the foundations of personality-第14部分

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　we　call　quickness　of　mind；　energy　of　mind；　is　largely　this　function。　It　is　this　which　adapts　us　to　different　situations；　different　groups；　by　calling　into　play　organized　modes　of　talking　or　acting。　We　pass　from　a　group　of　ladies　in　whose　presence　we　have　been　friendly　but　decorous；　perhaps　unconventionally　formal；　to　a　group　of　business　intimates；　men　of　long　acquaintance。　Without　even　being　conscious　of　it　we　lounge　around；　feet　on　the　table；　carelessly　dropping　cigarette　ash　to　the　floor；　using　language　chosen　for　force　rather　than　elegance；　we　discuss　sports；　women；　business　and　a　whole　group　of　different　emotions；　habits　and　purposes　come　to　the　surface；　though　we　were　not　at　all　conscious　of　having　repressed　them　while　in　the　presence　of　the　ladies。　A　faux　pas　is　where　the　organizer　has　〃slipped〃　on　his　job；　lack　of　tact　implies　in　part　a　rigid　organizing　energy；　neither　plastic　nor　versatile　enough。　We　are　now　ready　to　face　certain　developments　of　these　three　main　factors；　viz。；　the　response　to　stimuli；　choice　and　inhibition；　and　the　organizing　energy。　Largely　we　might　classify　people　according　to　the　type　of　vigor　of　their　reactions　to　stimuli；　the　quality　and　vigor　of　choice　and　of　inhibition；　and　the　quality　and　vigor　of　the　organizing　energy。　We　note　that　there　are　people　who　have；　as　it　were；　exquisitely　sensitive　feelers　for　the　stimuli　of　one　kind　or　another　and　who　react　vigorously；　perhaps　excessively；　that　there　are　others　of　a　duller；　less　reactive　nature；　largely　because　they　are　stimuli…proof。　Others　are　under…inhibited；　follow　desire　or　outer　stimulus　without　heed；　without　a　brake；　others　are　over…inhibited；　too　cautious；　too　full　of　doubt；　unable　to　choose　the　reaction　that　seems　appropriate。　The　organizing　energy　of　some　is　low；　they　never　seem　to　unify　their　experiences　into　a　code　of　life　and　living；　they　are　like　a　string　of　beads　loosely　strung　together　with　disharmonious　emotions；　desires；　purposes。　In　others　this　energy　is　high；　they　chew　the　cud　of　every　experience　and　（to　change　the　metaphor）　they　weld　life's　happenings；　their　memories；　their　emotions　and　purposes　into　a　more　unified　ego；　a　real　I；　harmonious；　self…enlightened；　clearly　conscious　of　aim　and　end　and　striving　bravely　towards　it。　Or　there　is　over…unification　and　fanaticism；　with　narrow　aim　and　little　sympathy　for　other　aims。　Sketched　in　this　very　broad　way　we　see　masses　of　people；　rather　than　individuals；　and　we　are　not　finely　adjusted　to　our　subject。　Psychologists　rarely　concern　themselves　to　any　extent　with　these　matters；　they　deal　mainly　with　their　outgrowths；emotions；　instinct；　intelligence　and　will。　We　are　at　once　beset　with　difficulties　which　are　resolved　mainly　by　ignoring　them。　In　such　a　book　as　this　we　are　not　concerned　with　the　fundamental　nature　of　these　divisions　of　the　mental　life；　we　must　omit　such　questions　as　the　relation　of　instinct　to　racial　habit；　or　the　evolution　of　instinct　from　habit；　if　that　is　really　its　origin。　Again　I　must　repeat　that　we　shall　deal　with　these　as　organic；　as　arising　in　the　sensitized　individual　as　a　result　of　environmental　forces；　as　manifestations　of　a　life　which　is　as　yetand　perhaps　always　will　bemysterious　to　us。　We　shall　best　consider　these　manifestations　of　mental　activity　as　an　interplay　of　the　reactions　of　stimulation；　inhibition；　choice；　organizing　energy；　and　not　as　separate　and　totally　different　matters。　