusiasm　never　cools　off；　though　its　goal　always　changes。　Fortunately　she　is　married　to　a　rich　man　who　views　her　with　affection　and　a　shrug　of　his　shoulders。　Her　children　know　her；　now　and　then；　she　becomes　extraordinarily　interested　in　their　welfare；　much　to　their　disgust　and　rebellion；　for　they　have　long　since　sized　her　up。　She　has　often　been　on　the　verge　of　a　love　affair　with　some　man　who　is　professionally　interested　in　something　into　which　she　has　leaped　for　a　short　time。　She　raves　about　him；　follows　him；　flatters　and　adores　him；　and　then；　before　the　poor　fellow　knows　where　he　is　at；　she　is　out　of　love　and　off　somewhere　else。　This　mutability　of　affection　has　undoubtedly　saved　her　from　disaster。　Were　she　not　rich；　M。　would　be　one　of　the　social　problems　that　the　social　workers　cannot　understand　or　handle；　e。　g。；　there　is　a　type　who　never　sticks　to　anything；　not　because　he　is　bored　quickly；　or　is　inefficient；　but　because　he　is　at　the　mercy　of　the　new　and　irrelevant。　Without　sufficient　means　he　throws　up　his　job　and　tries　to　get　the　new　work　he　longs　to　do。　Sometimes　he　fails　to　get　it；　and　then　he　becomes　an　unemployed　problem。　This　type　of　uncontrolled　energy　reaches　its　height　in　the　manical　or　manic　phase　of　the　disease　already　described　as　manic　depressive　insanity。　The　〃manic　personality；〃　which　need　not　become　insane；　is　characterized　by　high　energy；　vivacious　emotions；　rapid　flow　of　thought　and　irrelevant　associations。　4。　The　mesokineticmedium　or　average　in　their　energy　（feeling　and　power）run　the　range　of　the　vast　groups　we　call　the　average。　This　type　is　spurred　on　by　necessity；　custom　and　habit　to　steady　work　and　steady　living。　Possessed　of　practical　wisdom；　their　world　is　narrow；　their　affections　only　called　out　for　their　kindred　and　immediate　friends。　Their　interests　are　largely　away　from　their　work　and　as　a　rule　do　not　include　the　past　or　future　of　the　race。　Usually　conservative；　they　accept　the　moral　standards　as　absolute　and　are　quick　to　resent　changes　in　custom。　They　follow　leaders　cheerfully；　are　capable　of　intense　loyalty　to　that　cause　which　they　believe　to　stand　for　their　interests。　Yet　each　individual　of　the　mass　of　men；　though　he　never　rises　above　mediocrity；　presents　to　his　intimates　a　grouping　of　qualities　and　peculiarities　that　gives　him　a　distinct　personality。　C。　is　one　of　those　individuals　whose　mediocre　energy　has　stood　between　him　and　so…called　success。　At　present　he　is　forty　and　occupies　about　the　same　position　that　he　did　at　twenty。　As　a　boy　he　was　fond　of　play　but　never　excelled　in　any　sport　and　never　occupied　a　place　of　leadership。　He　had　the　usual　pugnacious　code　of　boys；　but　because　he　was　friendly　and　good…natured　rarely　got　into　a　fight。　He　liked　to　read　and　was　rather　above　the　average　in　intelligence；　but　he　never　tackled　the　difficult　reading；　confining　himself　to　the　〃interesting〃　novel　and　easy　information。　He　left　high　school　when　he　was　sixteen　and　immediately　on　leaving　he　dropped　all　study。　He　entered　an　office　as　errand　boy　and　was　recognized　as　faithful　and　industrious；　but　he　showed　no　especial　initiative　or　energy。　In　the　course　of　time　he　was　promoted　from　one　position　to　another　until　he　became　a　shipper　at　the　age　of　twenty。　Since　this　time　he　has　remained　at　this　post　without　change；　except　that　when　he　got　married　and　on　a　few　occasions　afterward；　when　the　cost　of　living　rose；　his　salary　was　raised。　C。　