This, of course, hurt his pride, but essentially he was greatly
relieved. He made but slow improvement until through the
munificence of Uncle Sam he was given a new start in life through
the Vocational Reeducation Board. Like many other city men, he
has dreamed of the "chicken farm" as the ideal occupation free
from too much work and yet lucrative. This, of course, is a
mistaken notion, but while learning the work he is happy and is
slowly regaining his energy. What time will bring forth no one
can tell, but this is certain: throughout his life he will have
to rely on good habits, carefully adjusted to his energy, in
order to protect himself from the bankruptcy that so easily comes
on him. A philosophy of life which will help to control his
irritability is necessary, and the intelligent of the hypokinetic
irritable acquire the habits and the philosophy necessary for
their welfare.
Any neurologist could cite any number of such cases with varying
traits of character, high intelligence or feeble-minded,
controlled in morals or uncontrolled, happily or unhappily
situated, whose central difficulty is an irritable and easily
exhausted store of energy. They are easily excited and excitement
burns them out; that is the long and short of their situation.
Sex, love, hatred, anger, strain, fear in all its forms,
illness,--all these and many other emotions and happenings may
break them down. Such people, and those who care for them, must
not make the mistake of thinking that rough handling,
strenuosity, will cure what is apparently a fixed character.
There is an irritable, high-energy type--irritable
hyperkinetic--that is well contrasted with the foregoing. This
explosive personality works by fits and starts but does not wear
out, merely, as it were, settles down to his ordinary pace when
he rests up. He is like a six-day bicycle racer who plugs along
but every now and then sprints like mad for a few laps and then
comes back to a pace that would kill the average rider. I shall
not trouble to cite such a case, but I can think of at least one
man of good attainments who is of this explosive hyperkinetic
type. He responds to every demand with a burst of energy, and his
quota of ordinary activities is simply appalling.
Neglecting the further types of energy display for the simple
reason that this quality shades off into every conceivable type
and is also a part of every nature, we turn to the types of
emotional mood display. With these it is necessary to consider
excitability as well, and the most interesting beings are here
our objects of study.
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