How to be happy though human / by W. Béran Wolfe.
277/400
- Publication/creation
- London : George Routledge, 1932.
- Physical description
- xiv, 374 pages ; 22 cm
- Contributors
- Wolfe, W. Béran 1900-1935.
- Notes
-
This edition was reprinted in 1933, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1942, 1944, 1945, 1946 and 1948.
Copy 1 Note: 1937 reprint. X158203
- Attribution and usage
-
Wellcome Collection
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The image contains the following text:
the minds of class after class of children, one neurotic
book can contaminate thousands of readers, as history
proves only too well.
It is obvious that a civilized man should be capable of
recognizing a neurotic style of life when he sees it, as he
should be prepared to guard against its evil effects.
Because of the widespread distribution of neurotic ideas
in politics, religion, business, and education, it becomes
the duty of every intelligent man to spread the knowledge
which alone can remove this curse from modern life.
In this sphere of life every adult can make himself useful.
How shall we define the neurosis, and what are the
characteristics by which we can recognize it ? A neurosis
may best be defined as a style of life, aimed at the evasion
of mature social responsibilities, in which an “ I cannot ”
is substituted for an “ I will not by the construction of
a system of plausible, often exceedingly painful excuses.
The neurotic individual builds up the fiction of his
irresponsibility with the help of any material that lies at
hand. Every neurosis is a relative matter. Its form and
content depend not only on the physical and mental
constitution of the neurotic, but upon his tradition, the
prejudices and ignorances of his environment, the nature
of the problems he seeks to avoid, his age, and the tenor
of the society against which the neurosis is aimed. Often
the neurosis is an exceedingly clever and elaborate
structure, comparable to the over-decoration of shoddy
art. Every neurosis is a creative work. It is art, but bad
art, useless art, irresponsible art.
The Neurotic Decalogue
Every neurotic trait and all neuroses have ten cardinal
characteristics all of wThich must be present if the neurosis
is valid. While it may be difficult occasionally to make a
differential diagnosis between a neurosis and an organic
disease, the presence of several of the ten cardinal
cornerstones is presumptive evidence that the others can
be found on further investigation. These ten cardinal