We　shall　see　that　probably　emotion　is　one　aspect　of　reaction　to　the　world；　while　instinct　is　merely　another　aspect；　that　intelligence　is　a　cerebral　shift　of　instinct；　and　that　will　is　no　unity　but　the　energy　of　instincts　and　purposes。　Before　we　go　farther　we　must　squarely　face　a　problem　of　human　thought。　Man；　since　he　started　reflecting　about　himself；　has　been　puzzled　about　his　consciousness。　How　can　a　person　be　aware　of　himself；　and　what　identifies　and　links　together　each　phase　of　consciousness？　There　is　an　enormous　range　of　thought　on　this　subject：　from　those　who　identified　consciousness　as　the　only　reality　and　considered　what　the　average　person　holds　as　realitiesthings　and　peopleas　only　phases　of　consciousness；　to　those　who；　like　Huxley；　regard　consciousness　as　an　〃epi…pbenomenon；〃　a　sort　of　overture　to　brain　activity　and　having　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　action；　nothing　to　do　with　choice　and　plan；　so　that；　as　Lloyd　Morgan　points　out；　〃An　unconscious　Shakespeare　writes　plays　acted　by　an　unconscious　troupe　of　actors　to　an　unconscious　audience。〃　The　first　extreme　view；　that　of　Berkeley　and　the　idealists；　nullifies　all　other　realities　save　that　of　the　individual　thinker　and　reduces　one　to　the　absurdities　of　Solipsism　where　a　man　writes　books　to　convince　persons　conjured　up　by　himself　and　having　no　existence　outside　of　himself；　the　other　view　nullifies　that　which　seems　to　each　of　us　the　very　essence　of　himself。　I　shall　take　a　very　simple　view　of　consciousness；＇1＇　simply　because　I　shall　deliberately　dodge　the　great　difficulties。　Consciousness　is　the　result　of　the　activities　of　a　group　of　more　or　less　permanently　excited　areas　of　the　brainareas　having　to　do　with　positions　of　the　head；　eyes　and　shoulders；　areas　having　to　do　with　vision；　hearing　and　smell；　areas　having　to　do　with　speech；these　constituting　extremely　mobile；　extremely　active　parts　of　the　organism。　From　these　consciousness　may　irradiate　to　the　activities　of　almost　every　part　of　the　organism；　in　different　degrees。　We　are　often　extremely　conscious　of　the　activities　of　the　hands；　in　less　degree　of　the　legs；　we　may　become　wrapped　up　almost　completely　in　a　sensation　emanating　from　the　sex　organs；　and　under　fear　or　excitement　the　heart　may　pound　so　that　we　feel　and　are　conscious　of　it　as　ordinarily　we　can　never　be。　The　state　of　consciousness　called　interest　may　shift　our　feeling　of　self　to　any　part　of　our　body　（as　in　pain；　when　a　part　usually　out　of　consciousness　swings　into　it；　or　when　the　hand　of　a　lover　grips　our　own　so　that　the　great　reality　of　our　life　at　the　moment　seems　to　be　the　consciousness　of　the　hand）　or　it　may　fasten　us　to　an　outside　object　until　our　world　narrows　to　that　object；　nothing　else　having　any　conscious　value。　This　latter　phenomenon　is　very　striking　in　children；　they　become　fascinated　by　something　they　hear　or　see　and　project　themselves；　as　it　were；　into　that　object；　they　become　the　〃soapiness　of　soap；　or　the　wetness　of　water〃　（to　use　Chesterton's　phrase）；　and　when　they　listen　to　a　story　they　hold　nothing　in　reserve。　Consciousness　may　busy　itself　with　its　past　phases；　with　the　preceding　thought；　emotion；　sensation　how；　I　do　not　knowor　it　may　occupy　itself　mainly　with　the　world　of　things　which　are　hereby　declared　to　have　a　reality　in　our　theory。　In　the　first　instances　we　have　introspection　and　subjectiveness；　and　in　the　second　we　have　extroversion　and　objectivity。　＇1＇　For　discussion　of　consciousness　read　Berkeley；　Locke；　Hume；　Spencer；　Lotze；　Moyan；　James；　Wundt；　Munsterberg　and　every　other　philosopher　and　psychologist。　I　have　not　attempted　to　discuss　the　matter　from　the　philosopher's　point　of　view　for　the　very　obvious　reason　that　I　am　no　philosopher。

