the foundations of personality-第23部分

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eed　many　things；　a　constantly　changing　set　of　circumstances　for　pleasure。　＇1＇　Stanley　Hall；　in　his　book　〃Adolescence；〃　lays　great　stress　on　monotony　and　its　effects。　See　also　Graham　Wallas'　〃The　Great　Society。〃

Restlessness；　eager　searching　for　change；　intense　dissatisfaction　are　the　natural　fruit　of　monotony。　Here　is　an　important　item　in　the　problems　of　our　times。　Side　by　side　with　growth　of　the　cities　and　their　excitement　is　the　growing　monotony　of　most　labor。　The　factory；　with　its　specialized　production；　reduces　the　worker　to　a　cog　in　the　machinery。　In　some　factories；　in　the　name　of　efficiency；　the　windows　are　whitewashed　so　that　the　outside　world　is　shut　out　and　talking　is　prohibited；　the　worker　passes　his　day　performing　his　unvaried　task　from　morning　to　night。　Under　such　circumstances　there　arises　either　a　burning　sense　of　wrong；　of　injustice；　of　slavery　and　a　thwarting　of　the　individual　dignity；　or　else　a　yearning　for　the　end　of　the　day；　for　dancing；　drinking；　gambling；　for　anything　that　offers　excitement。　Or　perhaps　both　reactions　are　combined。　Our　industrial　world　is　poorly　organized　economically；　as　witness　the　poor　distribution　of　wealth　and　the　periodic　crises；　but　it　is　abominably　organized　from　the　standpoint　of　the　happiness　of　the　worker。　Of　this；　more　in　another　place。　Monotony　brings　fatigue；　because　there　is　a　shutting　out　of　the　excitement　that　acts　as　an　antidote　to　fatigue…feeling。　A　man　who　works　without　fatigue　six　days　a　week　is　tired　all　day　Sunday　and　longs　for　Monday。　The　modern　housewife；＇1＇　with　her　four　walls　and　the　unending；　uninteresting　tasks；　is　worn　out；　and　her　fatigue　reaction　is　the　greater　the　more　her　previous　life　has　been　exciting　and　varied。　Fatigue　often　enough　is　present　not　because　of　the　work　done　but　because　the　STIMULUS　TO　WORK　HAS　DISAPPEARED。　Monotony　is　an　enemy　of　character。　Variety；　in　its　normal　aspect；　is　not　only　the　spice　of　life；　it　is　a　great　need。　Stabilization　of　purpose　and　work　are　necessary；　but　a　standardization　that　stamps　out　the　excitement　of　variety　is　a　deadly　blow　to　human　happiness。　＇1＇　See　my　book　〃The　Nervous　Housewife！〃

Under　monotony　certain　types　of　personalities　develop　an　intense　inner　life；　which　may　be　pathological；　or　it　may　be　exceedingly　fruitful　of　productive　thought。　Some　build　up　a　delusional　thought　and　feeling。　For　delusion　merely　means　uncorrected　thought　and　belief；　and　we　can　only　correct　by　contact　and　collision。　The　whole　outer　world　may　vanish　or　become　hostile　and　true　mental　disease　develop。　Perhaps　it　is　more　nearly　correct　to　say　that　minds　predisposed　to　mental　disease　find　in　monotony　a　circumstance　favoring　disease。　On　the　other　hand；　a　vigorous　mind　shut　out　from　outer　stimuli＇1＇　finds　in　this　circumstance　the　time　to　develop　leisurely；　finds　a　freedom　from　distraction　that　leads　to　clear　views　of　life　and　a　proper　expression。　A　periodic　retirement　from　the　busy；　too…busy　world　is　necessary　for　the　thinker　that　he　may　digest　his　material；　that　he　may　strip　away　unessential　beliefs；　that　he　may　find　what　it　is　he　really　needs；　strives　for　and　ought　to　have。　＇1＇　Perhaps　this　is　why　real　genius　does　not　flourish　in　our　crowded；　over…busy　days；　despite　the　great　amount　of　talent。

