How to be happy though human / by W. Béran Wolfe.
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toward its ends, we should not let neurotics continue in their way without hindrance ? We allow a man who has a wart on the end of his nose to reconcile himself to his blemish without always wanting to do something about it, even though we know that the wart could be painlessly removed and so he could be made much more presentable. Why should anyone want to be normal ? Are there any normal people ? And can a neurosis be cured if it is the expression of a life-long pattern ? These questions must be answered satisfactorily before we can proceed to the discussion of the cure of neuroses. The High Cost of Neuroses We have intimated that every neurosis is a profession, but few neurotics realize the extent of the training and effort required to maintain their neurosis. We can describe the cost of the neuroses in the words of a famous advertising slogan : “It isn’t the first cost, it’s the upkeep.’’ The upkeep of any neurosis is a very expensive matter. Let us take an example to illustrate the point. Mr. Q., who was exceptionally small as a child, believed, in his childish ignorance, that he would never grow up to be as tall as other people. This belief troubled him greatly during his childhood and gave him an inferiority complex. He spent most of his youth comparing his height with that of his fellows, always to his own humilia¬ tion. Then, one fine day, a boy showed him how to walk on stilts, with the result that he suddenly found himself in possession of a device which would not only compensate him for his short stature but actually allow him to look down on people. Having found this device effective in removing his sense of inferiority and raising his self-esteem, both mentally and physically, Mr. Q. has persisted in the use of stilts long after his period of childhood has passed. Although Mr. Q. is no longer conspicuously short, the use of stilts continues to bolster up his self-esteem. His need of this additional prop is a psychic hang-over from