The Mind Really Does Have This Tendency…

The mind really does have this tendency to get irritated by small and large disturbances, prolonging the irritation indefinitely, often planning some reactive action, imagining its consequences and facing them on an imaginary level. What does not usually occur to it is that, once forgotten, the irritation stops. But if it really wants to overcome it, if it really wants to turn it into something positive and uplifting, all it takes is to crush the endless arguments of instinctive reasoning by manifesting benevolence towards the irritable in a concrete act. As if by magic, peace of mind emerges and irritation becomes a good feeling.

Observing This Phenomenon of Assumption…

Observing this phenomenon of assumption, or crystallization of the personality over and over again, one notices some very curious cases in which it happens outside the usual time, already in maturity, sometimes on the verge of old age. For some reason, if not because of a traumatic effect, it seems that the masks suddenly fall off, suddenly become unnecessary, and the effect is quite curious because an abrupt behavioral change takes place in an adult who is already made, already recognized as such. And then, saint or monster, this version seems to be the only true one; it is certainly the definitive one.

Patriotism and Anti-Patriotism

If one thing is certain, it is that patriotism and anti-patriotism go beyond the realm of rationality and are based above all on temperament, which is shaped primarily by experience. In short, a patriot is someone whose sense of belonging manifests itself, while an anti-patriot is someone who feels out of place. They are different psychological attitudes, based on different sensations, and that is all they are: psychological attitudes arising from sensations.

A Solid Knowledge of Man

The greatest value of psychology, and even of philosophy, consists in providing a solid knowledge of man so that the individual who studies them can safely employ himself in the conduct of his own life or, in other words, so that he can safely employ himself in the conscious direction of his own will. The study of man is valid as long as it allows the student to understand himself, discover himself and, finally, be what he wants to be. When he connects with his own will, the time comes when study is limited to providing reasons for its reaffirmation.