4。　Here　we　come　to　another　corollary　of　the　need　for　excitement；　the　need　of　relaxation。　At　any　rate；　satisfaction　and　pleasure　need　periods　of　hunger　in　order　to　be　felt。　In　the　story　of　Buddha　he　is　represented　as　being　shielded　from　all　sorrow　and　pain；　living　a　life　filled　with　pleasure　and　excitement；　yet　he　sought　out　pain。　So　excitement；　if　too　long　continuedor　rather　if　a　situation　that　produces　excitement　of　a　pleasurable　kind　be　too　long　enduredwill　result　in　boredom。　〃Things　get　to　be　the　same；〃　whether　it　be　the　excitement　of　love；　the　city；　sports　or　what　not。　This　is　a　basic　law　of　all　pleasures。　In　order　that　life　may　have　zest；　that　excitement　may　be　easily　and　pleasurably　evoked　and　by　normal　means；　we　need　relaxation；　periods　free　from　excitement；　or　we　must　pass　on　to　a　costly　chase　for　excitement　that　brings　breakdown　of　the　character。　5。　If　the　seeking　of　excitement；　as　such；　is　one　of　the　prime　pleasures　of　life；　organized　excitement　in　the　form　of　interest　is　the　directing　and　guiding　principle　of　activity。　At　the　outset　of　life　interest　is　in　the　main　involuntary　and　is　aroused　by　the　sights；　sounds　and　happenings　of　the　outer　world。　As　time　goes　on；　as　the　organism　develops；　as　memories　of　past　experiences　become　active；　as　peculiarities　of　personality　develop；　and　as　instincts　reach　activity；　interest　commences　to　take　definite　direction；　to　become　canalized；　so　to　speak。　In　fact；　the　development　of　interest　is　from　the　diffuse　involuntary　form　of　early　childhood　to　a　specialization；　a　condensation　into　definite　voluntary　channels。　This　development　goes　on　unevenly；　and　is　a　very　variable　feature　in　the　lives　of　all　of　us。　Great　ability　expresses　itself　in　a　sustained　interest；　a　narrow　character　is　one　with　overdeformed；　too　narrow　interest；　failure　is　often　the　retention　of　the　childish　character　of　diffuse；　involuntary　interest。　And　the　capacity　to　sustain　interest　depends　not　only　on　the　special　strength　of　the　various　abilities　of　the　individual；　but　remarkably　on　his　energy　and　health。　Sustained　〃voluntary〃　interest　is　far　more　fatiguing　than　involuntary　interest；　and　where　fatigue　is　already　present　it　becomes　difficult　and　perhaps　impossible。　Thus　after　much　work；　whether　physical　or　mental；　during　and　after　illnessespecially　in　influenza；　in　neurasthenic　states　generally；　or　where　there　is　an　inner　conflictinterest　in　its　adult　form　is　at　a　low　ebb。　There　are　two　main　directions　which　interest　may　take；　because　there　are　two　worlds　in　which　we　live。　There　is　the　inner　world　of　our　feelings；　our　thoughts；　our　desires　and　our　struggles；＇1＇and　there　is　the　outer　world；　with　its　people；　its　things；　its　hostilities；　its　friendships；　its　problems　and　facts；　its　attractions　and　repulsions。　Man　divides　his　interest　between　the　two　worlds；　for　in　both　of　them　are　the　values　of　existence。　The　chief　source　of　voluntary　interest　lies　in　desire　and　value；　and　though　these　are　frequently　in　coalescence；　so　that　the　thing　we　desire　is　the　thing　we　value；　more　often　they　are　not　in　coalescence　and　then　we　have　the　divided　self　that　James　so　eloquently　describes。　So　there　are　types　of　men　to　whom　the　outer　world；　whether　it　is　in　its　〃other　people；〃　or　its　things；　or　its　facts；　or　its　attractions　and　repulsions；　is　the　chief　source　of　interest　and　these　are　the　objective　types；　exteriorized　folks；　whose　values　lie　in　the　goods　they　can　accumulate；　or　the　people　they　can　help；　or　the　external　power　they　exercise；　or　the　knowledge　they　possess　of　the　phenomena　of　the　world；　or　the　things　they　can　do　with　their　hands。　These　are　on　the　whole　healthy…minded；　finding　in　their　pursuits　and　interest　a　real　value；　rarely　stopping　from　their　work　to　ask；　〃Why　do　I　work？　To　what　end？　Are　things　real？〃　Contrasted　with　them　are　those　whose　gaze　is　turned　inward；　who　move　through　life　carrying　on　the　activities　of　the　average　existence　but　absorbed　in　their　thoughts；　their　emotions；　their　desires；　their　conflicts；perhaps　on　their　sensations　and　coenaesthetic　streams。　Though　there　is　no　sharp　line　of　division　between　the　two　types；　and　all　of　us　are　blends　in　varying　degrees；　these　latter　are　the　subjective　introspective　folk；　interiorized；　living　in　the　microcosmos；　and　much　more　apt　than　the　objective　minded　to　be　〃sick　souls〃　obsessed　with　〃whys　and　wherefores。〃　They　are　endlessly　putting　to　themselves　unanswerable　questions；　are　apt　to　be　the　mentally　unbalanced；　or；　but　now　and　then；　they　furnish　the　race　with　one　whose　answers　to　the　meaning　of　life　and　the　direction　of　efforts　guide　the　steps　of　millions。　＇1＇　Herbert　Spencer's　description　of　these　two　worlds　is　the　best　in　literature。　〃Principles　of　Psychology。〃

