the foundations of personality-第85章

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right；　as　one　said；　in　comparison　to　his　standing。　Once　or　twice　a　zealous　teacher　sought　to　stimulate　him　into　more　effort　and　study；　but　though　he　responded　for　a　short　time；　gradually　he　slipped　back　into　his　own　easy　pace。　He　went　through　high　school；　and　on　the　basis　of　a　splendid　memory　and　a　keen　intelligence；　which　by　this　time　were　easily　recognized；　he　was　sent　to　college。　He　took　no　part　in　athletics　and　little　part　in　the　communal　college　activities。　He　had　so　good　a　command　of　facts　and　with　this　so　cynical　a　point　of　view　that　he　became　quite　a　college　character　and　was　pointed　out　as　a　fellow　who　could　lead　his　class　if　he　would。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　nothing　could　spur　him　to　real　competitive　effort。　We　may　pass　briefly　over　his　life。　After　he　left　college；　he　drifted　from　one　position　to　another。　Usually　in　some　hack　literary　line。　Were　it　not　for　a　small　income　he　would　have　starved。　After　a　few　years　he　become　very　fat　and　gross　looking；　and　then　came　a　kindly　pneumonia　which　carried　him　off。　We　must　not　mistake　the　stolid　for　the　hypokinetic。　There　was　a　classmate　of　mine　in　the　medical　school；　a　large；　quiet　fellow；　D。　M。；　who　got　by　everything；　as　the　boys　said；　by　the　skin　of　his　teeth。　He　worked　without　enthusiasm　or　zeal；　studied　infrequently　and　managed　to　pass　along　to　his　second　year；　at　about　the　bottom　of　the　class。　In　that　year　we　took　up　bacteriology；　the　〃bug…bear〃　as　one　punster　put　it；　of　the　school。　Just　what　it　was　about　the　subject　that　aroused　D。　M。　I　never　knew；　but　a　remarkable　transformation　took　place。　The　man　changed　over；　studied　hard；　read　outside　literature　and　actually　asked　for　the　privilege　of　working　in　the　laboratory　Sundays　and　holidays　so　that　he　might　learn　more。　When　this　was　known　to　the　rest　of　the　class；　there　were　bets　placed　that　he　would　not　〃last；〃　but　quite　to　the　surprise　of　everybody　D。　M。　gained　in　momentum　as　he　went　along。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　his　interest　on　the　subject　grew；　and　he　is　now　a　bacteriologist　of　good　standing。　In　fact；　his　lack　of　interest　in　other　matters　has　helped　him；　since　he　has　no　distracting　tastes　or　pleasures。　Thus　there　are　persons　of　specialized　interest　and　energy；　and　it　may　well　be　that　there　is　for　most　of　the　hypokinetic　a　line　of　work　that　would　act　to　energize　them。　The　problem；　therefore；　in　each　case　is　to　find　the　latent　ability　and　interest　and　to　regard　no　case　as　really　hopeless。　I　say　this　despite　the　fact　that　I　believe　some　cases　are　hopeless。　The　pessimistic　attitude　on　the　part　of　parent　or　teacher　kills　effort；　the　optimistic　attitude　fosters　energetic　effort。　6。　The　irritable　hypokinetic。　Irritability＇1＇　of　a　pathological　type　as　a　phase　of　lowered　energy　is　well　known　to　every　physiologist　and　in　the　practical　everyday　world　is　seen　in　the　tired　and　sick。　There　are　people　who　from　the　very　start　of　life　show　lowered　endurance；　who　respond　to　certain　stimuli　in　an　excessive　manner　and　are　easily　exhausted。　This　type　the　neurologist　calls　the　congenital　neurasthenic；　and　it　may　be　we　are　dealing　here　with　some　defect　in　the　elimination　of　fatigue　products。　This；　however；　is　only　a　guess；　and　the　disease　factor；　if　there　is　any；　is　entirely　unknown。　I　do　not　pretend　that　the　person　I　am　to　describe　is　entirely　representative　of　this　group。　Indeed；　no　dozen　cases　would　show　all　the　symptoms　and　peculiarities　of　the　irritable　hypokinetic　group。　＇1＇　One　must　take　care　not　to　mistake　the　irritability　which　is　the　characteristic　of　all　living　tissue　for　the　irritability　here　considered。

