the foundations of personality-第33章

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h；　if　placed　before　the　All…Mighty；　will　be　fulfilled。　Since　wishing　brings　a　pleasurable　excitement；　it　has　its　dangers；　in　the　daydream　where　wishes　are　fulfilled　without　effort。　Power；　glory；　beauty　and　admiration　are　obtained；　the　ugly　Duckling　becomes　the　Swan；　Cinderella　becomes　the　Princess；　Jack　kills　the　Giant　and　is　honored　by　all　men；　the　girl　becomes　the　beauty　and　heroine　of　romance；　the　boy　becomes　the　Hero；　taking　over　power；　wealth　and　beauty　as　his　due。　The　world　of　romance　is　largely　the　wish…world；　as　is　the　most　of　the　stage。　The　happy　ending　is　our　wish…fulfillment；　and　only　the　sophisticated　and　highly　cultured　object　to　it。　Moulding　the　world　to　the　heart's　desire　has　been　the　principal　business　of　stage；　novel　and　song。　In　the　normal　relations　of　life；　the　wish　is　the　beginning　of　will；　as　something　definitely　related　to　a　future　goal。　He　who　wishes　finds　his　way　to　planning　and　to　patient　endeavor；　IF　training；　circumstances　and　essential　character　meet。　To　wish　much　is　the　first　step　in　acquiring　much；but　only　the　first　step。　For　many　it　is　almost　the　only　step；　and　in　the　popular　phrase　these　have　a　〃wishbone　in　the　place　of　a　backbone。〃　They　are　the　daydreamers；　the　inveterate　readers　of　novels；　who　carry　into　adult　life　what　is　relatively　normal　in　the　child。　The　introspective　are　this　latter　type；　rarely　indeed　do　the　objective　personalities　spend　much　time　in　wishing。　Undoubtedly　it　is　from　the　introspective　that　the　wish　as　a　symbol　and　worker　of　power　gained　its　influence　and　meaning。　This　transformation　of　the　wish　to　a　power　is　found　in　all　primitive　thought；　in　the　power　of　the　blessing　and　the　curse；　in　the　delusions　of　certain　of　the　insane　who　build　up　the　belief　in　their　greatness　out　of　the　wish　to　be　great；　and　in　our　days　New　Thought　and　kindred　beliefs　are　modernized　forms　of　this　ancient　fallacy。　It　is　a　comforting　thought　to　those　who　seek　an　optimistic　point　of　view　that　most　men　wish　to　do　right。　Very　few；　indeed；　deliberately　wish　to　do　wrong。　But　the　difficulty　lies　in　this；　that　this　wish　to　do　right　camouflages　all　their　wishes；　no　matter　what　their　essential　character。　Thus　the　contestants　on　either　side　of　any　controversy　color　as　right　their　opposing　wishes；　and　cruelties　even　if　they　burn　people　at　the　stake　for　heresy；　kill　and　ruin；　degrade　and　cheat；　lie　and　steal。　Thus　has　arisen　the　dictum；　〃The　end　justifies　the　means。〃　The　good　desired　hallows　the　methods　used；　and　all　kinds　of　evil　have　resulted。　Practical　wisdom　believes　that　up　to　a　certain　point　you　must　seek　your　purpose　with　all　the　methods　at　hand。　But　the　temptation　to　go　farther　always　operates；　a　man　starts　to　do　something　a　little　underhanded　in　behalf　of　his　noble　wish　and　finds　himself　committed　to　conduct　unqualifiedly　evil。　5。　There　are　certain　other　emotional　states　associated　with　energy　and　the　energy　feeling　of　great　interest。　What　we　call　eagerness；　enthusiasm；　passion；　refers　to　the　intensity　of　an　instinct；　wish；　desire　or　purpose。　In　childhood　this　energy　is　quite　striking；　it　is　one　of　the　great　charms　of　childhood　and　is　a　trait　all　adults　envy。　For　it　is　the　disappearance　of　passion；　eagerness　and　enthusiasm　that　is　the　tragedy　of　old　age　and　which　really　constitutes　getting　old。　Youth　anticipates　with　eagerness　and　relishes　with　keen　satisfaction。　The　enthusiasm　of　typical　youth　is　easily　aroused　and　sweeps　it　on　to　action；　a　feature　called　impulsiveness。　Sympathy；　pity；　hope；　sex　feelingall　the　self…feelings　and　all　the　other　feelingsare　at　once　more　lively　and　more　demonstrative　in　youth；　and　thus　it　is　that　in　youth　the　reform　spirit　is　at　its　height　and　recedes　as　time　goes　on。　