10
Social Maturity Needed to
Cope with Post-war World
To H ;, that, "modern man is con of the human race.”2
fused”
utter a cliche.. Confusion "Living In Fragments"
is no longer in the "news.” It is accept
"Many men are narrowed by work
ed now in the "facts” department. But smid'IBwies|%imany women are narrow
there are some who see paths out of ed by home and children— or by jobs
our confusion.
and domestic duties. As long as there
disenchantment . . . is fragmented living, there will be frus
remarkable for the number and mag trated lives” , . . writes Ordway Tealf
nitude of illusions which have perished well-known author and editor. "To
in it’— that fairly well describes Brese work creatively, to love family and
years) following World W ^ J II. Yes, friends’, to find beauty, to share com-
but those words O ere;’written in 1867 munrp^E>blg^tion,' to I plWv productive-
after the war between the states. We ly, to worship . reverently— a person,
are not the first generation to live man or woman, is whole only as all of
through postwar disillusionment, with these deep jk sires of life can be real-
its confusion and dismay. . . . W hat
expect less from living is
distingu^g^B ffigen^ffltion in dealing a kind of surrender leading to narrow-
with it is the g lB m b l||le on which it ness and confusion in one’s inner life.
confronts us,” says Dr. I H arry Emer- . . . This is the basic proposal for
son Fosdick. "O ur one world . . . i s
spiritual health-in our time; we have
crying for ^hbsWgd uaKies of life and to find the fullness of ourselves.” 3
character that make men and nations
One immediately thinks of what Dr.
fit to live with.” 1
Luella Cole, distinguished American
p.sychologisjt and author, speaks ofAa^
gT/mes Out of Joint"
In the prefaYe^to her recent book, "individual, responsible m aturity with
Bonaro Overstreet points$out that "our ■its accompanying personal freedom.”
times are., out of joint. Most of us do Dr. Cole enumerates what she consid
hot know whether to begin by trying ers traits which distinguish a mature
to change ourselves or by ¿trying to adult. Intellectual traits include (1)
change our world. The one is neces- making up one’s own mind; (2) ac
cepting responsibility for one’s success-
sary to the other; the other to the one.
• . . I have elected to Start with the es and failures; (3) observing one’s self
self.” Mfsi-? Overstreet’s work as a °hjectively; (4) making a compromise
psychologist has kept her "in touch rather than butting one’s head against
with people?-syho have been distu rbed a wall; (;$.) realizing that one’s wor@
about themselves; who have not known is only a, small" part of the work of all
what-they had a right to expect of life, people/T-
or ^ ^ ^ » l ifaptad a right to expect of
Dr. Cole sees emotional m aturity in
(1) the ability to bear tension, and
them.
I I They have thought about
themselves as hapless atoms pushed the outgrowing of adolescept enjoyment
around ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ u in^Q ce^B bec ause they of having one’s emotions aroused.
have not known how to think about Maturity Trait Listed
themselves . . . as makers of
The person who attaiiis social matur-
stances. They have thought about them*' i t y B l W f r e e from the domination of
selves in ego-centered ways . . . be his parents. (2) He has achieved an
cause they have not known how to accepted position w ith his contempor-
think about themselves as proudly part aries. (3) He is efficiently filling a job