Individuals
have loves and sorrows and joys.
Adorno-T-Authoritarian-Personality-Harper-Bros-1950
The minorities themselves also keep themselves apart.
It's a vicious circle.
Society makes them outcasts and they react this way.
" (Differences?
) (Interviewer tried hard to have subject describe differences between groups, but subject insisted): "All differences that exist are due to conditions people grow up in and also to the emotional responses .
(to discrimination).
(Jews?
) I don't see how they are different as a group.
I have Jewish friends.
.
.
.
Maybe they are more sensitive because of prejudice against them.
But that's good.
"
According to the clinical data the girl is a genuine Lesbian, who was severely reprimanded because of her homosexuality, and became afterwards "rather promiscuous to determine whether she did react sexually to men. " "All emotionally upset in one way or the other," she said. Her later history indicates that the Lesbian component is stronger than anything else.
It may be added that the Los Angeles sample contains three call-house girls, all of them completely free of prejudice and also low on the F scale. Since their profession tends to make them resentful about sex altogether, and since they profess symptoms of frigidity, they do not seem to belong to the "Impulsive" syndrome. However, only much closer analysis could ascer- tain whether the ultimate basis of their character formation is of the "im- pulsive" kind and has only been hidden by later reaction-formations, or whether their low score is due to a purely social factor, namely the in- numerable contacts they have with all kinds of people.
4. THE "EASY-GOING" LOW SCORER
This syndrome is the exact opposite of the "Manipulative" high scorer. Negatively, it is characterized by a marked tendency to "let things go," a profound unwillingness to do violence to any object (an unwillingness which often may approach, on the surface level, conformity), and by an extreme reluctance to make decisions, often underscored by the subjects themselves. This reluctance even affects their language: they may be recognized by the frequency of unfinished sentences, as if they would not like to commit them- selves, but rather leave it to the listener to decide on the merits of the case. ' Positively, they are inclined to "live and let live," while at the same time their own desires seem to be free of the acquisitive touch. Grudging and dis- content are absent. They show a certain psychological richness, the opposite of constrictedness: a capacity for enjoying things, imagination, a sense of humor which often assumes the form of self-irony. The latter, however, is as little destructive as their other attitudes: it is as if they were ready to con- fess all kinds of weaknesses not so much out of any neurotic compulsion as because of a strong underlying sense of inner security. They can give them- selves up without being afraid of losing themselves. They are rarely radical in their political outlook, but rather behave as if they were already living under nonrepressive conditions, in a truly human society, an attitude which
? TYPES AND SYNDROMES
779
may, sometimes, tend to weaken their power of resistance. There is no evi- dence of any truly schizoid tendencies. They are completely nonstereopathic -they do not even resist stereotypy, but simply fail to understand the urge
~ for subsumption.
The etiology of the "Easy-Going" syndrome is still somewhat obscure. The
subjects in whom it is pronounced seem not to be defined by the preponder- ance of any psychological agency, or by retrogression to any particular in- fantile phase though there is, superficially seen, something of the child about them. Rather, they should be understood dynamically. They are people whose character structure has not become "congealed": no set pattern of control by any of the agencies of Freud's typology has crystallized, but they are completely "open" to experience. This, however, does not imply ego weakness, but rather the absence of traumatic experiences and defects which otherwise lead to the "reification" of the ego. In this sense, they are "normal," but it is just this normality which gives them in our civilization the appear- ance of a certain immaturity. Not only did they not undergo severe child- hood conflicts, but their whole childhood seems to be determined by motherly or other female images. 7 Perhaps they may best be characterized as those who know no fear of women. This may account for the absence of aggressive- ness. At the same time, it is possibly indicative of an archaic trait: to them, the world has still a matriarchal outlook. Thus, they may often represent, sociologically, the genuine "folk" element as against rational civilization. Representatives of this syndrome are not infrequent among the lower middle- classes. Though no "action" is to be expected of them, one may count on them as on persons who, under no circumstances, ever will adjust themselves to political or psychological fascism. The aforementioned M711
is very amiable, mild, gende, casual, slow, and somewhat lethargic in both voice and manner. He is quite verbal, but very circumstantial. His statements are typically surrounded with qualifications to which he commonly devotes more attention than to the main proposition. He seems to suffer from pervasive indecision and doubt, to be pretty unsure of his ideas, and to have great difficulty in committing himself to positive statements on very many matters. In general, he tends to avoid committing himself to things, either intellectually or emotionally, and in general avoids getting involved in things.
