the foundations of personality-第43章

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ened　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　the　mental　life　of　men。　We　gather　courage　as　we　watch　a　fellow　worker　face　his　danger　with　a　brave　spirit；　for　we　will　not　be　outdone。　Amour　propre　will　not　permit　us　to　cringe　or　give　in；　though　we　are　weary　to　death　of　a　struggle。　But　also　we　thrill　with　a　common　feeling　at　the　sight　of　the　hero　holding　his　own；　we　are　enthused　by　it；　we　wish　to　be　with　him；　and　his　shining　example　moves　us　to　a　fellowship　in　courage。　We　find　courage　in　the　belief　that　others　are　〃with　us；〃　whether　that　courage　faces　physical　or　moral　danger。　To　be　〃with〃　a　man　is　to　more　than　double　his　resources　of　strength；　intelligence　and　courage；　it　is　more　than　an　addition；　for　it　multiplies　all　his　virtues　and　eliminates　his　defects。　The　sum　total　is　the　Hero。　I　wonder　if　there　really　ever　has　been　a　truly　lonely　hero；　if　always　there　has　not　been　some　one　who　said；　〃I　have　faith　in　you；　I　am　with　you！〃　If　a　man　has　lacked　human　backing；　he　has　said　to　himself；　〃The　Highest　of　all　is　with　me；　though　I　seem　to　stand　alone。　God　gives　me　courage！〃　In　a　profoundly　intellectual　way；　courage　depends　on　a　feeling　that　one　is　useful；　not　futile。　Men　lose　courage；　in　the　sense　of　brave　and　determined　effort；　when　it　seems　as　if　progress　has　ceased　and　their　place　in　the　world　has　disappeared。　This　one　sees　frequently　in　middle…aged　men；　who　find　themselves　relegated　to　secondary　places　by　younger　men；　who　feel　that　they　are　slipping　and　soon　will　be　dependents。　Hope；　the　foreseeing　of　a　possible　success；　is　necessary　for　most　courage；　though　now　and　then　despair　acts　with　a　courage　that　is　largely　pride。　The　idea　of　a　future　world　has　given　more　courage　to　man　in　his　difficulties　than　all　other　conceptions　together；　for　the　essence　of　the　belief　in　immortality　is　to　transfer　hope　and　success　from　the　tangle　of　this　world　to　the　clear；　untroubled　heavenly　other　world。　2。　Here　we　must　consider　other；　related　qualities。　The　office　of　intelligence　is　to　adjust　man　to　a　complex　world；　to　furnish　pathways　to　a　goal　which　instinct　perhaps　chooses。　Suppose　a　goal　reached；say　marriage　is　entered　upon　with　the　one　that　we　think　is　to　give　us　that　satisfaction　and　happiness　we　long　for。　The　marriage　does　not　so　result；　either　because　we　have　expected　too　much；　or　because　the　partner　falls　below　a　reasonable　expectation；　or　because　contradictory　elements　in　the　natures　of　the　wedded　pair　cannot　be　reconciled。　Unity　is　not　reached；　disunion　results；　almost；　let　us　say；　from　the　very　start。　What　happens？　Many　adjustments　may　take　place。　A　crude　one　is　that　the　pair；　after　much　quarreling；　decide　to　separate　or　become　divorced；　or　on　a　still　cruder；　ignoble　level；　one　or　the　other　runs　away；　deserts　the　family。　A　common　adjustment；　of　an　anti…social　kind；　forms　the　basis　of　much　of　modern　and　ancient　literature；　the　partners　seek　compensation　elsewhere；　enter　into　illicit　love　affairs　and　maintain　a　dual　existence　which　rarely　is　peaceful　or　happy。　Indeed；　the　nature　of　the　situation；　with　outraged　conscience　and　fear　of　exposure；　prevents　happiness。　But　there　are　those　who　in　such　a　situation　do　what　is　known　as　〃make　the　best　of　it。〃　They　avoid　quarrels；　they　keep　up　the　pretense　of　affection；　they　seek　to　discover　the　good　qualities　in　the　mate；　they　are；　as　we　say；　resigned　to　the　situation。　To　be　resigned　is　to　accept　an　evil　with　calmness　and　equanimity；　but　without　energy。　Resignation　and　courage　are　closely　related；　though　the　former　is　a　rather　pallid　member　of　the　family。　The　poor　and　the　miserable　everywhere　practise　this　virtue；　the　church　has　raised　it　perforce　to　the　most　needed　of　qualities；　it　is　a　sort　of　policy　of　nonresistance　to　the　evils　of　the　world　and　one's　own　lot。　But　resignation　represents　only　one　type　of　legitimate　adjustment；　of　sublimation。　By　sublimation　is　meant　the　process　of　using　the　energy　of　a　repressed　desire　and　purpose　for　some　〃higher〃　end。　Thus　in　the　case　of　domestic　unhappiness　the　man　may　plunge　himself　deeply　into　work　and　even　be　unconscious　of　the　source　of　his　energy。　This　type　of　adjustment　is　thus　a　form　of　compensati