the foundations of personality-第34部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


an　agree　on　beauty？　What　one　race　prizes　as　its　fairest　is　scorned　by　another　race。　We　laugh　at　the　ideal　of　beauty　of　the　Hottentot；　and　the　physical　peculiarity　they　praise　most　either　disgusts　or　amuses　us。　But　what　is　there　about　a　white　skin　more　lovely　than　a　black　one；　and　why　thrill　over　blue　eyes　and　neglect　the　brown　ones？　What　is　the　rationale　for　the　admiration　of　slimness　as　against　stoutness？　Indeed；　there　are　races　who　would　turn　with　scorn　from　our　slender　debutante＇1＇　and　worship　their　more　buxom　heavy…busted　and　wide…hipped　beauties。　The　only　〃rational〃　beauty　in　face　and　figure　is　that　which　stands　as　the　outer　mask　of　health；　vigor；　intelligence　and　normal　procreative　function。　The　standards　set　up　in　each　age　and　place　usually　arise　from　local　pride；　from　the　familiar　type。　The　Mongolian　who　finds　beauty　in　his　slanting…eyed；　wide…cheek　boned；　yellow　mate　has　as　valid　a　sanction　as　the　Anglo…Saxon　who　worships　at　the　shrine　of　his　wide…eyed；　straight…nosed　blonde。　＇1＇　The　peasant　type；　greatly　admired　by　the　agricultural　folk　of　Central　Europe；　is　stout　and　ruddy。　This　is　a　better　ideal　of　beauty　than　the　lily…white；　slender　and　dainty　maid　of　the　cultured；　who　very　often　can　neither　work　nor　bear　and　nurse　children。

When　we　leave　the　physical　qualities　and　pass　to　the　mental　we　again　find　a　lack　of　agreement　as　to　the　admirable。　All　agree　that　intelligence　is　to　be　admired；　but　how　shall　that　intelligence　be　manifested？　In　practice；　the　major　part　of　the　world　admires　the　intelligence　that　is　financially　and　socially　successful；　and　the　rich　and　powerful　have　the　greatest　share　of　the　world's　praise。　Power；　strength；　and　superiority　command　admiration；　even　from　the　unwilling；　and　the　philosopher　who　stands　aloof　from　the　world　and　is　without　real　strength　finds　himself　admiring　a　crude；　bustling　fellow　ordering　men　about。　True；　we　admire　such　acknowledged　great　intelligences　as　Plato；　Galileo；　Newton；　Pascal；　Darwin；　etc。；　but　in　reality　only　a　fragment　of　the　men　and　women　of　any　country　know　anything　at　all　about　these　men；　and　the　admiration　of　most　is　an　acceptance　of　the　authority　of　others　as　to　what　it　is　proper　to　admire。　Genuine　admiration　is　in　proportion　to　the　intelligence　and　idealism　of　the　admirer。　And　there　are　in　this　country　a　thousand　intense　admirers　of　Babe　Ruth　and　his　mighty　baseball　club　to　one　who　pours　out　his　soul　before　the　image　of　Pasteur。　You　may　know　a　man　（or　woman）　not　by　his　lip…homage；　but　by　what　he　genuinely　admires；　by　that　which　evokes　his　real　enthusiasm　and　praise。　Judge　by　that　and　then　note　that　the　most　constant　admiration　of　the　women　of　our　country　goes　out　to　actresses；　actors；　professional　beauties；　with　popular　authors　and　lecturers　a　bad　second；　and　that　of　the　men　is　evoked　by　prize　fighters；　ball　players　and　the　rich。　No　wonder　the　problems　of　the　world　find　no　solution；　for　it　is　only　by　fits　and　starts　that　men　and　women　admire　real　intelligence　and　real　ability。　The　orator　has　more　admirers　than　the　thinker；　and　this　is　the　curse　of　politics；　the　executive　has　more　admirers　than　the　research　worker；　and　this　is　the　bane　of　industry；　the　entertainer　is　more　admired　than　the　educator；　and　that　is　why　Charlie　Chaplin　makes　a　million　a　year　and　President　Eliot　received　only　a　few　thousand。　