the foundations of personality-第39章

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ally　fear。　This　pride　is　greater　in　some　races　than　othersin　the　Indian　and　the　Anglo…Saxonbut　the　Oriental　does　not　think　it　wrong　to　be　afraid。　In　the　Great　War　this　fear　of　showing　fear　played　a　great　role　in　producing　shell　shock；　in　that　men　shrank　from　actual　cowardice　but　easily　developed　neuroses　which　carried　them　from　the　fighting　line。　There　is　this　to　add　to　this　little　sketch　of　fear：　it　turns　easily　to　anger　for　both　are　responses　to　a　threat。　I　remember　in　my　boyhood　being　mortally　afraid　of　a　larger　boy　who　one　day　chased　me；　caught　me　and　started　to　〃beat　me　up。〃　Before　I　knew　it；　the　fear　had　gone　and　I　was　fighting　him　with　such　fierceness　and　fury　that　in　amazement　he　ran　away。　So　a　rat；　cornered；　becomes　fierce　and　blood…thirsty　and　there　is　always　the　danger；　in　the　use　of　fear　as　a　weapon；　that　it　become　changed　quite　readily　into　the　fighting　spirit。　7。　Anger　is　a　primitive　reaction　and　is　the　backbone　of　the　fighting　spirit。　It　tends　to　displace　fear；　though　it　may　be　combined　with　it；　in　one　of　the　most　unhappy　because　helplessmental　states。　Anger　in　its　commonest　form　is　a　violent　energizer　and　in　the　stiffened　muscles；　the　set　jaw；　bared　teeth；　and　the　forward…thrust　head　and　arms　one　sees　the　animal　prepared　to　fight。　Anger　is　aroused　at　any　obstruction；　any　threat　or　injury；　from　physical　violences　to　the　so…called　〃slight。〃　In　fact；　it　is　the　intent　of　the　opponent　as　understood　that　makes　up　the　stimulus　to　anger　in　the　human　being。　We　forgive　a　blow　if　it　is　accidental；　but　even　a　touch；　if　in　malice　or　in　contempt；　arouses　a　fierce　reaction。　We　call　becoming　angry　too　readily　〃losing　the　temper；〃　and　there　is　a　type　known　as　the　irascible　in　whom　anger　is　the　readiest　emotion。　The　bluff　English　squire；　the　man　in　authority；　is　this　type；　and　his　anger　lasts。　In　its　lesser　form　anger　becomes　irritability；　a　reaction　common　to　the　neurotic　and　the　weak。　When　anger　is　not　frank；　but　manifests　itself　by　a　lowered　brow　and　sidelong　look；　we　speak　of　sullenness　or　surliness。　The　sullen　or　surly　person；　chronically　ill…tempered　and　hostile；　is　regarded　as　unsocial　and　dangerous；　whereas　the　most　lovable　persons　are　quick　to　anger　and　quick　to　repent。　As　a　man's　anger；　so　is　he。　There　are　some　whose　anger　is　always　a　reaction　against　interference　with　their　comfort；　their　dignity；　their　property　and　their　will；　it　never　by　any　chance　is　aroused　by　the　wrongs　of　others。　Usually；　however；　these　folk　camouflage　their　motive。　〃It's　the　principle　of　the　thing　I　object　to；〃　is　its　commonest　social　disguise；　which　sometimes　successfully　hides　the　real　motive　from　the　egoist　himself。　Wherever　wills　and　purposes　meet　in　conflict；　there　anger；　or　its　offshoot；　contempt；　is　present；　and　the　more　egoistic　one　is；　the　more　egoistic　the　sources　of　anger。　The　explosiveness　of　the　anger　will　depend　on　the　power　of　inhibition　and　the　power　of　the　intelligence；　as　well　as　on　the　strength　of　the　opponent。　There　are　enough　whose　temper　is　uncontrolled　in　the　presence　of　the　weak　who　manage　to　be　quite　calm　in　the　presence　of　the　strong。　I　believe　there　is　much　less　difference　amongst　races　in　this　respect　than　we　suspect；　and　there　is　more　in　tradition　and　training。　There　was　a　time　when　it　was　perfectly　proper　for　a　gentleman　to　lose　his　temper；　but　now　that　it　is　held　〃bad　form；〃　most　gentlemen　manage　to　control　it。　If　it　is　common　for　men　to　become　angry　at　ego…injury；　there　are　in　this　world；　as　its　leaven　of　reform；　noble　spirits　who　become　angry　at　the　wrongs　of　others。　The　world　owes　its　progress　to　those　whose　anger；　sustained　and　intellectualized；　becomes　the　power　behind　reform；　to　those　like　Abraham　Lincoln；　who　vowed　to　destroy　slavery　because　he　saw　a　slave　sold　down　the　river；　to　the　Pinels；　outraged　by　the　treatment　of　the　insane；　to　the　sturdy　〃Indignant　Citizen；〃　who　writes　to　newspapers　about　what　〃is　none　of　his　business；〃　but　who　is　too　angry　to　keep　still；　and　whose　anger　makes　public　opinion。　Whether　anger　is　useful　or　not　depends　upon　its　cause　and　the　methods　it　employs。　