The hypokinetic types. We cannot separate energy display from
enthusiasm, courage, intelligence, persistent purpose, etc. If I
have made myself clear in the preceding pages of this book, you
will realize that no character of man works alone, but all
feeling, thought and action is a resultant of forces.
Nevertheless, there are those in whom the fire of life burns high
and others in whom it burns low, and either group may be of
totally different qualities otherwise.
There are people of low energy discharge, and these it seems to
me are of two main kinds,--the one where nothing seems to arouse
or create powerful motives and purposes, and the other in whom
the main defect is a rapidly arising exhaustion. The first I call
the simple hypokinetic group and the other the irritable
hypokinetic group.
The simple hypokinetic person may be one of any grade of
intelligence but more commonly is of low intelligence. In any
school for the feeble-minded one finds the apathetic imbecile,
who can be kept at work by goading and stimulation of one kind or
another, who does not tire especially, but who never works beyond
a low level of speed and enthusiasm.
5. A more interesting type is T. He may be called the intelligent
hypokinetic, the high-grade failure. As a baby he learned to walk
late, though he talked early and well. He played in a leisurely
sort of way, running only when he had to and content as a rule to
be in the house. He was not seclusive, seeming to enjoy the
company of other children, but rarely made any efforts to seek
them out. He was quick to learn but showed only a moderate
curiosity, and he rarely made any investigations on his own
account. It was noticed that he seldom asked "why" in the usual
manner of intelligent children.
He did fairly well in school; he had a wonderful memory and
seemed to see very quickly into intricate problems. It was always
a great surprise of his teachers that he was so bright, as one
said, in comparison to his standing. Once or twice a zealous
teacher sought to stimulate him into more effort and study, but
though he responded for a short time, gradually he slipped back
into his own easy pace. He went through high school, and on the
basis of a splendid memory and a keen intelligence, which by this
time were easily recognized, he was sent to college. He took no
part in athletics and little part in the communal college
activities. He had so good a command of facts and with this so
cynical a point of view that he became quite a college character
and was pointed out as a fellow who could lead his class if he
would. As a matter of fact, nothing could spur him to real
competitive effort.
We may pass briefly over his life. After he left college, he
drifted from one position to another. Usually in some hack
literary line. Were it not for a small income he would have
starved. After a few years he become very fat and gross looking,
and then came a kindly pneumonia which carried him off.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account