按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
number of wild animals and reptiles in addition to the human
beings who were there。 At a certain moment a royal Bengal tiger
appeared swimming towards it； reached it； and lay panting like a
dog upon the ground in the midst of the people； still possessed
by such an agony of terror that one of the Englishmen could
calmly step up with a rifle and blow out its brains。 The tiger's
habitual ferocity was temporarily quelled by the emotion of fear；
which became sovereign； and formed a new centre for his
character。
Sometimes no emotional state is sovereign； but many contrary ones
are mixed together。 In that case one hears both 〃yeses〃 and
〃noes；〃 and the 〃will〃 is called on then to solve the conflict。
Take a soldier； for example； with his dread of cowardice
impelling him to advance； his fears impelling him to run； and his
propensities to imitation pushing him towards various courses if
his comrades offer various examples。 His person becomes the seat
of a mass of interferences； and he may for a time simply waver；
because no one emotion prevails。 There is a pitch of intensity；
though； which； if any emotion reach it； enthrones that one as
alone effective and sweeps its antagonists and all their
inhibitions away。 The fury of his comrades' charge； once entered
on； will give this pitch of courage to the soldier； the panic of
their rout will give this pitch of fear。 In these sovereign
excitements； things ordinarily impossible grow natural because
the inhibitions are annulled。 Their 〃no！ no！〃 not only is not
heard； it does not exist。 Obstacles are then like tissue…paper
hoops to the circus riderno impediment； the flood is higher
than the dam they make。
〃Lass sie betteln gehn wenn sie hungrig sind！〃 cries the
grenadier； frantic over his Emperor's capture； when his wife and
babes are suggested； and men pent into a burning theatre have
been known to cut their way through the crowd with knives。＇144＇
＇144＇ 〃'Love would not be love；' says Bourget； 'unless it could
carry one to crime。' And so one may say that no passion would be
a veritable passion unless it could carry one to crime。〃
（Sighele： Psychollogie des sectes； p。 136。） In other words；
great passions annul the ordinary inhibitions set by
〃conscience。〃 And conversely； of all the criminal human beings；
the false； cowardly； sensual； or cruel persons who actually live；
there is perhaps not one whose criminal impulse may not be at
some moment overpowered by the presence of some other emotion to
which his character is also potentially liable； provided that
other emotion be only made intense enough。 Fear is usually the
most available emotion for this result in this particular class
of persons。 It stands for conscience； and may here be classed
appropriately as a 〃higher affection。〃 If we are soon to die； or
if we believe a day of judgment to be near at hand； how quickly
do we put our moral house in orderwe do not see how sin can
evermore exert temptation over us！ Old…fashioned hell…fire
Christianity well knew how to extract from fear its full
equivalent in the way of fruits for repentance； and its full
conversion value。
One mode of emotional excitability is exceedingly important in
the composition of the energetic character； from its peculiarly
destructive power over inhibitions。 I mean what in its lower
form is mere irascibility； susceptibility to wrath； the fighting
temper； and what in subtler ways manifests itself as impatience；
grimness； earnestness； severity of character。 Earnestness means
willingness to live with energy； though energy bring pain。 The
pain may be pain to other people or pain to one's selfit makes
little difference； for when the strenuous mood is on one； the aim
is to break something； no matter whose or what。 Nothing
annihilates an inhibition as irresistibly as anger does it； for；
as Moltke says of war； destruction pure and simple is its
essence。 This is what makes it so invaluable an ally of every
other passion。 The sweetest delights are trampled on with a
ferocious pleasure the moment they offer themselves as checks to
a cause by which our higher indignations are elicited。 It costs
then nothing to drop friendships； to renounce long…rooted
privileges and possessions； to break with social ties。 Rather do
we take a stern joy in the astringency and desolation； and what
is called weakness of character seems in most cases to consist in
the inaptitude for these sacrificial moods； of which one's own
inferior self and its pet softnesses must often be the targets
and the victims。＇145＇
＇145＇ Example： Benjamin Constant was often marveled at as an
extraordinary instance of superior intelligence with inferior
character。 He writes （Journal； Paris； 1895； p。 56）； 〃I am tossed
and dragged about by my miserable weakness。 Never was anything
so ridiculous as my indecision。 Now marriage； now solitude； now
Germany； now France hesitation upon hesitation； and all because
at bottom I am UNABLE TO GIVE UP ANYTHING。〃 He can't 〃get mad〃
at any of his alternatives； and the career of a man beset by such
an all…round amiability is hopeless。
So far I have spoken of temporary alterations produced by
shifting excitements in the same person。 But the relatively
fixed differences of character of different persons are explained
in a precisely similar way。 In a man with a liability to a
special sort of emotion； whole ranges of inhibition habitually
vanish； which in other men remain effective； and other sorts of
inhibition take their place。 When a person has an inborn genius
for certain emotions； his life differs strangely from that of
ordinary people； for none of their usual deterrents check him。
Your mere aspirant to a type of character； on the contrary； only
shows； when your natural lover； fighter； or reformer； with whom
the passion is a gift of nature； comes along； the hopeless
inferiority of voluntary to instinctive action。 He has
deliberately to overcome his inhibitions； the genius with the
inborn passion seems not to feel them at all； he is free of all
that inner friction and nervous waste。 To a Fox； a Garibaldi； a
General Booth； a John Brown； a Louise Michel； a Bradlaugh； the
obstacles omnipotent over those around them are as if
non…existent。 Should the rest of us so disregard them； there
might be many such heroes； for many have the wish to live for
similar ideals； and only the adequate degree of
inhibition…quenching fury is lacking。＇146＇
＇146＇ The great th