Righteous　anger；　whether　against　one's　own　wrongs　or　the　wrongs　of　others；　is　the　hall…mark　of　the　brave　and　noble　spirit；　mean；　egoistic　anger　is　a　great　world　danger；　born　of　prejudice　and　egoism。　A　violent…tempered　child　may　be　such　because　he　is　outraged　by　wrong；　if　so；　teach　him　control　but　do　not　tell　him　in　modern　wishy…washy　fashion　that　〃one　must　never　get　angry。〃　Control　it；　intellectualize　it；　do　not　permit　it　to　destroy　effectiveness；　as　it　is　prone　to　do；　but　it　cannot　be　eliminated　without　endangering　personality。　Fear　and　anger　have　this　in　common：　whenever　the　controlling　energy　of　the　mind　goes；　as　in　illness；　fatigue　or　early　mental　disease；　they　become　more　prominent　and　uncontrolled。　This　cannot　be　overemphasized。　When　a　man　（or　woman）　finds　himself　continually　getting　apprehensive　and　irritable；　then　it　is　the　time　to　ask；　〃What's　the　matter　with　me；〃　and　to　get　expert　opinion　on　the　subject。　These　two　emotions　are　in　more　need　of　rationalizing　and　intelligent　control　than　the　other　emotions；　for　they　are　more　explosive。　Certainly　of　anger　it　is　truly　said　that　〃He　who　is　master　of　himself　is　greater　than　he　who　taketh　a　city。〃　The　angry　man　is　disliked；　he　arouses　unpleasant　feelings；　he　is　unpopular　and　a　nuisance　and　a　danger　in　the　view　of　his　fellows。　The　underlying　idea　underneath　courtesy　and　social　regulations　is　to　avoid　anger　and　humiliation。　Controversial　subjects　are　avoided；　and　one　must　not　brag　or　display　concern　because　these　things　cause　anger　and　disgust。　Politeness　and　tact　are　essential　to　turn　away　wrath；　to　avoid　that　ego　injury　that　brings　anger。　We　contrast　with　the　brusque　type；　careless　of　whether　he　arouses　anger；　the　tactful；　which　conciliates　by　avoiding　prejudice；　and　which　hates　force　and　anger　as　unpleasant。　Against　the　quick　to　anger　there　is　the　slow　type；　whose　anger　may　be　enduring。　We　may　contrast　egoistic　anger　with　the　altruistic　and　oppose　the　anger　which　is　effective　with　the　anger　that　disturbs　reason　and　judgment；　intellectual　anger　against　brute　anger。　Rarely　do　men　show　anger　to　their　superiors；　extreme　provocation　and　desperation　are　necessary。　Men　flare　up　easily　against　equals　but　more　easily　and　with　mingled　contempt　against　the　inferior。　Anger；　though　behind　the　fighting　spirit；　need　not　bluster　or　storm；　usually　that　is　a　〃worked　up〃　condition　intended　in　a　naive　way　to　frighten　and　intimidate；　or　through　disgust；　to　win　a　point。　Anger　is　not　necessarily　courage；　which　replaces　it　the　higher　up　one　goes　in　culture。　8。　Disgust；　also　a　primary　emotion；　is　one　of　the　basic　reactions　of　life　and　civilization。　Literally　〃disagreeable　taste；〃　its　facial　expression；　with　mouth　open　and　lower　lip　drawn　down；＇1＇　is　that　preliminary　to　vomiting。　We　eject　or　retract　when　disgusted；　we　are　not　afraid　nor　are　we　angry。　We　say　〃heor　she；　or　itmakes　me　sick；〃　and　this　is　the　stock　phrase　of　disgust。　Inelegant　as　it　is；　it　exactly　expresses　the　situation。　Disgust　easily　mingles　with　fear　and　anger；　it　is　often　dispelled　by　curiosity　and　interest；　as　in　the　morbid；　as　in　medical　science；　and　it　of　ten　displaces　less　intense　curiosity　and　interest。　＇1＇　See　Darwin's　〃The　Expression　of　Emotions　in　Man　and　Animals；〃　a　great　book　by　a　great　man。

After　anything　has　been　accepted　as　standard　in　cleanliness；　a　deviation　in　a　〃lower〃　direction　causes　disgust。　Those　who　are　accustomed　to　clean　tablecloths；　clean　linen　are　disgusted　by　dirty　tablecloths；　dirty　linen。　The　excreta　of　the　body　have　been　so　effectively　tabooed；　in　the　interest　perhaps　of　sanitation；　that　their　sight　or　smell　is　disgusting；　and　they　are　used　as　symbols　of　disgust　in　everyday　language。　Indeed；　the　so…called　animal　functions　have　to　be　decorated　and　ceremonialized　to　avoid　disgust。　We　turn　with　ridicule　and　repugnance　from　him　who　eats　without　〃manners〃　and　one　of　the　functions　of　manners　is　to　avoid　arousing　disgust。　Disgust　kills　desire　and　passion；　and　from　that　fact　we　may　trace　a　large　part　of　moral　progress。　Satiety　brings　a　slight　disgust；　thus　after　a　heavy　meal　there　may　be　contentment　but　the　sight　of　food　is　not　at　all　appealing　and　often　enough　rather　repelling。　In　the　sex　field；　a　deep　repulsion　is　oft