E。　is　a　man　at　present　thirty　years　of　age。　In　person　he　is　of　average　height；　rather　slender；　with　delicate　features；　somewhat　bald；　quick　in　action　and　speech。　He　flushes　easily　and　thus　often　has　high　color；　especially　when　fatigued　or　excited。　This　〃vasomotor　irritability；〃　as　the　physicians　call　it；　is　quite　common　in　this　group　of　people；　and　in　fact　in　all　neurasthenia；　whether　acquired　or　congenital。　Though　I　have　described　E。　as　belonging　to　the　slender　type　of　person；　it　is　necessary　to　say　that　stout；　rugged…looking　people　are　often　irritable　and　hypokinetic。　As　a　child　E。　〃never　could　stand　excitement　or　strain；〃　as　his　mother　says。　What　is　meant　is　this：　that　he　became　overexcited　under　almost　any　circumstances　and　became　profoundly　fatigued　afterwards。　As　we　have　seen；　the　intense　diffusion　of　excitement　throughout　the　whole　body　is　a　sign　of　the　childish　and　inferior　organism；　as　maturity　approaches　and　throughout　childhood　excitability　decreases　and　is　better　localized。　When　a　noise　is　heard　an　infant　jumps；　and　so　do　people　like　E。；　but　the　better　controlled　merely　turn　their　head　and　eyes　to　see　what　the　source　of　the　noise　may　be。　This　lack　of　control　of　excitement　extended　in　E。's　case　to　play；　entertainment；　novelty　of　any　kind；　crowds　and　especially　to　the　disagreeable　excitement　of　quarrels；　fights；　terrifying　experiences；　etc。　Under　anger　he　trembled；　grew　pale；　and　his　shouts　and　screams　were　beyond　control；　under　fear　he　became　actually　sick；　vomited　and　showed　a　liability　to　syncope　of　an　alarming　kind。　E。　was　not　the　selfish　type　of　the　neurasthenic；　he　was　gentle　and　kind　and　ready　to　share　with　everybody；　a　lovable　boy　of　an　intensely　sociable　nature。　Nevertheless；　his　high　excitability　and　his　quick　fatigue　made　it　necessary　to　shelter　him；　for　any　effort　at　toughening　merely　brought　about　a　〃breakdown。〃　Here　we　must　reemphasize　the　fundamental　importance　of　the　fatigue　reactions。　The　normal　fatigue　reaction　is　to　feel　weary；　to　desire　rest　and　to　be　able　to　rest　and　sleep。　The　abnormal　reaction；　one　directly　opposed　to　the　well…being　of　the　individual；　is　to　feel　exhausted；　to　become　restless　and　to　find　it　difficult　to　sleep。　There　are　children　who　thrive　on　excitement　and　exertion；　they　sleep　sounder　for　it；　they　recuperate　readily　and　gain　in　strength　and　endurance　with　every　ordinary　burden　put　upon　them。　There　are　others　to　whom　anything　but　the　least　excitement　and　exertion　acts　as　a　poison；　making　them　restless　and　exhausted。　Not　all　children　who　show　this　perverse　fatigue　reaction　grow　up　with　it。　It　may　be　only　a　temporary　phase　of　their　lives；　but　while　it　lasts　it　is　very　troublesome。　In　E。's　case　the　overexcitable　hypokinetic　stage　lasted　until　about　the　ninth　year；　and　then　there　was　a　great　improvement；　though　he　still　was　of　the　same　general　type。　He　became　a　fairly　good　runner　for　a　short　distance；　learned　to　swim；　though　he　stood　the　cold　water　poorly；　was　clever　and　graceful　as　a　dancer　and　was　quite　popular。　At　sixteen　he　left　school　to　enter　business；　because　of　the　straitened　means　of　his　family。　He　entered　into　adolescent　period　later　and　suffered　greatly　from　his　sixteenth　to　nineteenth　year　from；　fatigue；　hypochondriacal　fears；　and　had　to　have　a　good　deal　of　medical　attention　at　this　time。　Sex　questions　perplexed　him；　for　he　became　quite　passionate　and　at　the　same　time　had　much　moral　repugnance　to　illicit　relations。　His　sexual　curiosity　was　intense；　and　he　read　all　manner　of　books　on　the　subject；　went　to　the　burlesque　shows　on　the　sly　and　almost　became　obsessed　on　sex　matters。　At　this　stage　he　made　only　a　mediocre　showing　in　his　business　career；　though　his　evident　honesty　secured　him