The Foundations of Personality by Abraham Myerson (sites to read books for free TXT) 📖
- Author: Abraham Myerson
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suffered through the schemer grow to suspect their fellows under
any guise. They become suspicious and hard, determined never to
trust any one again. Indeed, practical wisdom to a large extent
is the wisdom of strategy and is full of mottoes and proverbs
inculcating non-generous ideals. When people have been “fooled”
or misled, the most valuable of the social cementing qualities,
faith in one’s fellows, is weakened. Despite the disintegrating
effect of unscrupulous shrewdness, it is common enough to hear
men say of a successful votary of the art, “Well, I give him
credit. He is a very clever fellow, and he has brought home the
bacon.” Success is so highly prized and admired that the means of
obtaining it becomes secondary in the eyes of the majority.
3. The role of speech in the relationships of human beings is of
course too great to be overestimated. Speech becomes the prime
weapon in swaying and molding the opinions and acts of others. It
is the medium of the threat of force and the stratagem of
cunning, but also it enters human life as the medium of
persuasion and conviction. The speech ability, the capacity to
use words in attaining purpose, shows as striking variations as
any other capacity.
Though a function of intelligence, the power to speak (and write)
convincingly and easily, is not at all related to other phases of
intelligence. Though it can be cultivated, good verbalism is an
innate ability, and a most valuable one. The power to speak
clearly so as to express what is on one’s own mind is uncommon,
as any one can testify who has watched people struggling to
express themselves. “You know” is a very frequent phrase in the
conversation of the average man, and he means that, “My words are
inadequate, but you know what I mean.” The delight in the good
writer or speaker is that he relieves other people’s
dissatisfaction in their own inadequate expression by saying what
they yearn to say for themselves, thus giving them a vicarious
achievement.
But the power of clear expression is not at all the power of
persuasion, although it may be a part of it. One may clearly
express himself and antagonize others. The persuader seeks to
discover the obstacles to agreement with him in the minds of
others and to remove or nullify them. He may seek to do this by a
clear exposition of his wishes and desires, by showing how these
will benefit the others (or at least not harm them), by meeting
logically or otherwise the objections and demonstrating their
futility. This he will attempt, if he is wise and practical, only
in a limited group or among those who are keen-minded and open to
reason. Even with them he will have to kindle and maintain their
interest, and he must arouse a favorable emotional state.
This latter is the principal goal in persuasion. Every good
speaker or writer who seeks to reach the mass of people needs the
effect of the great feelings—of patriotism, sympathy and
humor—needs flattery, gross or subtle, makes people laugh or
smile or feel kindly disposed to him before he attempts to get
their cooperation. He must place himself on their level, be
regarded as one of them; fellowship and the cooperative
tendencies must be awakened before logic will have value.
The persuader cuts his cloth to suit his case. He is a
psychologist of the intuitive type. He may thunder and scold if
he finds in his audience, whether numbering one or a million, a
tendency to yield to authority, and he then poses as that
authority, handing out his dicta in an awe-inspiring fashion. He
will awaken the latent trend to ridicule and scoffing by pointing
out inconsistency in others, or he may awaken admiration for his
fairness and justice by lauding his opponent, taking care not to
overdo it.
Persuasion is often a part of scheming, rarely is it used by the
forceful, except in the authoritative way or to arouse anger
against the opponent. It is the weapon of those who believe in
democracy, for all exposition has persuasion as its motive. A
statement must not only be true to others,—to the mass.
Therefore persuasion as applied to the great mass of people is
rarely closely knit or a fine exposition of truth and historical
evolution; that one must leave for the highbrow book or treatise.
It is passionate and pleading; it thunders and storms; it has wit
and humor; it deals with symbols and analogies, it plays on the
words of truth, justice, ideals, patriotism. It may be honest and
truthful, but it cannot be really accurate or of high
intellectual value.
And the persuasion that seeks private ends from private audiences
“sizes” up its audience as a preliminary. The capacity to
understand others and to sway them, to impress them according to
their make-up, is a trait of great importance for success or
failure. It needs cultivation, but often it depends on a native
sociability, a friendliness and genuine interest, on a “good
nature” that is what it literally purports to be,—good nature.
Though many of the persuasive kind are insincere and selfish, I
believe that on the whole the taciturn and gruff are less
interested in their fellows than the talkative and cordial.
The persuasive person has a touch of the fighting spirit in the
trait called aggressiveness. He is rarely shy or retiring. To do
well, he must be prepared for rebuffs, and he is possessed of a
species of courage and resistance against refusal and
humiliation. In the highest form the persuader is a teacher and
propagandist, changing the policy of peoples; in the commonest
form he is a salesman, seeking to sell a commodity; in the lowest
he is the faker, trying to hoodwink the credulous.