He describes his choice of profession as accidental, but it is interesting that he was originally a landscape architect-which may imply a desire for the res- titution of nature rather than its domination-and later became an inter- viewer in government employment, a job that gives him the gratification of helping other people without his stressing, however, this aspect narcis- sistically. He is not indifferent to wealth and admits his wish for "security," but is, at the same time, totally unimpressed by the importance of money per
7 The subject chosen as an illustration of this type "was brought up in a household of women-mother and grandmother. "
? THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY
se. His religious attitude has been described in Chapter XVIII, and it fits psy- chologically, in every detail, into the make-up of the "Easy-Going" syn- drome. It may be added that he "does not believe in the Immaculate Con- ception" but doesn't think "it makes any difference. "
When asked about discipline in childhood, he answers "practically none," "very undisciplined. " His strong attachment to his mother is emphasized without any inhibition: the only period of his childhood when there were any "bones of contention" was when his mother "exhibited her possessive- ness. She didn't like the gals I went with. " What he himself likes about women is described as follows:
"A wfully hard to say when you're pretty sold on a gal. . . . Seems to have all the things I like-fun to be with, brains, pretty. She likes me, which is important. We share things together. (What enjoy doing together? ) Music, reading, swim- ming, dancing. Most of the things which don't require too much energy, which makes it good. "
It is remarkable that there is no trace of hostility against the father-whom he lost very early-in spite of the mother-fixation. It is the imaginative gift of the father which lingers in his memory:
(Pleasant memories of father? ) "Lots of pleasant memories, because he spoiled us when he was home, always cooking up wonderful ideas for things to do. (Mother and father got along? ) I think very well. (Which parent take after? ) I don't know, because I didn't know my father very well. (Father's faults? ) Don't know. "
Most significant are his statements on race issues:
(What think of minority group problems? ) "I wish I knew. I don't know. I think that is one problem we should all be working on. (Biggest problem? ) Negroes, in terms of numbers. . . . I don't think we've ever faced the problem squarely. . . . Many Negroes have come to the West Coast. . . . (Have you ever had Negroes as friends? ) Yes . . . Not intimately, though have known a number that I've liked and enjoyed. (What about intermarriage? ) I think it's a false issue. ? . . They say, 'What if your sister married a Negro? ' I wouldn't have any feelings about it, frankly. . . . (Negro traits? ) No. "
As to the Jews, he does not come to their "defense," but actually denies that they are a "problem":
(What about the Jewish problem? ) "I don't think there is a Jewish problem. There again, I think that's been a herring for agitators. (How do you mean? ) Hitler, Ku Klux Klan, etc. (Jewish traits? ) No . . . I've seen Jewish people exhibit so- called Jewish traits, but also many non-Jewish people. " . . . (Subject emphasizes there is no distinction along racial lines. )
The danger implicit in the "Easy-Going" syndrome, i. e. , too great reluctance to use violence even against violence, is suggested by the following passage:
(What about picketing Gerald K. Smith? ) "I think Gerald K. Smith should have an opportunity to speak, if we are operating under a democracy. (What about
? TYPES AND SYNDROMES
picketing as registering a protest? ) If a certain group wants to, they have a right to. . . . I don't think it's always effective. "
That the subject's attitude of noncommitment to any "principle" is actually based on a sense of the concrete and not purely evasive is indicated by the following highly elucidating passage:
(Interviewer reads question . . . about tireless leader and refers to subject as agreeing a little, asks for elaboration. ) "I agree a little. However, the opposite of that, Huey Long, was a courageous, tireless leader and Hitler (laughs). It depends. (How do you mean? ) Well, I admired Willkie; I admired Roosevelt; I admired Wallace. But, I don't think we should ever have leaders in whom the people put their faith and then settle back. People seem to seek leaders to avoid thinking for themselves. "
This subject's interview concludes with the dialectical statement that "power is almost equivalent to the abuse of power. "
5. THE GENUINE LIBERAL
