the foundations of personality-第22部分

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of　the　individual。　Intelligence　is　the　path　of　the　stimulus　or　need　cerebrally　directed；　lengthened　out；　inhibited；　elaborated　and　checked。　Often　enough　faulty；　it　is　the　chief　instrument　by　which　man　has　become　the　leading　figure　on　the　world　stage。

CHAPTER　VII。　EXCITEMENT；　MONOTONY　AND　INTEREST　No　matter　what　happens　in　the　outside　world；　be　it　something　we　see；　hear　or　feel；　in　any　sense…field　there　is　an　internal　reverberation　in　our　bodies；excitement。　Excitement　is　the　undifferentiated　result　of　stimuli；　whether　these　come　from　without　or　from　within。　For　a　change　in　the　glands　of　the　body　heaps　up　changes　within　us；　which　when　felt；　become　excitement。　Thus　at　the　mating　period　of　animals；　at　the　puberty　of　man；　there　is　a　quite　evident　excitement　demonstrated　in　the　conduct　of　the　animal　and　the　adolescent。　He　who　remembers　his　own　adolescence；　or　who　watches　the　boy　or　girl　of　that　age；　sees　the　excitement　in　the　readiness　to　laugh；　cry；　fight　or　love　that　is　so　striking。　Undoubtedly　the　mother…stuff　of　all　emotion　is　the　feeling　of　excitement。　Before　any　emotion　reaches　its　characteristic　expression　there　is　the　preparatory　tension　of　excitement。　Joy；　sorrow；　anger；　fear；　wonder；　surprise；　etc。；　have　in　them　as　a　basis　the　same　consciousness　of　an　internal　activity；　of　a　world　within　us　beginning　to　seethe。　Heart；　lungs；　blood　stream；　the　great　viscera　and　the　internal　glands；　cerebrum　and　sympathetic　nervous　system；　all　participate　in　this　activity；　and　the　outward　visage　of　excitement　is　always　the　wide…open　eye；　the　slightly　parted　lips；　the　flaring　nostrils　and　the　slightly　tensed　muscles　of　the　whole　body。　Shouts；　cries；　the　waving　of　arms　and　legs；　taking　the　specific　direction　of　some　emotion；　make　of　excitement　a　fierce　discharger　of　energy；　a　fact　of　great　importance　in　the　understanding　of　social　and　pathological　phenomena。　On　the　other　hand；　excitement　may　be　so　intensely　internal　that　it　shifts　the　blood　supply　too　vigorously　from　the　head　and　the　result　is　a　swoon。　This　is　more　especially　true　of　the　excitement　that　accompanies　sorrow　and　fear　than　joy　or　anger；　but　even　in　these　emotions　it　occurs。　There　are　some　very　important　phases　of　excitement　that　have　not　been　given　sufficient　weight　in　most　of　the　discussions。　1。　In　the　very　young；　excitement　is　diffuse　and　spreads　throughout　the　organism。　An　infant　starts　with　a　jump　at　a　sudden　sound　and　shivers　at　a　bright　light。　A　young　child　is　unrestrained　and　general　in　his　expression　of　excitement；　no　matter　what　emotional　direction　that　excitement　takes。　Bring　about　any　tension　of　expectation　in　a　childhave　him　wait　for　your　head　to　appear　around　the　corner　as　you　play　peek…a…boo；　or　delay　opening　the　box　of　candy；　or　pretend　you　are　one　thing　or　anotherand　the　excitement　of　the　child　is　manifested　in　what　is　known　as　eagerness。　Attention　in　children　is　accompanied　by　excitement　and　is　wearying　as　a　natural　result；　since　excitement；　means　a　physical　discharge　of　energy。　A　child　laughs　all　over　and　weeps　with　his　entire　body；　his　anger　involves　every　muscle　of　his　body　and　his　fear　is　an　explosion。　The　young　organism　cannot　inhibit　excitement。　As　life　goes　on；　the　capacity　for　localizing　or　limiting　excitement　increases。　We　become　better　organized；　and　the　disrupting　force　of　a　stimulus　becomes　less。　Attention　becomes　less　painful；　less　tense；　i。e。