We now come to a study of the conditions which make the expression of personality possible; and we shall find that they are of two kinds; (a) states of mind, and (b) forms of action. By a state of mind we mean a specific mental quality, such as self-reliance, courage, sincerity, enthusiasm, and purpose. By forms of action we mean specific methods of giving expression to the states of mind. /Let us look at these.
Egotism
What is the origin of his confusion? It may be a shy nature, or social inexperience. It is more likely to be one or both, plus an extra-sensitive disposition. He is anxious to be well thought of, and winces at criticism. In short, he is something of an egotist; he needs less introspection, and more than a dash of don’t-care-what-others-think-or-say.
Our reference to him here is to show how impossible it is for such a man to express latent personality. His eyes are turned inward, not outward, yet the social occasion demands that he shall listen to others, not watch himself; consequently, he is unable to meet these demands, and feels his failure acutely. The cause of all the trouble is lack of self-confidence, due to divided attention; at one and the same moment he tries to forget himself and to remember himself.
How to Develop Personality
Having outlined what we may call the compound elements of personality, we shall now devote some attention to the question; “How is personality developed?” With many people it is not developed at all; it is repressed.
This may be unintentional on their part, indeed, they may not be conscious of the fact, but there can be no doubt that inherited tendencies, unhelpful surroundings, the absence of good friendships, lack of a sense of adjustment, and other factors, are responsible for repressed personality.
Now the remedy in such cases is to find some suitable form of expression, and as will be seen in a moment or two, the remedy is at hand, and just as effective in its results as it is simple in its operation. But first of all we must show the relationship between impression and expression.
Studies in Self Knowledge
Draw up a list of those things which arouse, or tend to arouse the emotion of fear. Study the list, long or short, as the case may be, and ask, “Why do these things make me afraid? Is it a justifiable feeling in each case? if not, why should “I not abolish it? If it is justifiable now, need it be so always?”
A Specimen List
Below is given a list supplied by a student just as he wrote it.
1. That I shall lose my situation and be unable to provide for self and family.
2. That I shall fall ill and lose my salary, which I cannot afford to do.
3. I am afraid of the boss, whose savage manner makes me nervous and unable to do justice to myself.
4. I am always afraid I shall never succeed in anything, because all my efforts in the past have been failures. I have really tried.
Analysis: This man proved to be highly strung, modest, and self-distrustful, but he possessed many good and reliable qualities. His great failings were lack of ambition and the ease with which untoward events discouraged him. These had a physical basis in part, but a strict discipline made him a new man in body and mind.
Memorizing Figures
We have now to consider the question of the memorization of figures. Here at once we find ourselves faced with special difficulties if we have no System to aid us. A mere number is in itself abstract. For example, the number 63 means nothing to us until it is made objective by being attached to something definite; but when we speak of 63 horses, we have something concrete with which the mind can deal. Another difficulty in connection with figures is that they are not commonly combined in any fixed order, and so are liable to be transposed without any apparent indication of the change. Thus, the height of Popocatapetl, the greatest crater of Mexico, is 17,783 feet above sea level, but if we write down the height from memory, there is nothing to show us that the figures 13,787, or even 71,783 are less correct than 17,783. In this respect, figures differ from words, for if we take the phrase “the greatest crater of Mexico,” we should probably realize in writing it if we transposed any of the letters. The number of men enlisted by the Federal Government during the Civil war in the U.S.A. was 2,320,854. Very few persons could recall these figures with accuracy after the lapse of a week without repeating them occasionally during the interval. By the Pelman System, however, it is possible to commit these figures to memory with such certainty that they may be recalled without hesitation after a considerable period of non-revival.
