Evening star., 1927-09-18

ing to our understanding Of why that
pattern should be selected.
1t Is a psychologist maxim that hid
den behind any given display of human
behavior, whether it be good, bad or
Indifferent, there always Is a reason.
Usually that motive can be traced
back to it's original production in child
hood where adult patterns of behavior
are first laid down. That is why the
psychiatrist so often is able to pre-
dict among children the types Of per-
sonalities they likely will show as
adults.
r EVERSING the process, it gener-
~ ally is possible to demonstrate
that the particular personality traits
displayed by an adult merely are ex-
aggerations or distortions OF similar
traits in evidence at 5 or 8 years of
age. That is quite true Of the ''cling-
ing vine" personality.
In studying such woman Gt IS
only fair to say that male "clinging
vines occasionally also are found
one Is impressed by the fact that the
same demands for attention, the same
selfishness, the same use Of appealing
wiles and the same habits of lodging
responsibility that characterize her as
a wife earlier characterized her as q
child. These traits were the results,
for the most part. of faulty parental
training during the plastic years when
her personality was in process Of
shaping.
AS a child she found her demands
for attention, even excessive ones,
were lavishly gratified, her childish
selfishness condoned, her evasions Of
responsibility or Of being made to face
reality excused. Probably she was
either an "only" child or at least the
favorite Of the family, and it is equally
probable that all during childhood and
adolescence she was absolved from
the necessity Of doing difficult or un-
pleasant things for herself.
Small wonder, then, that in mar
riage she still retains her dependent
and helpless role She had never
been allowed to know any other. If
she insists, prettily but imperiously,
that her husband must bear all the
burdens of the family, take over all
the planning, relinquish his own
plans and hopes and install her on a
pedestal to receive his never-ceasing
alteration, she merely is carrying over
into her adult life the same practices
that she found successful in child
hood.
In still another way this emotion.
ally immature, "clinging vine" type of
wife detracts from her husbands sue
cess or contributes to his failure. Be-
cause she never has been allowed to
~outgrow her emotional dependency on
her parents (chieey her mother), she
finds herself as wife unable to make
Independent decisions even Of the
most unimportant nature. Moreover,
resources OF her own with which to
ply toward constructive projects.
Doubtless she plays the piano or
sings. but falling to be taught true
appreciation Of music, her rendition
Is merely snowy and shallow. Like
wise with books, her liking never was
trained out of the current "best-
seller" class. Social service and char
liable projects interest her only as
vehicles that permit her to wax senti-
mental over the misfortunes of others
-misfortunes from which she always
has been protected.
This dependency, then, plus her
incapacity to summon resources OF
her own, combine to prolong her role
as q dependent daughter and to
weaken that Of an independent wife.
1t Is this type of wife who SO often
insists at marriage on living within
a few blocks Of her parents. Her
plea OF loneliness during the hrst
months Of marriage seems plausible
enough, and it is not until years have
passed and the daily visits to the