Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-19
Stammering Complex.

am youth OF 10. Since the age Of
s haze been a stdmmeTer Incident
ally, I am naturally Ietthdnded and use
my right hand only for tDrittng. have
GltUdVs stunned society and haze con-
seQuently 0rot0n more and more self
conferred. Last Winter I tO1S taken
seriously i'll and had nothing to do TOR
three months During this time began
to think about my utterly neglected
social life and my morbid self-consctouS-
ness.
The fact that I haze been near or at
the top OF my classes has giUen me
feeling of superiority In matters OF in
teIEect, tDhile outside OF school my Jeci-
ing is that of tnter%ority in social Teld-
ttons. realize this condition is dbnor-
NAL, and tUish to stabilize myself. I
tpd4tt to be socinble, but / find 1t hard
The path of least resistance for me is
that OF tuork and study. My real task
comes In tuhdt is termed the lighter side
of life. What procedure shall 4 JoIlotc?
Should 1t be a deep plunge into the
middle OF things or should it be by
gradual process, this Transformation
from a Robinson Crusoe to normal
human being among Others of his oaCn
spectes?-L. ].
This is such a typical case and so
admirably put that it makes text and
q diagnosis in one. That left-handed
touch makes it complete. For in some
cases the forcing of q left-handed child
to use his right hand puts strain on
the finer motor control, and speech and
hand movements are closely linked brain
activities. That factor plays no part in
the numerous army of right-handed
stanmerers. Typically, Sufferers are
shy and thrown upon their inner life,
though that doesn't mean that they lack
the desire to be sociable. They are
handicapped In its expression and seek
activities not requiring social contacts,
for which speech is the ready medium.
The result is the inferiority feeling, and
with that the entire complex is estab-
| liShed.
recommend this description as itself
complete diagnosis and an under
standing one. observe, however, that
the same nervous organization that
makes for shyneSs may make for slut
tering. The speech difficulty aggravates
the ShyneSs, and the vicious circle keeps
on. Some persons of the same tenn
permanent are heSitant in speech, speak
| in a low, embarrassed voice, and are III
at ease socially, yet escape suffering.
Such Is the way into the defect. AS
to the way out, that is equally we'll in
|
waiting Sociability and use sociability to
tighten the strain of heSitant speech.
One might prescribe tea parties and in
formal gatherings as cure for both
handicapS. But not a sudden plunge
Better learn to swim in safe waters be-
fore taking a deep dive. A series OF
small successes establishes confidence;
radical change of mental habit invites
the encouragement of failure. For one
of L. rs understanding this should not
be a difficult program. Assuming a
typical case, he will find that in an in
formal, familiar company he shutters
less. Cultivate these to begin with. II
/ has even been found that bringing
sufferers together makes a fellow feel
ing and sets up bit of rivalry to stutter
less.
What it all illustrates Is the central
idea that today we treat personality
defects and not isolated symptoms
There is a stammering complex with a
social shyness and withdrawal tendency
as its cure, and which in many cases
Thy no means in ALL and in boys far
more commonly than in girls) attacks
the delicate speech mechanisms-be-
cause speech is the great social instru-