the foundations of personality-第29部分

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iminal。　Strange　notion；　this　last；　but　one　at　bottom　sound　and　practical。　In　the　end；　the　true　sense　of　duty　is　in　a　sense　of　individual　responsibility。　Our　age　feels　this　as　no　other　age　has　felt　it。　Other　ages　have　placed　responsibility　on　the　Church；　on　God　and　on　the　State。　Difficult　and　onerous　as　is　the　burden；　we　are　commencing　to　place　duty　on　the　individual；　and　in　that　respect　we　are　not　in　the　least　a　decadent　generation。

CHAPTER　IX。　ENERGY　RELEASE　AND　THE　EMOTIONS　One　of　the　problems　in　all　work　is　to　place　things　in　their　right　order；　in　the　order　of　origin　and　importance。　This　difficulty　is　almost　insoluble　when　one　studies　the　character　of　man。　As　we　see　him　in　operation；　the　synthesis　is　so　complete　that　we　can　hardly　discern　the　component　parts。　Inheritance；　social　pressure；　excitement；　interest；　love；　hate；　self…interest；　duty　and　obligation；　these　are　not　unitary　in　the　least　and　there　is　constantly　a　false　dissection　to　be　made；　an　artefact；　in　order　that　clearness　in　presentation　may　be　obtained。　We　see　men　as　discharging　energy　in　work　and　play；　in　the　activities　that　help　or　hurt　themselves　and　the　race。　They　obtain　that　energy　from　the　world　without；　from　the　sunshine；　the　air；　the　plants　and　the　animals；　it　is　built　up　in　their　bodies；　it　is　discharged　either　because　some　inner　tension　builds　up　a　desire　or　because　some　outer　stimulus；　environmental　or　social；　directs　it。　Though　we　have　no　way　of　measuring　one　man's　energy　against　another；　we　say；　perhaps　erroneously；　〃He　is　very　energetic；〃　or　〃He　is　not〃；　〃He　is　tireless；〃　or　〃He　breaks　down　easily。〃　As　students　of　character；　we　must　take　this　question　of　the　energies　of　men　into　account　as　integral　in　our　study。　Granting　that　the　human　being　takes　in　energy　as　food　and　drink　and　builds　it　up　into　dischargeable　tissues；　we　are　not　further　concerned　with　the　details　of　its　physiology。　How　does　the　feeling　of　energy　arise；　what　increases　the　energy　discharge　and　what　blocks；　inhibits　or　lowers　it？　For　from　day　to　day；　from　hour　to　hour；　we　are　conscious　either　of　a　desire　to　be　active；　a　feeling　of　capacity　or　the　reverse。　We　depend　on　that　feeling　of　capacity　to　guide　us；　and　though　it　is　organic；　it　has　its　mysterious　disappearances　and　marvelous　reenforcements。　It　arises；　so　we　assume；　from　the　visceral…neuronic　activities；　subconsciously；　in　the　sense　we　have　used　that　word。　It　therefore　fluctuates　with　health；　with　fatigue；　with　the　years。　We　marvel　at　the　energy　of　childhood　and　youth；　and　the　deepest　sadness　we　have　is　the　depletion　of　energy…feeling　in　old　age。　We　love　energy　in　ourselves　and　we　yield　admiration；　willing　or　unwilling；　to　its　display　in　others。　The　Hero；　the　leader；　is　always　energetic。　In　our　times；　in　America；　we　demand　〃pep；〃　action　and　energy…display　as　an　essential　in　our　play　and　in　our　work；　and　we　worship　quite　too　frankly　where　all　men　have　always　worshiped。　What　besides　the　organic　activity；　besides　health　and　well…being；　excites　the　feeling　of　energy　and　what　depresses　it？　1。　This　feeling　is　excited　by　the　society　of　others；　by　the　herd…feeling；　and　depressed　by　long…continued　solitude　or　loneliness。　The　stimuli　that　come　from　other　people's　faces；　voices；　contactstheir　emotions；　feelings　and　manifestations　of　energyare　those　we　are　best　adapted　to　react　to；　those　most　valuable　in　stirring　us　up。　