4. The strong, the crafty, the talkers each seek fulfillment of
purpose from an equal or higher level than their fellows. But
power and fulfillment may be reached at from a lower level, from
the beggar’s position, from the place of weakness. There are some
whose existence depends upon the response given to their
supplications, who throw themselves directly on the charity and
tender-heartedness of society. Inefficient, incapable of separate
existence, this parasitic class is known to every social service
group, to every rich or powerful man who helps at least in part
to maintain them. I do not mean those who are physically or
intellectually unable to cope with the world; these are merely
unfortunate. I mean those whose energy and confidence is so low,
or whose lack of pride is such that they are willing to ask for
help continually rather than make their own way.
There is, however, a very interesting type of person who uses
weakness as a weapon to gain a purpose, not support. The tears of
many women have long been recognized as potent in that warfare
that goes on between the sexes; the melting of opposition to the
whim or wish when this manifestation of weakness is used is an
old story. The emotional display renders the man uncomfortable,
it disturbs him, he fears to increase it lest the opponent become
sick, his conscience reproaches him, and he yields rather than
“make a fuss.” Tears can be replaced by symptoms of a hysteric
nature. I do not mean that these symptoms are caused by the
effort to win, but they become useful and are made habitual. Nor
is this found only in woman; after an accident there are men in
plenty whose symptoms play a role in securing compensation for
themselves, not necessarily as malingerers. It is in human nature
to desire the sympathy of others, and in some cases this sympathy
is sought because through sympathy some other good will be
forthcoming,—a new dress, a lump sum of money, or merely
securing one’s own way. Very noticeably do children tend to
injure themselves if crossed; anger tends to turn on itself, and
the effect on the other party is soon realized, and often
utilized. A child may strike its head against the floor without
any other motive than that arising from hopeless anger, but if
this brings the parents to their knees,[1] the association is
made and the experience becomes part of the working technique of
the child.
[1] This turning of anger upon itself is a factor in
self-destruction. It is seen, so the naturalists say, in the
snake and the asp, and it is common in human relations.
5. There is in man an urge to activity independent of reward save
in the satisfaction that comes from that activity. This current
is organized into work, and the goal becomes achievement. The
most powerful factor in discharging the energies of man is the
desire for achievement. Wealth, superiority, power, philanthropy,
renown, safety and pleasure enormously reinforce this purpose,
but behind the GOOD work of the world is the passion to create,
to make something, to mold the resisting forces of nature into
usefulness and beauty. Handicraftsman, artist, farmer, miner,
housewife, writer,—all labor contradicts the legend that work
is a curse. To gain by work, to obtain desires through labor, is
a method of attainment that is a natural ideal of man.
This makes opportune a discussion of the work-traits. Since ours
is an industrial society, in which the work of a member is his
means of obtaining not only respect, but a living, these traits
are largely those by which he is judged and by which he judges
himself.
Since work for some is their life and for others their means of
obtaining a living, it is obvious that the work-traits may be
all the traits of the individual, or only a few of them. Certain
traits are especially important, and to these we must limit
ourselves.
The energy of the individual. Some are so constituted that they
can constantly discharge their energy at a high rate. These are
the dynamics, the hyperkinetic, the Rooseveltian—strenuous—the
busy people, always able to do more. The modern American life
holds this type as an ideal, though it is quite questionable
whether these rather over-busy people do not lose in reflective
and creative ability. The rushing stream turns the wheels of the
mills, but it is too strenuous for stately ships. This type
however achieves things, is seen often in the fine executive and
usually needs no urging.
There is another fine type not so well adapted to our
civilization, which is easily exhausted, but can accomplish very
much in a short time; in other words discharges energy
intermittently at a high rate. Charles Darwin was of this
kind—intermittently hyperkinetic —obliged to rest after an
hour’s labor, but by understanding this, WILLING to rest.
Unfortunately, unless one is a genius or rich, industry does not
make allowances for this type. Industry is organized on
steadiness of energy discharge,—eight hours every day, six days
a week.
The commonest type is the “average” person who is capable of
moderately intense but constant activity. This is the steady man
and woman; it is upon this steadiness that the whole
factory—shop system—is based. That this steadiness deadens,
injures vivacity and makes for restlessness, is another matter.
A distinctly pathological type is found in some feebleminded and
some high mentalities. This unfortunate discharges energy at a
low rate is slow in action and often intermittent as well as
hypokinetic. The loafer and the tramp are of this type. Around
the water front of the seaports one can find the finest specimens
who do odd jobs for as much as will pay for lodging and food and
drink. Perhaps the order of the desired rewards should be
reversed. Every village furnishes individuals of this group,
either unable or unwilling to work consecutively or with energy.
Often purposeless daydreamers or
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