the foundations of personality-第78章

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instincts　and　purposes；　and　in　the　main　the　strongly　egoistic　are　those　most　given　to　explosive　or　chronic　anger。　The　angry　feeling；　however；　must　be　controlled；　else　failure　or　social　dislike　awaits　the　choleric。　When　a　man　wins　success　he　frequently　allows　himself　the　luxury　of　indulging　his　anger　because　he　feels　his　power　cannot　be　challenged。　The　Duchess　in　〃Alice's　Adventures　in　Wonderland；〃　with　her　choleric　〃off　with　his　head〃　whenever　any　one　contradicted　her；　is　a　caricature；　and　a　very　apt　one；　of　this　type　of　person。　We　think　of　the　bull…necked　Henry　the　Eighth〃bluff　King　Hal〃as　the　choleric　type；　though　here　we　also　assume　a　certain　cyclothymia；　great　good　nature　alternating　with　fierce　anger。　I　have　in　mind　G。　as　a　type　of　the　angry　person。　G。　cannot　bear　to　have　any　one　contradict　him。　Either　he　swallows　his　resentment；　if　he　is　in　the　presence　of　one　he　cannot　afford　to　antagonize；　or　else　he　starts　to　abuse　the　victim　verbally。　He　is　sarcastic　or　violent　according　to　circumstances；　rarely　is　he　pleasant　in　manner　or　speech。　Though　he　is　honest　and　said　to　be　well…meaning；　his　ego　explodes　in　the　presence　of　other　self…assertive　egos。　When　a　man　truckles　to　him　he　is　angry　at　his　insincerity；　when　the　other　disputes　his　statements；　or　even　offers　other　views；　he　finds　himself　confronted　by　one　who　has　taken　deep　offense。　As　a　result　G。　has　no　real　friends；　and　this　has　added　fuel　to　his　anger。　Often　he　has　made　up　his　mind　to　〃control〃　himself；　to　keep　down　his　scorn　and　rage；　but　rarely　has　he　been　able　to　maintain　a　proper　attitude　for　any　length　of　time。　In　the　last　analysis　a　high　self…valuation　is　part　of　the　chronic　choleric　make…up；　a　conceit　of　overweening　proportions。　The　man　who　realizes　his　own　proneness　to　err；　and　who　keeps　in　mind　the　relative　unimportance　of　his　aims　and　powers；　is　not　apt　to　explode　in　the　face　of　opposition　or　contradiction。　G。　is　as　a　rule　absolutely　sure　of　his　belief；　tastes　and　importance；　though　he　is　crude　in　knowledge；　coarse　in　tastes　and　of　no　particular　importance　except　to　himself。　He　is　the　〃I　am　Sir　Oracle；　when　I　ope　my　lips　let　no　dog　bark。〃　Anger　is　often　associated　with　brutality　or　deeds　of　violence。　There　is　cold…blooded　brutality；　but　by　far　the　most　of　it　has　anger　behind　it。　I　know　one　man　who　in　his　youth　was　hot…tempered；　i。　e。；　quick　to　anger　and　quick　to　repent；　a　charming　man　who　gradually　learned　control　and　passed　into　late　middle　life　serene　and　amiable。　One　day　he　was　driving　his　car　when　it　became　obstructed　by　two　young　rowdies　driving　another　car。　With　him　was　his　wife。　When　he　expostulated　with　the　men；　one　of　them　turned　with　a　sneer　and　said　something　insulting　at　which　the　other　laughed。　The　next　thing　my　friend　knew　he　was　in　the　other　car；　striking　heavy　blows　at　the　pair　（he　is　a　very　powerful　man。）；　and　it　was　only　the　opportune　arrival　of　a　policeman　that　prevented　a　murder。　〃Whatever　came　over　me　I　hardly　understand；〃　said　he　afterwards　sadly。　〃I　used　to　have　rages　like　that　as　a　boy；　but　I　have　been　very　well　controlled　for　over　thirty　years。　I　was　a　raging　demon　for　a　while；　and　it　appalls　me　to　think　that　in　me　there　lurks　such　a　devil　of　anger。〃　Akin　to　anger；　akin　to　fear；　is　suspicion。　There　is　a　sullen　non…social　personality　type　whose　reactions　are　characterized　by　suspicion。　He　never　willingly　gives　his　trust　to　any　one；　and　when　he　hands　over　his　destinies　to　any　one；　as　all　must　do　now　and　then；　he　is　consumed　with　dread；　doubt　and　latent　hostility。　Every　one　is　familiar　with　men　like　H。　He　is　full　of　distrust　for　his　fellow　men。　Himself　a　man　of　low　ideals；　he　ascribes　to　every　one　the　same　attitude。　〃What's　in　it　for　you？〃　is　his　first　thought　concerning　anybody　with　whom　he　deals。　He　has　a　little　store　and　eyes　each　customer　who　comes　in　as　if　they　come　to　rob　him。　As　a　result　his　trade　is　largely　emergency；　transient　trade；　those　who　come　because　they　have　nowhere　else　to　go　or　else　do　not　know　him。　The　salesmen；　who　supply　the　articles　he　sells　have　long　since　cut　him　off　their　list　for　desirable　goods；　and　his　only　callers　are　those　salesmen　who　are　working　up　new　lines　and　are　under　orders　to　try　every　one。　