By contrast to the pattern just described, this syndrome is very outspoken in reaction and opinion. The subject in whom it is pronounced has a strong sense of personal autonomy and independence. He cannot stand any outside interference with his personal convictions and beliefs, and he does not want to interfere with those of others either. His ego is quite developed but not libidinized-he is rarely "narcissistic. " At the same time, he is willing to admit id tendencies, and to take the consequence-as is the case with Freud's "erotic type" (39). One of his conspicuous features is moral courage, often far beyond his rational evaluation of a situation. He cannot "keep silent" if some- thing wrong is being done, even if he seriously endangers himself. Just as he is strongly "individualized" himself, he sees the others, above all, as individ- uals, not as specimens of a general concept. He shares some features with other syndromes found among low scorers. Like the "Impulsive," he is little re- pressed and even has certain difficulties in keeping himself under "control. " However, his emotionality is not blind, but directed towards the other person as a subject. His love is not only desire but also compassion-as a matter of fact, one might think of defining this syndrome as the "compas- sionate" low scorer. He shares with the "Protesting" low scorer the vigor of identification with the underdog, but without compulsion, and without traces of overcompensation: he is no "Jew lover. " Like the "Easy-Going" low scorer he is antitotalitarian, but much more consciously so, without the element of hesitation and indecision. It is this configuration rather than any single trait which characterizes the "Genuine Liberal. " Aesthetic interests seem to occur frequently.
The illustration we give is a girl whose character of a "genuine liberal" stands out the more clearly, since, according to the interviewer,
? THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY
she is politically naive like the majority of our college women, regardless whether they are high or low.
No "ticket" is involved. Fszs
is a 2 1-year-old college student. She is a handsome brunette with dark, flashing eyes, who exudes temperament and vitality. She has none of the pretty-pretty femininity so frequently seen in high subjects, and would probably scorn the little feminine wiles and schemes practiced by such women. On the contrary, she is extremely frank and outspoken in manner, and in build she is athletic. One senses in her a very passionate nature and so strong a desire to give intensely of herself in all her relationships, that she must experience difficulty in restraining herself within the bounds of conventionality.
Apart from a semiprofessional interest in music she also "enjoys painting and dramatics. " As to her vocation, however, she is still undecided. She
has taken nurses' aid training. She liked helping people in this way. "I enjoyed it. I feel that I could now take care of a sick person. It didn't bother me to carry bed- pans and urinals. I learned that I could touch flesh without being squeamish. I learned to be tactful about certain things. And then it was patriotic! (slightly joking tone). People liked me. (Why did they like you? ) Because I smiled, and because I was always making cracks-like I'm doing now. "
Her views with regard to minorities are guided by the idea of the individual:
"Minorities have to have just as many rights as majorities. They are all people and should have just as many rights as the majority. There should be no minorities; there should only be individuals and they should be judged according to the indi- vidual. Period! Is that sufficient? "
(Negroes? ) "Same thing! Still as individuals. Their skin is black, but they are still people.
Individuals have loves and sorrows and joys. I don't think you should
kill them all or liquidate them or stick them in a corner just because they are dif- ferent people. I would not marry one, because I should not want to marry a person who has a trait I don't like, like a large nose, etc. I would not want to have children with dark skins. I would not mind if they live next door to me. " (Earlier in the interview subject had brought out the fact that she had also to care for Negro " patients during her nurses' aid work, and that she had not minded at all having to give baths to them, etc. )
(Jews? ) "Same! Well I could marry a Jew very easily. I could even marry a Negro if he had a light enough skin. I prefer a light skin. I don't consider Jews different from white people at all, because they even have light skins. It's really silly. (What do you think are the causes of prejudice? ) Jealousy. (Explain? ) Be- cause they are smarter and they don't want any competition. W e don't want any competition. If they want it they should have it. I don't know if they are more intelligent, but if they are they should have it. "
The last statement shows complete absence of any aspect of guilt feelings in her relation to the Jews. It is followed up by the joke:
"Maybe if the Jews get in power they would liquidate the majority! That's not smart. Because we would fight back. "
? TYPES AND SYNDROMES
Her views on religion, with a slightly humorous touch, are centered in the idea of Utopia. She mentions the word herself, when referring to her read- ing of Plato. The gist of her religion is contained in the statement: "Per- haps we will all be saved. " This should be compared with the prevailing "anti-Utopian" attitude of our subjects.
