Psychology : general, industrial, social / by John Munro Fraser.

  • Fraser, John Munro.
Date:
1951
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Psychology : general, industrial, social / by John Munro Fraser. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    consciousness is therefore not an act by which consciousness knows itself. If consciousness, as subject of awareness, is the knower, the self which is known by it is something entirely dif- ferent; it is that central, unified content of consciousness which is influenced by the world and reacts on the world. The Variations of the Personality.—Every change of the personality must then be a change in the con- tents of consciousness and in the brain paths, but not in the subject which is conscious of these contents. This content is indeed varying with every new experience which becomes a new incentive for action or a new mo- tive for inhibition, new material for knowledge or new ability. The personality develops steadily. On the other hand, by lack of training or by old age or by diseases it may decay. Certain fundamental traits, however, the type of reaction, the tendencies to feelings, the trained atten- tion, the rhythm of response, the energy of inner activity, may remain the same through all changing influences of the surroundings. The temperament, the character, the intelligence of the personality may last through any change of life conditions. Moreover, the principle which led us to the action theory holds here too. There is no in- fluence of the outer world which is not dependent upon the dispositions for reaction. An individual of a par- ticular temperament and character and. intelligence and talent does not stand in an independent outer world which shapes him, but the outer world which has a chance to influence him is itself the product of his tendencies to re- action. Personality and the world are in a complete mu- tual relation. It is a closed circle. Each man lives in the world which his inner dispositions select and shape. The same surroundings are different for every personality. We are not only changing by new acquisition or loss, but, to a certain degree, each of us is a different per- sonality in different situations. If the essential feature of our personality lies in the system of our memories, we