the foundations of personality-第49章

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　desires。　We　said　the　child　seeks　experience；but　not　only　on　his　own　initiative。　The　father　stands　against　the　wall；　perhaps　with　one　foot　crossing　the　other。　Soon　he　feels　a　pressure　and　looks　down；　there　is　the　little　one　standing　in　his　imitation　of　the　same　position。　Imitation；　in　my　belief；　is　secondary　to　a　desire　for　experience。　The　child　does　not　imitate　everything；　he　is　equipped　to　notice　only　simple　things；　and　these　he　imitates。　Why？　The　desire　to　experience　what　others　are　experiencing　is　a　basic　desire；　it　expresses　both　a　feeling　of　fellowship　and　a　competitive　feeling。　We　do　not　feel　a　strong　tendency　to　imitate　those　we　dislike　or　despise；　or　do　not　respect；　we　tend　to　imitate　those　we　love　and　respect；　those　for　whom　we　have　a　fellow　feeling。　Part　of　the　fellow　feeling　is　an　impulse　to　imitate　and　to　receive　in　a　positive　way　the　suggestion　offered　by　their　conduct　and　manners。　Analogous　to　imitation；　and　part　of　the　social　instinct；　is　a　credulity；　a　willingness　to　accept　as　if　personally　experienced　things　stated。　Part　of　the　seeking　of　experience　is　the　asking　of　questions；　because　the　mind　seeks　a　cause　for　every　effect；　a　something　to　work　from。　Indeed；　one　of　the　main　mental　activities　lies　in　the　explaining　of　things；　an　unrest　is　felt　in　the　presence　of　the　〃not　understood〃　which　is　not　stilled　until　the　unknown　is　referred　back　to　a　thing　understood　or　accepted　without　question。　The　child　finds　himself　in　a　world　with　laid…down　beliefs　and　with　explanations　of　one　kind　or　another　for　everything。　His　group　differs　from　other　groups　in　its　explanations　and　beliefs；　his　family　even　may　be　peculiar　in　these　matters。　He　asks；　he　is　answered　and　enjoined　to　believe。　Without　credulity　there　could　be　no　organization　of　society；　no　rituals；　no　ceremonials；　no　religions　and　customs；but　without　the　questioning　spirit　there　could　be　no　progress。　Most　of　the　men　and　women　of　this　world　have　much　credulity　and　only　a　feeble　questioning　tendency；　but　there　are　a　few　who　from　the　start　subject　the　answers　given　them　to　a　rigid　scrutiny　and　who　test　belief　by　results。　Let　any　one　read　the　beliefs　of　savages；　let　him　study　the　beliefs　of　the　civilized　in　the　spirit　in　which　he　would　test　the　statement　of　the　performance　of　an　automobile；　and　he　can　but　marvel　at　man's　credulity。　Belief　and　the　acceptance　of　authority　are　the　conservative　forces　of　society；　and　they　have　their　origin　in　the　nursery　when　the　child　asks；　〃Why　does　the　moon　get　smaller？〃　and　the　mother　answers；　〃Because；　dear；　God　cuts　a　piece　off　every　day　to　make　the　stars　with。〃　The　authorities；　recognizing　that　their　power　lay　in　unquestioning　belief；　have　always　sanctified　it　and　made　the　pious；　non…skeptical　type　the　ideal　and　punished　the　non…believer　with　death　or　ostracism。　Fortunately　for　the　race；　the　skeptic；　if　silenced；　modifies　the　strength　of　the　belief　he　attacks　and　in　the　course　of　time　even　they　who　have　defended　begin　to　shift　from　it　and　it　becomes　refuted。　Beliefs；　as　Lecky＇1＇　so　well　pointed　out；　are　not　so　of　ten　destroyed　as　become　obsolete。　＇1＇　Lecky：　〃History　of　European　Morals。〃　As　he　points　out；　the　belief　in　witchcraft　never　was　disproved；　it　simply　died　because　science　made　it　impossible　to　believe　that　witches　could　disorganize　natural　laws。

It　may　seem　as　if　imitation　were　a　separate　principle　in　mental　growth；　and　there　have　been　many　to　state　this。　As　is　well　known　Tarde　made　it　a　leading　factor　in　human　development。　It　seems　to　me　that　it　is　linked　up　with　desire　for　experience；　desire　for　fellowship；　and　also　with　a　strongly　competitive　feeling；　which　is　early　manifest　in　children　and　which　may　be　called　〃a　want　of　what　the　other　fellow　has。〃　Children　at　the　age　of　a　year　and　up　may　be　perfectly　pleased　with　what　they　have　until　they　see　another　child　playing　with　something；something　perhaps　identical　with　their　own。　They　then　betray　a　decided；　uncontrollable　desire　for　the　other　child's　toy；　they　are　no　longer　content　with　their　own；　and　by　one　means　or　another　they　seek　to　get　it；by　forcible　means；　by　wheedling　or　coaxing；　or　by　tormenting　their　parents。　