the foundations of personality-第26章

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ontrol　new　ones　appear；　with　all…embracing　formula；　like　Christian　Science；　New　Thought；　etc。　Though　these　start　with　elastic　general　principles；　sooner　or　later　the　directions　for　conduct　become　minute　and　then　fixed。　The　tragedy　of　a　great　founder　of　religion　like　Buddha　or　Christ　is　that　though　he　gives　out　a　great　pure　principle；　his　followers　must　have；　demand　and　evolve　a　dogmatic　religion　with　fixed　ceremonials。　Man；　on　the　whole；　does　not　want　to　choose；　he　wants　to　have　the　feeling　that　he　ought　to　do　this　or　that　according　to　a　code　laid　down　by　authority。　This　will　make　a　real　democracy　always　impossible。　However　the　sentiment　of　duty　arises；　it　becomes　the　central　feeling　in　all　inner　conflicts；　and　it　wrestles　with　inclination　and　the　pleasant　choice。　Duty　is　the　great　inhibitor；　but　also　it　says　〃Thou　shalt！〃　Ideally；　duty　involves　self…sacrifice；　and　practically　man　dislikes　self…sacrifice　save　where　love　is　very　strong。　Duty　chains　a　man　to　his　task　where　he　is　inclined　for　a　holiday。　Duty　may　demand　a　man's　life；　and　that　sacrifice　seems　easier　for　men　to　make　than　the　giving　up　of　power　and　pelf。　（In　the　late　war　it　was　no　great　trouble　to　pass　laws　conscripting　life；　it　was　impossible　to　pass　laws　conscripting　wealth。　It　was　easier　for　a　man　to　allow　his　son　to　go　to　war　than　to　give　up　his　wealth　en　masse。）　The　power　of　the　feeling　of　duty　and　right　over　men　is　very　variable。　There　are　a　few　to　whom　the　feeling　of　〃ought〃　is　all　powerful；　they　cannot　struggle　against　it；　even　though　they　wish　to。　All　of　their　goings；　comings　and　doings　are　governed　thereby；　and　even　though　they　find　the　rest　of　the　world　dropping　from　them；　they　resist　the　herd。　For　the　mass　of　men　duty　governs　a　few　relationshipsto　family　and　countryand　even　here　self…interest　is　camouflaged　by　the　term　〃duty〃　in　the　phrase　〃a　man　owes　a　duty　to　himself。〃　This　is　the　end　of　real　duty。　The　average　man　or　woman　makes　a　duty　of　nonessentials；　of　ceremonials；　but　is　greatly　moved　by　the　cry　of　duty　if　it　comes　from　authority　or　from　those　he　respects。　He　fiercely　resents　it　if　told　he　is　not　doing　his　duty；　but　is　quick　to　tell　others　they　are　not　doing　theirs。　There　is　also　a　group　in　whom　the　sense　of　duty　is　almost　completely　lacking；　or　rather　fails　to　govern　action。　Ordinarily　these　are　spoken　of　as　lacking　moral　fiber；　but　in　reality　the　organizing　energy　of　character　and　the　inhibition　of　the　impulse　to　seek　pleasure　and　present　desire　is　feeble。　Sometimes　there　is　lack　of　affection　toward　others；　little　of　the　real　glow　of　tender　feeling；　either　towards　children＇1＇　or　parents　or　any　one。　Though　these　are　often　emotional；　they　are　not；　in　the　good　meaning　of　the　term；　sentimental。　＇1＇　It　is　again　to　be　emphasized　that　the　most　vital　instincts　may　be　lacking。　Even　the　maternal　feeling　may　be　absent；　not　only　in　the　human　mother　but　in　the　animal　mother。　So　we　need　not　be　surprised　if　there　are　those　with　no　sense　of　right　or　duty。

Is　the　sentiment　of　duty　waning？　The　alarmists　say　it　is　and　point　to　the　increase　of　divorce；　falling　off　in　church　attendance；　and　the　unrest　among　the　laboring　classes　as　evidence　that　there　is　a　decadence。　Pleasure　is　sought；　excitement　is　the　goal；　and　sober；　solid　duty　is　〃forgotten。〃　They　point　out　a　resemblance　to　the　decadent　days　of　Rome；　in　the　rise　of　luxury　and　luxurious　tastes；　and　indicate　that　duty　and　the　love　of　luxury　cannot　coexist。　Woman　has　forgotten　her　duty　to　bear　children　and　to　maintain　the　home　and　man　has　forgotten　his　duty　to　God。　Superficially　these　critics　are　right。　There　is　a　demand　for　a　more　satisfying　life；　involving　less　self　sacrifice　on　the　part　of　those　who　have　in　the　past　made　the　bulk　of　the　sacrifices。　Woman；　demanding　equality；　refuses　to　be　regarded　as　merely　a　child　bearer　and　is　become　a　seeker　of　luxury。　The　working　man；　looking　at　the　world　he　has　built；　now　able　to　read；　write　and　vote；　asks　why　the　duty　is　all　on　his　side。　In　other　words；　a　demand　for　justice；　which　is　merely　reciprocal；　universal　duty；　has　weakened　something　of　the　sense　of　duty。　In　fact；　that　is　the　first　effect　of　the　feeling　of　injustice；　of　unjust　inequality。　Dealing　with　the　emancipated；　the　old　conception　of　duty　as　loyalty　under　all　conditions　has　not　worked；　and　we　need　new　ideals　of　duty　on　the　part　of　governments　and　governing　groups　before　we　can　get　the　proper　ideals　of　duty　in　the　governed。　Some　of　those　ideals　are　commencing　to　be　heard。　International　duty　for　governments　is　talked　of　and　some　are　bold　to　say　that　national　feeling　prevents　a　real　feeling　of　duty　to　the　world；　to　man。　These　claim　that　duty　must　have　its　origin　in　the　extension　of　tender　feeling；　in　fraternity；　to　all　men。　In　a　lesser　way　business　is　commencing　to　substitute　for　its　former　motto；　〃Handelschaft　ist　keine　Bruderschaft〃　（business　is　no　brotherhood）；　the　ideal　of　service；　as　the　duty　of　business。　Everywhere　we　are　commencing　to　hear　of　〃social　duty；〃　of　obligation　to　the　lesser　and　unfortunate；　of　the　responsibility　of　the　leaders　to　the　led；　of　the　well　to　the　sick；　of　the　law…abiding　to　the　criminal。　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　es