Scenery；　the　grandeur　of　the　outer　world；　finally　depress　the　most　of　us；　and　we　can　bear　these　things　best　in　company。　Who　has　not；　on　a　long　railroad　journey；　watched　with　weariness　and　flickering　interest　valley　and　hill　and　meadow　swing　by　and　then　sat　up　with　energy　and　definite　attention　as　a　human　being　passed　along　on　some　rural　road？　Lacking　these　stimuli　there　is　monotony　and　monotony　always　has　with　it　as　one　of　its　painful　features　a　subjective　sense　of　lowered　energy；　of　fatigue。　This　is　the　problem　of　the　housewife　and　the　solitary　worker　everywhere；there　is　failure　of　the　sense　of　energy　due　to　a　failure　to　receive　new　stimuli　in　their　most　potent　form；　our　fellows。　2。　The　disappearance　or　injury　of　desire　and　purpose。　Let　there　be　a　sudden　blocking　of　a　purpose　or　an　aim；　so　that　it　seems　impossible　of　fulfillment；　and　energy…feeling　drops；　movement；　thought；　even　feeling　seem　painful。　The　will　flags；　and　the　whole　world　becomes　unreal。　This　is　part　of　the　anhedonia　we　spoke　of。　In　reality；　we　have　the　disappearance　of　hope　as　basic　in　this　adynamia。　Hope　and　courage　are　in　part　organic；　in　part　are　due　to　the　belief　that　a　desired　goal　can　be　reached。　Whether　that　goal　is　health；　when　one　is　sick；　or　riches；　or　fame；　or　love　and　possession；　if　it　is　a　well…centralized　goal　toward　which　our　main　energies　are　bent；　and　then　seems　suddenly　impossible　to　reach；　there　is　a　corresponding　paralysis　of　energy。　Here　is　where　a　great　difference　is　seen　between　individuals　and　between　one　time　of　life　and　another。　There　are　some　to　whom　hope　is　a　shining　beacon　light　never　absent；　whatever　happens；　hope　remains；　like　the　beautiful　fable　of　Pandora's　box。　There　are　others　to　whom　any　obstruction；　any　discouraging　feature；　blots　out　hope；　and　who　constantly　need　the　energy　of　others；　their　persuasions　and　exhortations；　for　a　renewal　of　energy。　Here；　as　elsewhere　in　life；　some　are　givers　and　others　takers　of　energy。　In　the　presence　of　the　hopeless　it　is　hard　to　maintain　one's　own　feeling　of　energy　and　that　is　why　the　average　man　shuns　them。　He　guards　as　priceless　his　own　enthusiasm。　Curiously　enough；　when　energy　tends　to　disappear　in　the　face　of　disaster　to　one's　plans；　a　tonic　is　often　enough　the　reflection；　〃it　might　have　been　worse〃　or　〃there　are　others　worse　off。〃＇1＇　Though　one　rebels　against　the　encouraging　effect　of　the　last　statement；　it　does　console；　it　does　renew　hope。　For　hope　and　energy　and　desire　are　competitive；　as　is　every　other　measure　of　value。　So　long　as　one　is　not　the　worst　off；　then　there　is　something　left；　there　is　a　hopeful　element　in　the　situation。　Similarly　a　certain　rough　treatment　helps；　as　when　Job　is　told　practically；　〃After　all；　who　is　Man　that　he　should　ask　for　the　fulfillment　of　his　hopes？〃　A　sense　of　littleness　with　the　rest　of　the　race　acts　to　bring　resignation；　and　after　that　has　been　established；　hope　can　reappear。　For　resignation　is　rarely　a　prolonged　state　of　mind；　it　is　a　doorway　through　which　we　reenter　into　the　vista…chambers　of　Hope。　＇1＇　A　humorous　use　of　this　fact　is　in　the　popular　〃Cheer　up；　the　worst　is　yet　to　come！〃　This　acts　as　a　rough　tonic。

