Evening star., 1927-11-06

much more agreeable and friendly
person at home and outside.
This man had never been able to
free himself from the emotional ties
established in early life between him.
self ard his mother. He had always
been mothers boy, and up until the
time of her death he built his life
around her wishes and demands. She
was the one person to whom he
showed any emotional reaction, sucn
as anger or affection. A few years
before her death he gave up an excel
lent opportunity to leave the State
and enter business i'm a much bigger
field simply because this would take
him away from the immediate en-.
vironment in which his mother lived,
ard she refused to make the change
Whenever he gave his wife presents
he made her promise that she would
not tell his mother, who was ex-
tremely jealous of his wife. His gifts
to his mother were always more eX-
pensive than those given to his wife
During his mothers last Illness he
was constantly at her bedside, and
the relief from this parental bondage
only came after her death He inn
mediat"ly began to- over-cOmpensat te
when freed from her dominat ting in
fIuence. He said, For the first time
in my life that / can remember,
feel free to do as / wish" He was
experiencing his first opportunity to
be himself, to express his own per-
sonality. The necessity of adjusting
his life between the duty to his wife
and his infantile love for his mother
no longer existed.
r ESENTMENT against authority
is one of the common reasons
of failure among young men. 1t
occurs in school, college, in the fac
tory, shop and office. AS one man
said whose father had sent him to
a psychiatrist he had had twelve Jobs
in eight months, II just fly off the
handle every time the boss speaks TO
me. On further inquiry we found
that this young man did his work
exceptionally we'll and got along
satisfactorily with every one else eX.
cepting the one in charge of the parti.
cular job he was doing
We are prone to think that most
of the trouble with these people is
that they have failed to receive
proper training and discipline at
home. We visualize them as having
been permitted to lord it over" every
one in the household. and for that
reason find adjustment outside the
home difficult or impossible.
Frequently, however, the rela ton.
snip between the cause and effect
IN the development of such person.
atty is not as clearly defined. Many
or those individuals who are apparen.
tiy unable to adjust themselves to
situations where they must take
orders and be directed, and who be.
come very resentful toward authority,
are the products of homes that have
been dominated by the stern. forbid.
ding disciplinarian type of father
who has driven his children with a
stiff rein and cruel bit. Not in.
frequently his method of discipline
has been not only severe. but unjust.
Otten such father is compensating
FOR his own feelings of inadequacy
that are constantly being brought
10 the foreground in his daily con.
facts outside the home. lie is the
type of person likely to set standards
that are usually too high for the
normal. active boy to maintain. He
meets any and all infringements upon
his rules and regulations with drastic
measures, so that the only motive
for desirable conduct is that of fear.
1t Is perfectly obvious that the child
striving for his goal of self confidence,
independence and self-respect could
never obtain it under such circum-
stances. Not only will he develop
n strong, instructive repulsion toward
his father. but resentment against
the authority that his father SYM
bolizes.
A person who has failed for this
reason may adopt a silent, sullen,
resentfui attitude toward life; or he
may voice his grievances openly. We
hear such a one talking about mot
getting a square deal" or being
picked upon and prosecuted" We