；　there　is　less　general　muscular　and　emotional　reaction。　Expectation　is　less　a　physical　matterperhaps　because　we　have　been　so　often　disappointedand　is　more　cerebral　and　the　emotions　are　more　reflective　and　introspective　in　their　expression　and　less　a　physical　outburst。　Indeed；　the　process　often　enough　goes　too　far；　and　we　long　for　the　excitement　of　anticipation　and　realization。　We　do　not　start　at　a　noise；　and　though　a　great　crowd　will　〃stir　our　blood〃　（excitement　popularly　phrased　and　accurately）；　we　still　limit　that　excitement　so　that　though　we　cheer　or　shout　there　is　a　core　of　us　that　is　quiet。　This　is　the　case　in　health。　In　sickness；　especially　in　that　condition　known　as　neurasthenia；　where　the　main　symptoms　cluster　around　an　abnormal　liability　to　fatigue；　and　also　in　many　other　conditions；　there　is　an　increase　in　the　diffusion　of　excitement　so　that　one　starts　all　over　at　a　noise；　instead　of　merely　turning　to　see　what　it　is；　so　that　expectation　and　attention　become　painful　and　fatiguing。　Crowds；　though　usually　pleasurable；　become　too　exciting；　and　there　is　a　sort　of　confusion　resulting　because　attention　and　comprehension　are　interfered　with。　The　neurasthenic　finds　himself　a　prey　to　stimuli；　his　reaction　is　too　great　and　he　fatigues　too　readily。　He　finds　sleep　difficult　because　the　little　noises　and　discomforts　make　difficult　the　relaxation　that　is　so　important。　The　neurasthenic's　voluntary　attention　is　lowered　because　of　the　excitement　he　feels　when　his　involuntary　attention　is　aroused。　In　the　condition　called　anhedonia；　which　we　shall　hear　of　from　time　to　time；　there　is　a　blocking　or　dropping　out　of　the　sense　of　desire　and　satisfaction　even　if　through　habit　one　eats；　drinks；　has　sexual　relationship；　keeps　up　his　work　and　carries　out　his　plans。　This　lack　of　desire　for　the　joys　of　life　is　attended　by　a　restlessness；　a　seeking　of　excitement　for　a　time；　until　there　arises　a　curious　over…reaction　to　excitement。　The　anhedonic　patient　finds　that　noises　are　very　troublesome；　that　he　becomes　unpleasantly　excited　over　music；　that　company　is　distressing　because　he　becomes　confused　and　excited；　and　crowds；　busy　scenes　and　streets　are　intolerable。　Many　a　hermit；　I　fancy；　who　found　the　sensual　and　ambitious　pleasure　of　life　intolerable；　who　sought　to　fly　from　crowds　to　the　deserts；　was　anhedonic　but　he　called　it　renunciation。　（Whether　one　really　ever　renounces　when　desire　is　still　strong　is　a　nice　question。　I　confess　to　some　scepticism　on　this　point。）　2。　Seeking　excitement　is　one　of　the　great　pleasure…trends　of　life。　In　moderation；　tension；　expectation　and　the　diffuse　bodily　reactions　are　agreeable；　there　is　a　feeling　of　vigor；　the　attention　is　drawn　from　the　self　and　there　is　a　feeling　of　being　alive　that　is　pleasurable。　The　tension　must　not　be　too　long　sustained；　nor　the　bodily　reaction　too　intense；　relaxation　and　lowered　attention　must　relieve　the　excitement　from　time　to　time；　but　with　these　kept　in　mind；　it　is　true　that　Man　is　a　seeker　of　excitement。　This　is　a　factor　neglected　in　the　study　of　great　social　phenomena。　The　growth　of　cities　is　not　only　a　result　of　the　economic　forces　of　the　time；　it　is　made　permanent　by　the　fact　that　the　cities　are　exciting。　The　multiplicity　and　variety　of　the　stimuli　of　a　citysocial；　sexual；　its　stir　and　bustlemake　it　difficult　for　those　once　habituated　ever　to　tolerate　the　quiet　of　the　country。　Excitement　follows　the　great　law　of　stimulation；　the　same　internal　effect；　the　same　feeling；　requires　a　greater　and　greater　stimulus；　as　well　as　new　stimuli。　