What　we　call　〃experience〃　chills　enthusiasm　and　passion；　but　though　hope　deferred　and　a　realization　of　the　complexity　of　human　affairs　has　a　moderating；　inhibiting　result；　there　is　as　much　or　more　importance　to　be　attached　to　bodily　changes。　If　you　could　attach　to　the　old　man's　experience　and　knowledge　the　body　of　youth；　with　its　fresher　arteries；　more　resilient　muscles　and　joints；　its　exuberant　glands　and　fresh　bodily　juices；desire；　passion；　enthusiasm　would　return。　In　the　chemistry　of　life；　passion　and　enthusiasm　arise；　sickness；　fatigue；　experience　and　time　are　their　antagonists。　This　is　not　to　deny　that　these　energy　manifestations　can　be　aroused　from　the　outside。　That　is　the　purpose　of　teaching　and　preaching；　the　purpose　of　writer　and　orator。　There　is　a　social　spread　of　enthusiasm　that　is　the　most　marked　feature　of　crowds　and　assemblies；　and　this　eagerness　makes　a　unit　of　thousands　of　diverse　personalities。　Further；　the　problem　of　awakening　enthusiasm　and　desire　is　the　therapeutic　problem　of　the　physician　and　especially　in　the　condition　described　as　anhedonia。　In　anhedonia；　as　first　described　by　Ribot；　mentioned　by　James；　and　which　has　recently　been　worked　up　by　myself　as　a　group　of　symptoms　in　mental　and　nervous　disease；　as　well　as　in　life　in　general；　there　is　a　characteristic　lack　of　enthusiasm　in　anticipation　and　realization；　a　lack　of　appetite　and　desire；　a　lack　of　satisfaction。　Nothing　appeals；　and　the　values　drop　out　of　existence。　The　victims　of　anhedonia　at　first　pass　from　one　〃pleasure〃　to　another；　hoping　each　will　please　and　satisfy；　but　it　does　not。　Food；　drink；　work；　play；　sex；　music；　art；all　have　lost　their　savor。　Restless；　introspective；　with　a　feeling　of　unreality　gripping　at　his　heart；　the　patient　finds　himself　confronting　a　world　that　has　lost　meaning　because　it　has　lost　enthusiasm　in　desire　and　satisfaction。　How　does　this　unhappy　state　arise？　In　the　first　place；　from　the　very　start　of　life　people　differ　in　the　quality　of　eagerness。　There　is　a　wide　variability　in　these　qualities。　Of　two　infants　one　will　call　lustily　for　whatever　he　wants；　show　great　glee　in　anticipating；　great　eagerness　in　seeking；　and　a　high　degree　of　satisfaction　when　his　desire　is　gratified。　And　another　will　be　lackadaisical　in　his　appetite；　whimsical；　〃hard　to　please〃　and　much　more　difficult　to　keep　pleased。　Fatigue　will　strip　the　second　child　of　the　capacity　to　eat　and　sleep；　to　say　nothing　of　his　desires　for　social　pleasures；　whereas　it　will　only　dampen　the　zeal　and　eagerness　of　the　first　child。　There　is　a　hearty　simple　type　of　person　who　is　naively　eager　and　enthusiastic；　full　of　desire；　passion　and　enthusiasm；　who　finds　joy　and　satisfaction　in　simple　things；　whose　purposes　do　not　grow　stale　or　monotonous；　there　is　a　finicky　type；　easily　displeased　and　dissatisfied；　laying　weight　on　trifles；　easily　made　anhedonic；　victims　of　any　reduction　in　their　own　energy　（which　is　on　the　whole　low）　or　of　any　disagreeable　event。　True；　these　sensitive　folk　are　creators　of　beauty　and　the　esthetic；　but　also　they　are　the　victims　of　the　malady　we　are　here　discussing。　Aside　from　this　temperament；　training　plays　its　part。　I　think　it　a　crime　against　childhood　to　make　its　joys　complex　or　sophisticated。　Too　much　adult　company　and　adult　amusements　are　destructive　of　desire　and　satisfaction　to　the　child。　A　boy　or　girl　whose　wishes　are　at　once　gratified　gets　none　of　the　pleasure　of　effort　and　misses　one　of　the　essential　lessons　of　life。that　pleasure　and　satisfaction　must　come　from　the　chase　and　not　from　the　quarry；　from　the　struggle　and　effort　as　well　as　from　the　goal。　Montaigne；　that　wise　skeptic；　lays　much　homely　emphasis　on　this；　as　indeed　all　wise　men　do。　But　too　great　a　struggle；　too　desperate　an　effort；　exhausts；　and　as　a　runner　lies　panting　and　motionless　at　the　tape；　so　we　all　have　seen　men　reach　a　desired　place　after　untold　privation　and　sacrifice　and　who　then　found　that　there　seemed　to　be　no　energy；　no　zeal　or　desire；　no　satisfaction　left　for　them。　