The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-01-10

obviously moral matter.
There was no help for her until
her moralism was superseded by
insight into her real trouble. She
was happily married in a spiritual
union so satisfying in it's affection
and friendship. but something was
the matter with the physical
aspects Of the marital relation. So
she went on with this real diSsatis-
faction in the sexual life, refusing
to recognize 1t until being thus
repressed 1t went underground
sought out. as it were, the one oc-
casion in her history where sexual
shame had been aroused and, STIR
ring up that old contrition, ap-
peared now as obsessive anxiety
about that.
This tentative diagnosis by the
minister, confirmed by a pSychia-
trist, issued in a familiar, minor
surgical operation, which removed
the impeachment to satisfactory
sexual Acknowledgment the OBJ
sessive remorse about the 30-year-
old dereliction vanished.
This underground activity of
conscience Is so familiar that ex-
cessive self-reproach is never to
be taken at its face value, but
is almost certain to be symptom
of some hidden trouble, in han
ding which moralisin is likely to
be irrelevant. To be sure, lying
Is wrong! Obviously the boy who
lies will face condemnation from
others. and if he is sensitive, CEN
sure from himself.
All this, however, may do the
boy no good. The deeper fact is
that his lying is applicable. He
may blame himself for lying, with
out understanding why he lies,
and his conscience may become
so censorious as utterly to crush
and wither him. In such a case
moralism, acting as a Judge who
condemns and sentences, increases
the disorder: only the attitude of
the physician, who diagnoses, un-
cerStands, and cures, can save the
day.
To some this substitution of ex-
phcability for reprehensibility in
dealing with misbehavor seems
only another alibi. Here is a de-
Tense mechanism. they say, blessed
with the authority Of the psychol-
ogists. that dispepses a man from
self blame and furnishes him with
an accredited means OF self-jus-
titication-all his sins are explain
able Embellishments.
Upon the contrary, this range OF
fact we have been dealing with
puts the most serious and thor
oughgoing meaning into the ad-
monition. Tackle yourself!
To tackle oneself seriously is
to go to the root OF the matter,
to get all available help that ply
siciarS and psychiatrists can sup
ply In understanding 1t, to assume
responsibility for oneself in so
thoroughgoing fashion that one
Is willing to dig into oneself, bring
ing TO light the hidden and often
dark sources OF ones own trouble.
The paradoxical fact is that re-
morse itself can be an escape
mechanism. A man can exhaust
his whole response to his sin in
feeling sorry for 1t. This, how
ever, is an inadequate attitude,
far different from a serious ex-
ploration OF his inner history, q
serious search for his evils gen.
esis. and a dogged Discriminate
not TO rest until the sources Of his
misbehavior are understood and
remedied.
For all such mischievous activi-
ties Of conscientiousness as we
have considered, the only ultimate
cure Is q healthy conscience. Null
titudes of people are sick for the
lack Of that. That we need more
conscientious people is plati-
tude. common but highly question
able. An immense amount OF con-
scientiousness does more harm
than good, Just as an immense
amount OF intelligence is har-
messed TO destructive ends.
People possessing q sense OF
duty allied with important mat
tiers Of personal and social good
ness, producing conduct such that
they could viii its principle TO be
law universal, issuing in radiant
characters, and predominately ex-
pressing itself not in censorious-
ness but in saviorhood-such peo-
pie are real persons. So a young
child prayed, 70 God. make all the
bad people good. and make all
the good people NIGEL"
MONDAY; Using all there Is In
US.
Distributed By NEA Service leA3,
Harper q Brothers. Rev York, N. Y.