Since　consciousness　is　most　intense　when　the　new　or　unfamiliar　is　seen；　heard；　felt　or　attempted；　we　may　assume　it　has　a　chief　function　in　acquainting　the　individual　with　the　new　and　unfamiliar　and　in　the　establishment　of　habitual　reactions；　We　are　extraordinarily　conscious　of　a　queer；　unexplainable　thing　on　the　horizon；　we　bring　into　the　limelight　（or　IT　brings　into　the　limelight）　all　our　possible　reactions；fear；　flight；　anger；　fight；　circumvention；　curiosity　and　the　movements　of　investigation；　we　are　thrown　into　the　maelstrom　of　choice。　Choice　and　consciousness；　doubt　and　consciousness；　are　directly　related；　it　is　only　when　conduct　becomes　established　as　habit；　with　choosing　relegated　to　the　background；　that　consciousness；　in　so　far　as　the　act　is　concerned；　becomes　diminished。　A　moderate　constant　sensation　tends　to　disappear　from　consciousness；　as　when　we　keep　our　hand　in　warm　water。　It　then　takes　a　certain　increase　of　the　stimulus　to　keep　the　sensation　from　lapsing　out　of　consciousness。　This　lapsing　out　of　consciousness　of　the　steady　stimulus；　in　its　ramifications；　is　responsible　for　a　good　deal　of　the　activity　of　man；　since　sensation　is　a　goal　of　effort。＇1＇　Under　emotion　we　become　aware　of　two　sets　of　things；the　reaction　of　our　body　in　its　sum　total　of　pleasure　or　the　reverse；　and　second　the　object　that　sets　up　this　reaction。　Consciousness　fastens　itself　on　the　body　and　on　the　world；　and　the　bodily　reaction　becomes　a　guide　for　future　action。　Extreme　bodily　reactions　are　painful　and　may　result　in　the　abolishing　of　consciousness。　＇1＇　The　physiologists　speak　of　this　phenomenon　under　the　heading　of　the　Weber…Fechner　law；　after　the　two　physiologists　who　gave　it　prominence。　James　pokes　a　good　deal　of　fun　at　the　〃law；〃　which　is　expressed　mathematically。　Perhaps　the　mathematics　should　have　been　eliminated　as　too　〃scientific〃　for　our　present　attainment；　but　it　does　remain　true　that　it　is　not　the　ACTUAL　stimulus　increase　that　is　important　in　sensation　or　perception；　but　the　RELATIVE　stimulus　increase。　This　is　behind　all　of　〃getting　used　to　things〃；　it　removes　the　pain　from　humiliation　and　also　the　novelty　from　joy。　It　is　the　reason　behind　all　of　the　searching　for　novelty　and　excitement。

We　assume　that　consciousness　is　organic；　though　we　concede　that　it　may　be　true　that　it　is　borrowed　from　a　great　pool　of　consciousness＇1＇　out　of　which　we　all　come。　Consciousness　IS　organic　because　a　blow　on　the　head　may　abolish　it　as　may　drugs　and　disease；　or　a　shifting　of　the　blood　supply　as　in　emotion　or　fatigue　in　the　form　of　sleep；　etc。　Where　does　it　go　to　and　how　does　it　come　back？　The　savage　answered　that　question　by　building　up　the　idea　of　a　soul；　a　thing　that　might　migrate；　had　an　independent　existence；　took　journeys　in　the　form　of　dreams　and　lived　and　flourished　after　death。　Most　of　these　ideas　still　persist；　perhaps　as　much　through　the　fear　of　annihilation　as　anything　else；　but　as　to　whether　or　not　they　are　true　this　book　does　not　concern　itself。　We　have　no　proof　of　these　matters；　but　we　can　prove　that　we　can　play　on　consciousness　as　we　play　on　a　piano；　through　the　body　and　brain。　A　blow　injures　groups　of　nerve　cells　and　consciousness　disappears；　when　they　recover；　it　returns。　Where　d