The description of both her parents contains elements of her own ego ideal, in quite an unconventional way:
"Father has been employed for 25 years in the freight complaint department of t h e - - R. R. Co. His work involves the hiring of many men. He has about 150 people working under him. " (Subject described her father as follows:) "He could have been vice-president by now-he has the brains-but he does not have the go- get-in nature; he is not enough of a politician. He is broad-minded-always listens to both sides of a question before making up his mind. He is a good 'argumenter' for this reason. He is understanding. He is not emotional like mother. Mother is emotional, father factual. Mother is good. She has a personality of her own. She gives to all of us. She is emotional. She keeps Daddy very satisfied. (In what way? ) She makes a home for him to come home to-he has it very hard at the office. It's living. Their marriage is very happy-everybody notices it. Their children perform too-people notice them! Mother is very friendly. Understanding. She gives sym- pathy. People love to talk to her. Someone calls her up on the telephone and they become lifelong friends just from having talked on the telephone! She is sensitive; it is easy to hurt her. "
Her attitude towards sex is one of precarious restraint. Her boy friend
wants to have sexual intercourse everytime that they have a date-in fact he wanted it the first time he dated her-and she doesn't want it that way. She cries every time he tries something, so she supposes it cannot be right for her. She thinks that friendship should precede sexual relations, but he thinks that sex relations are a way of getting to know each other better. Finally she broke with him three days ago (said with mock tearfulness). He had said, "Let's just be friends," but she didn't want that either! The sex problem bothers her. The first time she danced with him he told her that he thought she wanted intercourse; whereas she just wanted to be close to him. She is worried because she didn't mean it the other way, but perhaps unconsciously she did!
It is evident that her erotic character is connected with a lack of repression with regard to her feelings towards her father: "I would like to marry some- one like my father. "
The result of the interview is summed up by the interviewer:
The most potent factors making for the low score in this case are the open-mind- edness of the parents and the great love subject's mother bore all her children.
If this can be generalized, and consequences be drawn for high scorers, we might postulate that the increasing significance of the fascist character de- pends largely upon basic changes in the structure of the family itself (see Max Horkheimer, 53a).
? CHAPTER XX
GENETIC ASPECTS OF THE AUTHORI- T ARIAN PERSONALITY: CASE STUDIES OF TWO CONTRASTING INDIVIDUALS R. Nevitt Sanford
A. INTRODUCTION
As Mack and Larry have been followed through the various techniques of the study each of these subjects has shown striking consistency of response, and numerous differences between them have been found. The consistency embraces personality as well as ideology, and the differences have appeared in each area of investigation, from surface attitudes to the deep-lying needs explored by the T. A. T. Evidence has accumulated in support of the view that the differing ideological patterns are closely associated with differences in personality structure. The present task is to describe these personality struc- tures, to see how they are expressed in ideological trends and, above all, to learn as much as possible about how they developed. Numerous personality characteristics of the two subjects have already been brought to light, and the T. A. T. has given strong indications of what the central forces in each case might be; over-all formulation, however, has had to wait upon an examina- tion of the material from the clinical section of the interview. This material obviously leaves much to be desired, but when it is brought into relation with what has gone before and interpreted with the freedom which the background afforded by the foregoing clinical chapters now permits, rea- sonably complete and meaningful pictures emerge.
Many of the variables discussed in the chapters dealing with data from the clinical interviews will appear again as we consider these two cases. It is hoped that by paying more attention to specific detail than has been possible when the concern was with groups of subjects, we may come to closer grips with some of the concrete phenomena from which our variables were ab- stracted and that they will thus gain something in meaningfulness. The concern here, however, is not so much with particular variables as with the pattern- ing of variables within a single individual. The aim is to achieve as lifelike a portrait of one authoritarian personality, in its genetic aspects, as our frag-
787
? THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY
mentary material permits, and to point up the contrasts with a nonauthori- tarian personality.
