The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-03-17
Self Consciousness
1T n. ADDSs0ros BRUCE
Author OF The Rlddls OF Person
alitg." "Psyehoiogy and
Parenthood." etc.


seif-consciousness 10 OF many de-
grees. but 10 always painful. and
d almost always n serious handicap
on the one afnicted with A. In the
main II originates from one OF two
very different causes.
On the one hand. many people
are self-conscious because they
have AN exaggerated feeliA 81 in.
fertorfty. This makes them em-
bArrasssd and awkward in the pres
ence Of fancied superiors.
And on the other hand, self-eon.
seriousness may be. and often IL. due
20 an exaggerated feeling OF per
sonal Importance.
The self-conscious one In self.
conscious simply because he IL con.
esited enough TO think that wher-
ever he soss people regard him as
so important that they must needs
stare az him.
Then. again. selfconsciousnes
may be the result merely Of nerv.
Gus excitement when placed in
novel situation. A typical example
OF this is found In the familiar
case OF tho embarrassed after-din-
ner speaker making his maiden
speech.
Self-consciousness thus caused
suggests It's own cure. As the nov
city OF the situation lessons thru
repetition the self.consciousnes
will wear OF.
Finally. sslf-consciousnes some
times has Sta roots in complex
emotional state associated with for.
gotten experiences that have pro
foundly disturbed the psychic organ
ism
A sensitive child. for example. has
some experience that greatly shocks
him. perhaps giving rise to mingled
feelings OF fear and shame. In
course OF time the experience IA for.
gotten. But extreme self-conscious-
ness may remain.
Illustrative OF this condition IL
the case OF a young woman who
writes me that for years she has
Stunned company because she Is
unable 20 act natural" when with
people.
When I walk IN the street or
meet people" she reports. my
breath comes fast. and think OF
the way l hold my feet. / am ter.
ribly embarrassed and awkward
II is the same At work. no mat
ter where | am. or whether I walk.
tam. SIT. or stand The only time
can act natural lie when ! am
home all alone"
Now. by self-tTAining in emotion.
al ooutrol there IN a possibility that
sslfconscfoas people OF this sort
may effect their own cure But the
best and surest course for them to
adopt IL 10 seek the aid OF spe-
cialist In functional nervous disor.
ders.
BY Psychological analysis the spe-
cialist can get at the specific cause
Of their selfoonsciousness, the In
ner burden OF emotional distress
that f. running their life.
When the seif-consoiousens is
not 80 extreme. yet IL frequent
cause OF embarrassment. careful
self-study and development OF self.
control will usually be found sum
cient TO set matters right.
Especially should the self-con-
scious one try 10 ascertain by hon.
est self questioning whether he
feils as he does because he thinks
himself inferior 10 other people, or
because he has a distorted idea OF
his great Importance.
II the former, his effort should
be so to live that he will have rea-
son TO feel satisfied with himself be
cause OF the things worth while tina,
be secomplishes.
II the latter. he needs 10 gain
realization that he actually IL NOT
40 important that people everywhere
focus attention on him.
And always. whatever the cause
OF the self-consciousness interest
In something outside the self-one's
work. ones play. q hobby. whatey.
er II may be-should be so develop
ed AZ to cause forgetfulness OF self.
This. let me say emphatically. Is
indispensable TO guarantee a cure.