is　married；　and　his　wife　often　〃nags〃　him　because　he　does　not　get　ahead。　She　tells　him　that　he　has　no　energy　and　fight　in　him；　that　if　he　would　he　could　do　better。　Sometimes　he　takes　refuge　in　the　statement　that　he　has　no　pull；　that　those　who　have　been　promoted　over　his　head　are　favorites　for　some　reason　or　another；　and　he　rarely　recognizes　the　superiority　of　his　immediate　superiors；　though　he　is　loyal　enough　to　the　boss。　He　lives　in　that　〃quiet　despair〃　that　Thoreau　so　aptly　describes　as　the　life　of　the　average　man；　and　he　seeks　escape　from　it　in　smoking；　in　belonging　to　a　variety　of　fraternal　organizations；　in　the　movies　and　the　detective　story。　He　is　a　〃good〃　father　and　husband；　which　means　that　he　turns　over　all　his　earnings；　is　faithful　and　kind。　Except　that　he　admonishes　and　punishes　his　children　when　they　are　〃bad；〃　he　takes　no　constructive　share　in　their　training　and　leaves　that　to　the　mother；　the　church　and　the　school。　He　and　his　wife　are　attached　to　one　another　through　habit　and　mutual　need；　but　they　have　some　time　since　outlived　passion　and　intense　affection。　She　has　sized　him　up　as　a　failure　and　knows　herself　doomed　to　struggle　against　poverty；　and　he　knows　that　she　understands　him。　This　mutual　〃understanding〃　keeps　them　at　arm's　length　except　in　the　face　of　danger　or　disaster；　when　they　cling　to　each　other　for　comfort　and　support。　This　is　the　history　of　many　a　marriage　that　on　its　surface　is　quiet　and　peaceful。　The　hypokinetic　types。　We　cannot　separate　energy　display　from　enthusiasm；　courage；　intelligence；　persistent　purpose；　etc。　If　I　have　made　myself　clear　in　the　preceding　pages　of　this　book；　you　will　realize　that　no　character　of　man　works　alone；　but　all　feeling；　thought　and　action　is　a　resultant　of　forces。　Nevertheless；　there　are　those　in　whom　the　fire　of　life　burns　high　and　others　in　whom　it　burns　low；　and　either　group　may　be　of　totally　different　qualities　otherwise。　There　are　people　of　low　energy　discharge；　and　these　it　seems　to　me　are　of　two　main　kinds；the　one　where　nothing　seems　to　arouse　or　create　powerful　motives　and　purposes；　and　the　other　in　whom　the　main　defect　is　a　rapidly　arising　exhaustion。　The　first　I　call　the　simple　hypokinetic　group　and　the　other　the　irritable　hypokinetic　group。　The　simple　hypokinetic　person　may　be　one　of　any　grade　of　intelligence　but　more　commonly　is　of　low　intelligence。　In　any　school　for　the　feeble…minded　one　finds　the　apathetic　imbecile；　who　can　be　kept　at　work　by　goading　and　stimulation　of　one　kind　or　another；　who　does　not　tire　especially；　but　who　never　works　beyond　a　low　level　of　speed　and　enthusiasm。　5。　A　more　interesting　type　is　T。　He　may　be　called　the　intelligent　hypokinetic；　the　high…grade　failure。　As　a　baby　he　learned　to　walk　late；　though　he　talked　early　and　well。　He　played　in　a　leisurely　sort　of　way；　running　only　when　he　had　to　and　content　as　a　rule　to　be　in　the　house。　He　was　not　seclusive；　seeming　to　enjoy　the　company　of　other　children；　but　rarely　made　any　efforts　to　seek　them　out。　He　was　quick　to　learn　but　showed　only　a　moderate　curiosity；　and　he　rarely　made　any　investigations　on　his　own　account。　It　was　noticed　that　he　seldom　asked　〃why〃　in　the　usual　manner　of　intelligent　children。　He　did　fairly　well　in　school；　he　had　a　wonderful　memory　and　seemed　to　see　very　quickly　into　intricate　problems。　It　was　always　a　great　surprise　of　his　teachers　that　he　was　so　bright；　as　one　said；　in　comparison　to　his　standing。　Once　or　twice　a　zealous　teacher　sought　to　stimula