Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 2: Sexual InversionEllis, Havelock
Science
Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 2: Sexual Inversion
Ellis, Havelock
Sex; Sex (Psychology)
"My disposition is apparently bright, but in reality melancholy.
Have very little love for human nature, but have a partiality for
the British and Jewish races. Hate business, politics, sports,
and society. Love music, art, literature, and nature. Deep
interest in mysticism. Am clairvoyant. Have been used many times
as a medium. Lead two separate lives, an outer and inner psychic
life. Am a fatalist and a theosophist. Profound belief in
reincarnation, always have had, because when I was a little child
I could 'remember' so much. Have an excellent memory, dating back
to my third year. Have always been too self-analytical. Have from
my earliest childhood felt myself an alien. Am very sensitive,
physically and psychically. Have no wish to wear woman's clothing
or do woman's work. As to clothes for myself, I prefer black and
not much jewelry.
"I could only love a perfectly manly man from 21 to 40 years of
age. He must be physically beautiful and well made. Size of
sexual organs plays no part. The muscles must be developed and
the hands must be especially well shaped. Hands are my fetish. (I
could never love anyone with ugly hands.) He must have no odor
issuing from his body (though I do not dislike faint perfume when
clothed), and, above all, never have a bad breath. He must be
intelligent, love music, art, literature, and nature. He must be
refined and cultured and have been about the world. He must have
simplicity in behavior, dress, and manner, and, above all, be
clean-bodied as clean-minded. Cynicism I cannot stand. (Here I
may state I once owned a St. Bernard dog which reminded me much
of my ideal. He was always sedate, always loving, and faithful;
generally quiet. He only got excited when out in the elements.) I
have not been able to get on with people who have no sense of
humor. From my birth I was physically weak. First I suffered from
eczema. Being born with a double squint, I was operated on at 2½
and again at 3½ years of age, with excellent result. From 4 to 12
years of age I had convulsions (often), and all the illnesses of
childhood. At the age of 12½ years I took scarlet fever, followed
by a weak heart, which grew stronger after a year, and Bright's
disease, which lasted fifteen years with hardly a break. This
illness had its wonted effect of producing melancholia and
upsetting the whole nervous system. Bright's disease stopped
suddenly but was followed by a succession of illnesses. Then I
had neuritis very badly. I then removed to Bavaria, and to regain
nervous strength I was treated by Freud's psychoanalytical
method, with great success. I had a very bad relapse, as my
brother, who had just heard I was homosexual, came to visit me
and threatened to have me put under guardians, if my father
should die. It took me weeks to recover from the shock. We broke
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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