Understanding yourself : the mental hygiene of personality / by Ernest R. Groves.

  • Ernest R. Groves
Date:
[1935]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Understanding yourself : the mental hygiene of personality / by Ernest R. Groves. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    first has now become more difficult as the emotions have grown in importance and have become so largely con¬ cerned with the self-feelings of the personality. It was never more difficult, as most of us are willing to confess, to live vigorously and with judgment. Exhorta¬ tions prove futile if they do not bring added insight. We cannot do well with ourselves merely by wishing or even by building high motives. Knowledge of our resources and of our problems is also required. The principles of mental hygiene have to be carried into our practices and this, we all find, means putting to use in a day-by-day con¬ sistency all the help we can gather from the various scien¬ tists that are exploring human nature. As its title suggests, the book seeks to apply the infor¬ mation now available which has been gathered by those who have been studying human nature. I realize the im¬ portance of early childhood and family atmosphere as they influence character, and in previous books have dealt with the problems of parents, teachers, and others who face the obligations that go with power over growing life. This book is written for those who are seeking an under¬ standing of their own personal problems. It is not enough for us as adults to discover how much has been done to us during childhood by the attitudes and habits of others that helps or hinders us as we deal with our present problems; we need also the insight and practi¬ cal counsel that will enable us to make the most of our¬ selves as we now are. [2]