Evening star., 1927-11-13


- ONE men fail in life because
they are queer: others succeed
for the same rea ason. The va
~ rieties of queerness In people
are as many, perhaps. as there
are people in the world. But there
is one kind of Queerness which fire.
uuently--in fact characteristically-
results in failure. Psychatrists call
this kind of queerness by the tech.
nical name of schiZoid.
Schizoid is word that come from
the same stem from which we get
the word scissors" mea aiming some
thing split or broken. In this case
the inference is that there is 4 break
in the internal harmony of the per-
sonality: a mental split. as it We're.
Schizoid propensities appear in such
types as the supersensitive. the un-
social, the eccentric, the morose and
grouchy. the chronically rebellious, the
suspicious and the jealous.
The reader probably will he think.
ing: Eyes, but these traits are so COM
mon. Some OF the greatest people
the world has ever known were queer,
then. Look at Whistler, WITH his
white lock which he put up in curl
papers at night, and of which he was
SO vain that he hated to go out in
ously eccentric Samuel Johnson and
his equally eccentric cotemporary,
Oliver Goldsmith. Look at Wagner.
with his outbursts of temper; at Metz
sche, with his asceticism: at Mo-
liere. who killed himself, and AT many
srtists, writer's, actors, singers and
inventors of all ages"
1t is true that among GIL h queer
people there have been many bril-
liant successes, hut 1t is also trus
that there are thousands Of men and
women whose failure in the ordinary
walks of life depends chiefly upon their
personality queerness, with no marx
of genius TO redeem. Redemption.
however, is possible for them, even
without genius, if they will go about
ii in the right way. Some men and
women have succeeded in spite Of
their schizoid qualities, and others
have turned these qualities INTO assets
instead of liabilities.
CECLTSNENESS is a characteristic
~ kind Of 'schiZoid" queerness. The
Discrimination for minsiin2 with 9th
q ers. the aversion for social contacts,
the preference for aloofness, is all a
part of this tendency. Such persons
are apt to give explanations: Il WAS
slwavs shy: Il feel 50 self-con-
scious": I'D much rather stay home
and read" The typical queer per-
sonality makes no bones about his
erreference for his own company.
ITS better than ! can pick up else
where" one college student said airily.
Such persons become absorbed in
their own dreams and fancles. and the
outside world has only an Indifferent
interest for them. They go through
the motions of living here. but their
real life Is I'm another world. often,
particularly in children. this is mis-
interpreted. The child is absorbed in
reading or quiet play by himself. and
thus escape the mischief normally
incident to the natural activities OF
childhood. lie is. therefore. regarded
as unusually we'll beha we'd. studious
and intelligent. Intelligent he may
or may not be; healthy he certainly
ia not.
AS the seClusive child grows Older
he encounters increasing difficulties
in living because of the increasing
necessity OF cooperating with other
people. He or she is constantly ir
conflict or out of harmony--with his
friends, or his wife. or his job
OF course, much depends on the
degree of seclusiveness and the e~
tent to which ii is counterbala ny
other tendencies. ecc- seclusvt
people make startling successes The,
cut through their difficulties with
cold. unfiinchinc, unfeeing courage
or they devise ingenious and heautifu
ways Of getting around them. Ma
pnleon Ronaparte WAS certainly q
Shis type. lnnumerable poets and ar