So；　the　cities　grow　larger；　increase　their　modes　of　excitement；　and　the　dweller　in　the　city；　unless　fortified　by　a　steady　purpose；　becomes　a　seeker　of　excitement。　Not　only　is　excitement　pleasurable　when　reached　through　the　intrinsically　agreeable　but　it　can　be　obtained　from　small　doses　of　the　intrinsically　disagreeable。　This　is　the　explanation　of　the　pleasure　obtained　from　the　gruesome；　from　the　risk　of　life　or　limb；　or　from　watching　others　risk　life　or　limb。　Aside　from　the　sense　of　power　obtained　by　traveling　fast；　it　is　the　risk；　THE　SLIGHT　FEAR；　producing　excitement；　that　makes　the　speed　maniac　a　menace　to　the　highways。　And　I　think　that　part　of　the　pleasure　obtained　from　bitter　foods　is　that　the　disagreeable　element　is　just　sufficient　to　excite　the　gastro…intestinal　tract。　The　fascination　of　the　horrible　lies　in　the　excitement　produced；　an　excitement　that　turns　to　horror　and　disgust　if　the　disagreeable　is　presented　too　closely。　Thus　we　can　read　with　pleasurable　excitement　of　things　that　in　their　reality　would　shock　us　into　profoundest　pain。　The　more　jaded　one　is；　the　more　used　to　excitement；　the　more　he　seeks　what　are；　ordinarily；　disagreeable　methods　of　excitement。　Thus　pain　in　slight　degree　is　exciting；　and　in　the　sexual　sphere　pain　is　often　sought　as　a　means　of　heightening　the　pleasure；　especially　by　women　and　by　the　roue。　I　suspect　also　that　the　haircloth　shirt　and　the　sackcloth　and　ashes　of　the　anhedonic　hermit　were　painful　methods　of　seeking　excitement。　Sometimes　pain　is　used　in　small　amounts　to　relieve　excitement。　Thus　the　man　who　bites　his　finger　nails　to　the　quick　gets　a　degree　of　satisfaction　from　the　habit。　Indeed；　all　manner　of　habitual　and　absurd　movements；　from　scratching　to　pacing　up　and　down；　are　efforts　to　relieve　the　tension　of　excitement。　One　of　my　patients　under　any　excitement　likes　to　put　his　hands　in　very　hot　water；　and　the　pain；　by　its　localization；　takes　away　from　the　diffuse　and　unpleasant　excitement。　The　diffuse　uncontrolled　excitement　of　itching　is　often　relieved　by　painful　biting　and　scratching。　Here　is　an　effort　to　localize　a　feeling　and　thus　avoid　diffuse　discomfort；　a　sort　of　homeopathic　treatment。　3。　As　a　corollary　to　the　need　of　excitement　and　its　pleasure　is　the　reaction　to　monotony。　Monotony　is　one　of　the　most　dreaded　factors　in　the　life　of　man。　The　internal　resources　of　most　of　us　are　but　small；　we　can　furnish　excitement　and　interest　from　our　own　store　for　but　a　short　time；　and　there　then　ensues　an　intense　yearning　for　something　or　somebody　that　will　take　up　our　attention　and　give　a　direction　to　our　thought　and　action。　Under　monotony　the　thought　turns　inward；　there　is　daydreaming　and　introspection；＇1＇　which　are　pleasurable　only　at　certain　times　for　most　of　us　and　which　grow　less　pleasurable　as　we　grow　older。　Watch　the　faces　of　people　thinking　as　they　travel　alone　in　cars；and　rarely　does　one　see　a　happy　face。　The　lines　of　the　face　droop　and　sighs　are　frequent。　Monotony　and　melancholy　are　not　far　apart；　monotony　and　a　restless　seeking　for　excitement　are　almost　synonymous。　Of　course；　what　constitutes　monotony　will　differ　in　the　viewpoint　of　each　person；　for　some　are　so　constituted　and　habituated　（for　habit　is　a　great　factor）　that　it　takes　but　few　stimuli　to　arouse　a　well…sustained　interest；　and　others　need　or　think　they　need　many　things；　a　constantly　changing　set　of　circumstances　for　pleasure。　＇1＇　Stanley　Hall；　in　his　b