The Foundations of Personality

Excerpts:

Man's interest in character is founded on an intensely practical need. In whatsoever relationship we deal with our fellows, we base our intercourse largely on our understanding of their characters. The trader asks concerning his customer, "Is he honest?" and the teacher asks about the pupil, "Is he earnest?" The friend bases his friendship on his good opinion of his friend; the foe seeks to know the weak points in the hated one's make-up; and the maiden yearning for her lover whispers to, herself, "Is he true?" Upon our success in reading the character of others, upon our understanding of ourselves hangs a good deal of our life's success or failure...


CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
I: THE ORGANIC BASIS OF CHARACTER
II: THE ENVIRONMENTAL BASIS OF CHARACTER
III: MEMORY AND HABIT
IV: STIMULATION, INHIBITION, ORGANIZING ENERGY, CHOICE AND CONSCIOUSNESS
V: HYSTERIA, SUBCONSCIOUSNESS AND FREUDIANISM
VI: EMOTION, INSTINCT, INTELLIGENCE AND WILL
VII: EXCITEMENT, MONOTONY AND INTEREST
VIII: THE SENTIMENTS OF LOVE, FRIENDSHIP, HATE, PITY AND DUTY, COMPENSATION AND ESCAPE
IX: ENERGY RELEASE AND THE EMOTIONS
X: COURAGE, RESIGNATION, SUBLIMATION, PATIENCE, THE WISH AND ANHEDONIA
XI: THE EVOLUTION OF CHARACTER WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE GROWTH OF PURPOSE AND PERSONALITY
XII: THE METHODS OF PURPOSE-WORK CHARACTERS
XIII: THE QUALITIES OF THE LEADER AND THE FOLLOWER
XIV: SEX CHARACTERS AND DOMESTICITY
XV: PLAY, RECREATION, HUMOR AND PLEASURE SEEKING
XVI: RELIGIOUS CHARACTERS: DISHARMONY IN CHARACTER
XVII: SOME CHARACTER TYPES