H。　has　moments　and　days　when　he　believes　the　whole　world　is　against　him；　and　on　such　occasions　he　locks　his　store　and　refuses　to　see　any　one。　But　at　his　best　he　cannot　yield　his　ego　to　full　free　intercourse　with　others。　It　seems　as　though　there　were　a　hard　shell　surrounding　him；　and　the　world　as　it　flowed　around　never　brought　love　and　trust　through　to　him。　H。　is　not　insane　in　the　ordinary　sense；　but　he　is　one　of　those　paranoid　persons　we　spoke　of　previously。　Turn　to　L。；　a　true　case　of　mental　disease；　a　paranoid　whose　career　strangely　resembles　some　of　the　great　historic　paranoids；　for　it　must　be　remembered　that　man　has　been　imposed　upon　by　those　who　deceived　themselves；　who　fully　believed　the　strange　and　incredible　things　they　succeeded　in　making　credible　to　others。　The　fantastic　paranoid　is　made　up　of　the　same　materials　as　the　rest　of　us；　except　that　his　ego　feeling　is　without　insight；　and　his　suspicion　grows　and　grows　until　it　reaches　the　delusion　of　persecution。　L。　was　a　bright　boy；　always　conceited　and　given　to　non…social　acts。　Thus　he　never　would　play　with　the　other　boys　unless　he　were　given　the　leading　role；　and　he　could　not　bear　to　hear　others　praised　or　to　praise　them！　Parenthetically　the　role　that　jealousy　plays　in　the　conduct　of　men　and　women　needs　exposition；　and　I　recommend　that　some　Ph。　D。　merit　his　degree　by　a　thesis　on　this　subject。　When　he　was　a　little　older　he　got　the　notion　that　hats　were　bad　for　the　hair；　and　being　proud　of　his　own　thick　black　mop；　he　went　without　a　hat　for　over　a　year；　despite　the　tears　and　protestations　of　his　family　and　the　ridicule　of　his　friends。　There　is　no　one　so　ready　to　die　for　a　cause；　good　or　bad；　as　the　paranoid。　He　entered　the　medical　school；　and　to　this　day　there　is　none　of　his　classmates　who　has　forgotten　him。　Proud；　even　haughty；　with　only　one　or　two　intimates；　he　studied　hard　and　did　very　good　work。　Now　and　then　he　astonished　the　class　by　taking　direct　issue　with　some　professor；　disputing　a　theory　or　a　fact　with　the　air　of　an　authority　and　proposing　some　other　idea；　logically　developed　but　foolishly　based；　as　if　his　training　were　sufficient。　It　is　characteristic　of　all　paranoid　philosophy　and　schemes　that　they　despise　real　experimentation；　that　they　start　with　some　postulate　that　has　no　basis　in　work　done　and　go　on　with　a　minute　hyper…logic　that　deceives　the　unsophisticated。　Though　L。　was　〃bright；〃　there　were　better　men　in　his　class；　and　they　received　the　honors。　L。　was　deeply　offended　at　this　and　claimed　to　his　own　friends　that　the　professors　were　down　on　him；　especially　a　certain　professor　of　medicine；　who；　so　L。　intimated；　was　afraid　that　L。's　theories　would　displace　his　own　and　so　was　interested　to　keep　him　down。　This　feeling　was　intensified　when　he　came　up　for　the　examinations　to　a　certain　famous　hospital　and　was　turned　down。　The　real　reason　for　this　failure　was　his　unpopularity　with　his　fellow　students；　for　they　let　it　be　known　to　the　examiners　that　L。　would　undoubtedly　be　hard　to　get　along　with；　and　it　was　part　of　the　policy　of　the　hospital　to　consider　the　personality　of　an　applicant　as　well　as　his　ability。　L。　obtained　a　hospital　place　in　a　small　city　and　did　very　good　work；　and　though　his　peculiarities　were　noticed　they　excited　only　a　hidden　current　of　amused　criticism；　while　his　abilities　aroused　a　good　deal　of　praise。　Stimulated　by　this；　he　started　practice　in　the　same　city　as　a　surgeon　and　quickly　rose　to　the　leading　position。　His　indefatigable　industry；　his　absolute　self…　confidence　and　his　skill　gave　him　prestige　almost　at　once。　His　conceit　rose　to　the　highest　degree；　and　his　mannerisms　commenced　to　become　offensive　to　others。　He　came　into　collision　with　the　local　medical　society　because　he　openly　criticized　the　older　men　in　practice　as　〃ignoramuses；　asses；　charlatans；　etc。；〃　and　indeed　was　sued　by　one　of　them　in　the　courts。　The　suit　was　won　by　the　plaintiff；　the　award　was　five　thousand　dollars　and　L。　entered　an　appeal。　From　this　on　his　career　turned。　In　order　to　contest　the　case；　and　because　he　began　to　believe　that　the　courts　and　lawyers　were　in　league　ag