The　too　eager　and　enthusiastic　are　exposed；　like　all　the　overemotional；　to　great　recessions；　great　ebbs；　in　the　volume　of　their　feeling　and　feel　for　a　time　the　direst　pain　in　all　experience；　the　death　in　life　of　anhedonia。　After　an　illness；　particularly　influenza；　when　recovery　has　seemingly　taken　place；　there　develops　a　lack　of　energy　feeling　and　the　whole　syndrome　of　anhedonia　which　lasts　until　the　subtle　damage　done　by　the　disease　passes　off。　Half　or　more　of　the　〃nervousness〃　in　the　world　is　based　on　actual　physical　trouble；　and　the　rest　relates　to　temperament。　When　a　great　purpose　or　desire　has　been　built　up；　has　drained　all　the　enthusiasm　of　the　individual　and　then　suddenly　becomes　blocked；　as　in　a　love　affair；　or　when　a　business　is　threatened　or　crashes　or　when　beauty　starts　to　leave；then　one　sees　the　syndrome　of　anhedonia　in　essential　purity。　A　great　fear；　or　an　obsessive　moral　struggle　（as　when　one　fights　hopelessly　against　temptation）；　has　the　same　effect。　The　enthusiasm　of　purpose　and　the　eagerness　of　appetite　go　at　once；　in　certain　delicate　people；　when　pride　is　seriously　injured　or　when　a　once　established　superiority　is　crumbled。　The　humiliated　man　is　anhedonic；　even　if　he　is　a　philosopher。　The　most　striking　cases　are　seen　in　men　who　have　been　swung　from　humdrum　existence　to　the　exciting；　disagreeable　life　of　war　and　then　back　to　their　former　life。　The　former　task　cannot　be　taken　up　or　is　carried　on　with　great　effort；　the　zest　of　things　has　disappeared；　and　what　was　so　longed　for　while　in　the　service　seems　flat　and　stale；　especially　if　it　is　now　realized　that　there　are　far　more　interesting　fields　of　effort。　In　a　lesser　degree；　the　romances　that　girls　feed　on　unfit　them　for　sober　realities；　and　the　expectation　of　marriage　built　up　by　romantic　novel　and　theater　do　far　more　harm　than　good。　The　triangle　play　or　story　is　less　mischievous　than　the　one　which　paints　married　life　as　an　amorous　glow。　One　could　write　a　volume　on　eagerness；　enthusiasm　and　passion；　satisfaction　and　dissatisfaction。　Life；　to　be　worth　the　living；　must　have　its　enthusiasms；　must　swing　constantly　from　desire　to　satisfaction；　or　else　seems　void　and　painful。　Great　purposes　are　the　surest　to　maintain　enthusiasm；　little　purposes　become　flat。　He　who　hitches　his　wagon　to　a　star　must　risk　indeed；　but　there　is　a　thrill　to　his　life　outweighing　the　joy　of　minor　success。　To　reenthuse　the　apathetic　is　an　individual　problem。　When　the　lowered　pressure　of　the　energy　feeling　is　physical　in　origin；　then　rest　and　exercise；　massage　hydrotherapy；　medicines　（especially　the　bitter　tonics）；　change　of　scene　are　valuable。　And　even　where　the　cause　is　not　in　illness；　these　procedures　have　great　value　for　in　stimulating　the　organism　the　function　of　enthusiasm　is　recharged。　But　one　does　not　neglect　the　value　of　new　hopes；　new　interests；　friendship；　physical　pleasure　and　above　all　a　new　philosophy；　a　philosophy　based　on　readjustment　and　the　nobility　of　struggle。　Not　all　people　can　thus　be　reached；　for　in　some；　perhaps　many　cases；　the　loss　of　these　desires　is　the　beginning　of　mental　disease；　but　patient　effort　and　intelligent　sympathetic　understanding　still　work　their　miracles。

CHAPTER　XI。　THE　EVOLUTION　OF　CHARACTER　WITH　ESPECIAL　REFERENCE　TO　THE　GROWTH　OF　PURPOSE　AND　PERSONALITY　There　have　been　various　philosophies　dealing　with　the　purposes　of　man。　Man　seeks　this　or　thatthe　eternal　good；　beauty；　happiness；　pleasure；　survivalbut　always　he　is　represented　as　a　seeker。　A　very　popular　doctrine；　Hedonism；　now　somewhat　in　disfavor；　represents　him　as　seeking　pleasurable；　affective　states。　The　difficulty　of　understanding　the　essential　nature　of　pleasure　and　pain；　the