There　is　a　good　and　a　bad　side　to　the　two　types　of　interest。　The　objective　minded　conquer　the　world　in　dealing　with　what　they　call　reality。　They　bridge　the　water　and　dig　up　the　earth；　they　invent；　they　plow；　they　sell　and　buy；　they　produce　and　distribute　wealth；　and　they　deal　with　the　education　that　teaches　how　to　do　all　these　things。　They　find　in　the　outer　world　an　unalterable　sense　of　reality；　and　they　tend　rather　naively　to　accept　themselves；　their　interests　and　efforts　as　normal。　In　their　highest　forms　they　are　the　scientist；　reducing　to　law　this　tangle　of　outer　realities；　or　the　artist；　who　though　he　is　a　hybrid　with　deep　subjective　and　objective　interest；　nevertheless　remodels　the　outer　world　to　his　concept　of　beauty。　These　objective…minded　folk；　the　bulk　of　the　brawn　and　in　lesser　degree　of　the　brain　of　the　world；　are　apt　to　be　〃materialists；〃　to　value　mainly　quantity　and　to　be　self…complacent。　Of　course；　since　no　man　is　purely　objective；　there　come　to　them　as　to　all　moments　of　brooding　over　the　eggs　of　their　inner　life；　when　they　wonder　whether　they　have　reached　out　for　the　right　things　and　whether　the　goods　they　seek　or　have　are　worth　while。　Such　introspective　interest　comes　on　them　when　they　are　alone　and　the　outer　world　does　not　reach　in；　or　when　they　have　witnessed　death　and　misfortune；　or　when　sickness　and　fatigue　have　reduced　them　to　a　feeling　of　weakness。　For　it　is　true　that　the　objective　minded　are　more　often　robust；　hearty；　with　more　natural　lust；　passion　and　desire　than　your　introspectionists；　more　virile　and　less　sensitive　to　fine　impressions。　The　introspectionists；　culling；　chewing　the　cud　of　their　experiences　and　sensations；　find　in　their　own　reactions　the　realities。　In　fact；　interested　in　consciousness；　they　are　sometimes　bold　enough　to　deny　the　realities　of　anything　else。　Where　the　others　build　bridges；　they　build　up　the　ideas　of　eternal　good　and　bad；　of　beauty；　of　the　transitory　and　the　permanent；　of　now　and　eternity。　They　deal　with　abstract　ideas；　and　they　luxuriate　in　emotions。　They　build　up　beliefs　where　thought　is　the　only　reality　and　is　omnipotent。　They　are　the　founders　of　religious；　cults；　fads　and　fancies。　They　inculcate　the　permanent　ideals；　because　they　are　the　only　ones　who　interest　themselves　in　something　beside　the　show　of　the　universe。　But　too　often　they　are　the　sick　folk。　Without　the　hardihood　and　the