And　one　clearly　sees　the　benefit　of　a　belief；　a　faith　in　God。　〃Gott　in　sein　Mizpah　ist　gerecht；〃　cries　the　orthodox　Jew　when　his　hope　is　shattered；〃God's　decree　is　just。〃　This　is　Hope　Eternal；　〃my　purposes　are　blocked；　but　were　they　God's　purposes？　No。　He　would　not　then　block　them。　I　must　seek　God's　purposes。〃　Faith　is　really　a　transcendent　Hope；　renewing　the　feeling　of　energy。　3。　The　belief　that　one　has　the　good　opinion　of　others　is　a　powerful　stimulus　to　energy　and　feeling。　We　have　already　considered　the　effect　of　praise　and　blame。　Some　are　so　constituted　that　they　need　the　approval　of　others　at　all　times；　they　are　at　the　mercy　of　any　one　who　gives　them　a　cold　look　or　a　harsh　word。　Others　cling　to　the　need　of　their　own　self…approval；　they　are　aristocrats；　firm　and　secure　in　their　self…estimate。　Let　their　self…esteem　crumble；　and　these　proud　and　haughty　ones　are　humble；　weak；　inefficient。　We　fiercely　resent　criticism　because　in　it　is　a　threat　to　our　source　of　energy；　our　very　feeling　of　being　alive。　One　has　shrewdly　to　examine　his　fellow　men　from　this　angle：　〃Does　he　work　up　his　own　steam；　are　his　boilers　of　energy　heated　by　his　own　enthusiasm　and　his　own　self…approval？　Or　does　he　borrow；　can　he　work　only　if　others　add　their　fire　to　his；　does　his　light　go　out　if　his　neighbors　turn　away　or　are　too　busy　to　help　him？〃　One　type　of　man　may　be　as　admirable　as　another　in　his　gifts；　but　the　types　need　different　treatment。　Self…valuation　is　to　a　large　extent　our　opinion　of　the　valuation　of　others　of　ourselves。＇1＇　We　believe　people　like　us；　think　we　are　fine　and　able；　or　beautiful；　and　we　react　with　energy　to　difficulties。　We　may　be　wrong；　they　may　call　us　a　conceited　ass　and　laugh　at　us　behind　our　backs；　but　so　long　as　we　do　not　find　it　out；　it　doesn't　matter。　There　is；　however；　no　blow　quite　so　severe　as　the　sudden　realization　that　we　have　mistaken　the　opinion　of　others；　we　have　been　〃fooled。〃　To　be　fooled　is　to　be　lowered　in　one's　own　self…esteem；　and　we　like　sincerity　and　hate　insincerity　largely　because　our　self…esteem　stands　on　some　solid　basis　in　the　one　case　and　on　none　whatever　in　the　other。　Most　of　us　would　rather　have　people　say　bad　things　of　us　to　our　face　than　run　the　risk　of　the　ridicule　and　the　foolish　feeling　that　comes　with　insincerity。　There　are　some　who　are　always　suspicions　that　people　are　insincere　in　praise　or　friendly　words；　they　hate　being　fooled；　they　know　of　no　criterion　of　sincerity　and　such　people　are　in　an　adynamic　state　most　of　the　time。　The　difference　between　the　trusting　and　the　suspicious　is　that　one　responds　with　energy　and　belief　to　the　manifestations　of　friendliness　in　everybody；　and　the　other　has　no　such　inner　response　to　guide　his　energy　and　his　actions。　Trust　in　others　is　a　releaser　of　energy；　distrust　paralyzes　it。　＇1＇　To　paraphrase　Doctor　Holmes　the　biggest　factor　in　John's　self…valuation　is　HIS　idea　of　Jane's　idea　of　John。

4。　Doubt　and　inability　to　choose　may　be　contrasted　with　certitude　and　clear　choice　in　their　effect　on　energy　release。　Of　course；　one　of　the　signs　of　lowered　energy　is　doubt；　as　a　sign　of　high　energy　is　certainty。　Nevertheless；　a　situation　of　critical　importance；　in　which　choice　is　difficult　or　digagreeable；　inhibits　energy　feeling＇1＇　and　discharge　perhaps　as　much　as　any　other　mental　factor。　Especially　is　this　true　when　the　inhibition　concerns　a　moral　situation〃Ought　I　to　do　this　or　that〃and　where　the　fear　of　being　wrong　or　doing　wrong　operates　so　that　the　individual　does　nothing　and　develops　an　obsession　of　doubt。　This　〃to　be　or　not　to　be〃　attitude　is　typical　of　many　intelligent　people；　yes；　even　intellectual　people。　They　we　so　many　angles　to　a　situation；　they　project　so　far　into　the　future　in　their　thoughts；　that　a　weary　discouragement　comes。　To　such　as　these；　the　counsel　of　〃action　right　or　wro