The　disappearance　of　contentment　through　the　competitive　feeling；　the　competitive　nature　of　desire；　the　role　that　envy　plays　in　the　happiness　and　effort　of　man；　is　a　thesis　emphasized　by　every　moralist　and　philosopher　since　the　beginning　of　things。　In　the　strivings　of　every　man；　though　he　admit　it　or　not；　one　of　the　secret　springs　of　his　energy　is　this　law　of　desire；　that　a　large　part　of　its　power　and　persistence　is　in　the　competitive　feeling；　is　in　envy　and　the　wish　to　taste　what　others　are　experiencing。　A　basic　law　of　desire　lies　in　an　observation　of　Lotze；　elaborated　by　William　James。　We　may　talk　of　selfishness　and　altruism　as　if　they　were　entirely　separate　qualities　of　human　nature。　But　what　seems　to　be　true　is　that　one　is　an　extension　of　the　other；　that　is；　we　are　always　concerned　with　the　ego　feeling；　but　in　the　one　case　the　ego　feeling　is　narrow　and　in　the　other　case　it　includes　others　as　part　of　the　ego。　Lotze's　observations　on　clothes　shows　that　we　expend　ego　feeling　in　all　directions；　that　we　tend　to　be　as　tall　as　our　top　hats　and　as　penetrating　as　our　walking　sticks；　that　the　man　who　has　a　club　in　his　hand　has　a　tactile　sense　to　the　very　end　of　the　club。　James　in　his　marvelous　chapter　on　the　various　selves　points　out　that　a　man's　interests　and　affections　are　his　selves；　and　that　they　enclose　one　another　like　the　petals　of　a　rose。　We　may　speak　of　unipetalar　selves；　who　include　only　their　own　bodies　in　self…feeling；　of　bipetalar　selves　who　include　in　it　their　families；　and　from　there　on　we　go　to　selves　who　include　their　work；　their　community；　their　nation；　until　we　reach　those　very　rare　souls　whose　petals　cover　all　living　things。　So　men　extend　their　self…feeling；　if　ambitious；　to　their　work；　to　their　achievements；if　paternal　to　their　children；　if　domestic；　to　wife　and　home；　if　patriotic　to　the　nation；　etc。　Development　lies　in　the　extension　of　the　self…feeling　and　in　the　increase　of　its　intensity。　But　the　obstacle　lies　in　the　competitive　feelings；　in　that　dualism　of　man's　nature　that　makes　him　yearn　not　only　for　fellowship；　but　also　for　superiority。　These　desires　are　in　eternal　opposition；　but　are　not　necessarily　antagonistic；　any　more　than　are　the　thumb　and　the　little　finger　as　they　meet　in　some　task；　any　more　than　are　excitation　and　inhibition。　Every　function　in　our　lives　has　its　check　and　balance；　and　fellowship；　yearning　and　superiority　urge　one　another。　From　the　cradle　to　the　grave；　we　desire　fellowship　as　an　addition　to　our　gregarious　feeling。　We　ask　for　approval；　for　we　expand　under　sympathy　and　contract　under　cold　criticism。　Nothing　is　so　pleasant　as　〃appreciation；〃　which　means　taking　us　at　our　own　valuation　or　adding　to　it；；　and　there　is　no　complaint　so　common　as；　〃They　don't　understand　me；〃　which　merely　means；　〃They　blame　me　without　understanding　that　I　really　seek　the　good；　that　I　am　really　good；　though　perhaps　I　seem　not　to　be。〃　The　child　who　hurts　its　thumb　runs　to　its　mother　for　sympathy；　and　the　pain　is　compensated　for；　at　least　in　part；　by　that　sympathy。　Throughout　life　we　desire　sympathy　for　our　hurts；　except　where　that　sympathy　brings　with　it　a　feeling　of　inferiority。　To　be　helped　by　others　in　one　way　or　another　is　the　practical　result　of　this　aspect　of　fellowship。　（There　is　a　convincing　physical　element　in　the　feelings　and　desires　of　man；　evidenced　in　language　and　phrase。　Superiority　equals　aboveness；　inferiority　equals　beneathness；　sympathy　equals　the　same　feeling。　To　criticize　is　to　〃belittle〃　and　to　cause　the　feeling　of　littleness；　to　praise　is　〃to　make　a　man　expand；〃　to　enlarge　him。　Blame　hurts　one's　feelings；〃He　wounded　me；〃　etc。）　At　the　same　time　we　are　strangely　affected　by　the　condition　of　others。　Where　no　competitive…jealousy　complex　is　at　work；　we　laugh　with　other　people　in　their　happiness；　we　are　moved　to　tears　by　suffering；　we　admire　vigor；　beauty　and　the　fine　qualities　of　others；　we　accept　their　purposes　and　beliefs；　we　are　glad　to　agree　with　the　stranger　or　the　friend　and　hate　to　disagree。　We　establish　within　ourselves　codes　and　standards　largely　because　we　wish　to　accept　and　believe　and　act　in　the　same　way　as　do　those　we　want　as