The　race　and　the　nation　has　its　generous　enthusiasms　and　its　bursts　of　admiration　for　the　noble；　but　its　real　admiration　it　gives　to　those　whom　it　best　understands。　Fortunately　the　leaders　of　the　race　have　more　of　generosity　and　fine　admiration　than　have　the　mass　they　lead。　Left　to　itself；　the　mass　of　the　race　limits　its　hero…worship　to　the　lesser；　unworthy　race　of　heroes。　The　school　histories；　which　should　emphasize　the　admirable　as　well　as　point　out　the　reverse；　have　played　a　poor　role　in　education。　The　hero　they　depict　is　the　warrior；　and　they　fire　the　hearts　of　the　child　with　admiration　and　desire　for　emulation。　They　say　almost　nothing　of　the　great　inventors；　scientists　and　philanthropists。　The　teaching　of　history　should；　above　all；　set　up　heroes　for　the　child　to　study；　admire　and　emulate。　〃When　the　half…gods　go　the　gods　arrive。〃　The　stage　of　history　as　taught　is　cluttered　with　the　tin…plate　shedders　of　blood　to　the　exclusion　of　the　greater　men。＇1＇　＇1＇　Plutarch's　Lives　are　an　example　of　the　praise　and　place　given　to　the　soldier　and　orator；　and　many　a　child；　reading　them；　has　burned　to　be　an　Alexander　or　a　Caesar。　Wells'　History；　with　all　its　defects；　pushes　the　〃conquerors〃　to　their　real　place　as　enemies　of　the　race。

When　the　object　that　confronts　us　is　so　superior；　so　vast；　that　we　sink　into　insignificance；　then　admiration　takes　on　a　tinge　of　fear　in　the　state　or　feeling　of　awe。　All　men　feel　awe　in　the　presence　of　strength　and　mystery；　so　that　the　concept　of　God　is　that　most　wrapped　up　with　this　emotion；　and　the　ceremonies　with　which　kings　and　institutions　have　been　surrounded　strike　awe　by　their　magnificence　and　mystery　into　the　hearts　of　the　governed。　We　contemplate　natural　objects；　such　as　mountains；　mighty　rivers　and　the　oceans；　with　awe　because　we　feel　so　little　and　puny　in　comparison；　and　we　do　not　〃enjoy〃　contemplating　them　because　we　hate　to　feel　little。　Or　else　we　grow　familiar　with　them；　and　the　awe　disappears。　The　popular　and　the　familiar　are　never　awe…full；　and　even　death　loses　in　dignity　when　one　has　dissected　a　few　bodies。　So　objects　viewed　by　night　or　in　gloom　inspire　awe；　though　seen　by　day　they　are　stripped　of　mystery　and　interest。　To　the　adolescent　boy；　woman　is　a　creature　to　be　regarded　with　awe；beautiful；　strangely　powerful　and　mysterious。　To　the　grown…up　man；　enriched　and　disillusioned　by　a　few　experiences；　woman；　though　still　loved；　is　no　longer　worshiped。　Though　the　reverent　spirit　is　admirable　and　poetic；　it　is　not　by　itself　socially　valuable。　It　has　been　played　upon　by　every　false　prophet；　every　enslaving　institution。　It　prevents　free　inquiry；　it　says　to　science；　〃Do　not　inquire　here。　They　who　believe　do　not　investigate。　This　is　too　holy　a　place　for　you。〃　We　who　believe　in　science　deny　that　anything　can　be　so　holy　that　it　can　be　cheapened　by　light；　and　we　believe　that　face　to　face　with　the　essential　mysteries　of　life　itself　even　the　most　assiduous　and　matter…of…fact　must　feel　awe。　Man；　the　little；　has　probed　into　the　secrets　of　the　universe　of　which　he　is　a　part。　What　he　has　learned；　what　he　can　learn；　make　him　bow　his　head　with　a　reverence　no　worshiper　of　dogmatic　mysteries　can　ever　feel。

CHAPTER　X。　COURAGE；　RESIGNATION；　SUBLIMATION；　PATIENCE；　THE　WISH；　AND　ANHEDONIA　In　the　preceding　chapter　we　spoke　of　the　feeling　of　energy　and　certain　of　the　basic　emotionssuch　as　fear；　anger；　joy；　sorrow；　disgust；　surprise　and　admiration。　It　is　important　to　know　that　rarely　does　a　man　react　to　any　life　situation　in　which　the　feeling　of　energy　is　not　an　emotional　constituent　and　governs　in　a　general　way　that　reaction。　Moreover；　fear；　anger；　joy　and　the　other　feelings　described　mingle　with　this　energy　feeling　and　so　are　built　great　systems　of　the　affective　life。　1。　Courage　is　one　of　these　systems。　It　is　not　merely　the　absence　of　fear　that　constitutes　courage；　though　we　interchange　〃fearless〃　with　〃courageous。〃　Frequently　it　is　the　conquest　of　fear　by　the　man　himself　that　leads　him　to　the　highest　courage。　There　is　a　type　of　courage　based　on　the　lack　of　imagination；　the　inability　to　see　ahead　the　disaster　that　lurks　around　every　corner。　There　is　another　type　of　courage　based　on　the　philosophy　that　to　lose　control　of　oneself　is　the　greatest　disaster。　There　are　the　nobly　proud；　whose　conception　of　〃ought；〃　of　〃noblesse　oblige；〃　makes　them　the　real　aristocrats　of　the　race。　The　fierce；　the　predisposed　to　anger　are　usually　courageous。　Unrestrained　anger　tends　to　break　down　imagination　and　foresight；　caution　disappears　and　the　smallest　will　attack　the　largest。　In　racial　propaganda；　one　way　to　arouse　courage　is　to　arouse　anger。　The　enemy　is　represented　as　all　that　is　despicable　and　mean　and　as　threatening　the　women　and　children；　religion；　or　the　flag。　It　is　not　sufficient　to　arouse　hate；　for　hate　may　fear。　While　individuals　of　a　fierce　type　may　be　cowards；　and　the　gentle　often　enough　are　heroes；　the　history　of　the　race　shows　that　physical　courage　resides　more　with　the　fierce　races　than　with　the　gentle。　Those　who　feel　themselves　superior　in　strength　and　energy　are　much　more　apt　to　be　courageous　than　those　who　feel　themselves　inferior。　In　fact；　the　latter　have　to　force　themselves　to　courage；　whereas　the　former's　courage　is　spontaneous。　Men　do　not　fear　to　be　alone　in　a　house　as　women　do；　largely　because　men　feel　themselves　equal　to　coping　with　intruders；　who　are　sure　to　be　men；　while　women　do　not。　One　of　the　early　signs　of　chronic　sickness　is　a　feeling　of　fear；　a　loss　of　courage；　based　on　a　feeling　of　inferiority　to　emergencies。　The　Spartans　made　it　part　of　that　development　of　courage　for　which　their　name　stands；　to　develop　the　physique　of　both　their　men　and　women。　Their　example；　in　rational　measure；　should　be　followed　by　all　education；　for　courage　is　essential　to　nobility　of　character。　I　emphasize　that　such　training　should　be　extended　to　both　male　and　female；　for　we　cannot　expect　to　have　a　timorous　mother　efficiently　educate　her　boy　to　be　brave；　to　say　nothing　of　the　fact　that　her　own　happiness　and　efficiency　rest　on　courage。　Tradition　is　a　mighty　factor　in　the　production　of　courage。　To　feel　that　something　is　expected　of　one　because　one's　ancestors　lived　up　to　a　high　standard　becomes　a　guiding　feeling　in　life。　Not　to　be　inferior；　not　to　disappoint　expectation；　to　maintain　the　tradition　that　a　〃So…and…So〃　never　shows　the　white　feather；　makes；　heroes　of　the　soldiers　of　famous　regiments；　of　firemen　and　policemen；　of　priests；　of　the　scions　of　distinguished　families；　aye；　even　of　races。　To　every　man　in　the　grip　of　a　glorious　tradition　it　seems　as　if　those　back　of　him　are　not　really　dead；　as　if　they　stand　with　him；　and　speak　with　his　voice　and　act　in　his　deeds。　The　doctor　who　knows　of　the　martyrs　of　his　profession　and　knows　that　in　the　code　of　his　calling　there　are　no　diseases　he　must　hesitate　to　face；　goes　with　equanimity　where　others　who　are　braver　in　facing　death　of　other　kinds　do　not　dare　to　enter。　Courage　is　competitive；　courage　is　cooperative；　as　is　every　other　phase　of　t