Most consideration will be given to the case of Mack: Here, as throughout the book, prejudice, rather than the relative lack of it, is in the focus of atten- tion. Larry's case is used mainly for purposes of contrast-contrast both with respect to the broad outlines of personality structure and with respect to certain turning points of development which seem to have been crucial for prejudice.
B. THE CASE OF MACK The clinical part of Mack's interview follows.
"Mother was sick in bed a great deal of the time. I remember her reading and singing to us. She devoted her last strength to us kids. I don't have those early recollections of my father. My first recollection of him as a father was one spring morning, when mother passed away. He came back to tell us. Of course, there is such a disparity between his age and mine. He is 77 now. Mother had 3 operations. The third time she left I was very distressed. It was like a premonition. The aunt across the street helped take care of us, when we got sick. Father spent all of his time with us after mother died.
"My sister is 4 years 0lder than I. She has been married about 312 years. She is a housewife, has a 2-year-old boy, and is expecting another. I have had very good relations with her, a few arguments, but not like other brothers and sisters I have seen. She took care of the family cooking and took care of me. They called her 'the little old lady. ' That has kept up. She helped put me through school ,and to buy my clothes. She is an accomplished stenographer and bookkeeper. She loaned me money to get started in the East. I have repaid her. No, she has not influenced me much in ideas. She's like myself in that. She doesn't take religion very seriously; she never drinks or smokes, has high ideals. But father was more responsible for that.
"Up to high school I didn't do much thinking about anything. When I entered high school, my sister had left. The four years in high school I spent mostly with my father. When I graduated, he was living with us in "
(What things did you admire especially in your father? ) "Mostly, his attention to us kids was very admirable. He's very honest, so much so that he won't condone charge accounts. He's known throughout the country as a man whose word is as good as his bond. His greatest contribution was denying himself pleasures to take care of us kids. (What disagreements have you had with your father? ) There haven't been any to any great extent. I had a mind of my own at a very early age. He has too. We've had arguments, but I can't remember any lickings by him. He scolded but usually talked things over. Our arguments were usually about things I wanted that he didn't want me to have-like the 22 rifle I wanted when I was 10, or a bicycle. He had to be very careful about money. He wouldn't let me work-he thought it was beneath me. He was afraid I would hurt myself with the rifle. But he never denied me anything I needed. (What have been the effects of the age discrep- ancy? ) Well, I've had to shift for myself a lot. I would have welcomed instruction that he wasn't able to give me. My first venture socially was in the DeMolay. I was a charter member and later a master counselor. I was vice-president of the student body in high school and president of the student body at business school. He was pleased and encouraged me,
? GENETIC ASPECTS OF THE AUTHORIT ARIAN PERSONALITY 789
"Bud, my cousin, and I were always together. He is 2 months younger. W e played baseball and went hunting, etc. We're still close, though we write seldom. He is in India. "
(What are your most pleasant memories of childhood? ) "Those good times Bud and I had, and with other groups. Skiing and tobogganing. My real pleasures are very simple and always have been. But I like nice equipment, for example, a good rifle. Bud and I had good help from father. He used to spend his winters alone in the mountains, and made his own skis and snowshoes. He showed us how to make them. "
(What did you worry most about as a kid? ) "Well, mostly about being held back by lack of funds. I worried about such things. In the 7th grade, I was the best speller, but I remember a defeat by a girl at the county spelling bee. Often I was just a little under the top. Just like in the service. I went to OCS, and got sick just before getting my commission. Usually I tried too hard, like in football. I was not as good an end as I should have been. I dropped passes because I tried too hard and so I was mediocre. Now, when I'm relaxed I have no trouble at all.
"They found I was anemic at the age of 12. I had my first hemorrhage from the stomach when I was 18. lt always comes around when I start working too hard. "
(Where did you get your sex instruction? ) "I never had any from my parents, though I did get some suggestions from my aunt; no real instruction. What I know I have picked up from reading. I've listened to men talk, but accepted little of it; I weighed it in the light of what I have read. "
(What was your first sex experience? ) "It was in 1940-41, the aftermath of a New Year's party in Washington. There was liquor. I was always the backward boy. I hope to get married to the girl I'm going with now. She is an awfully nice companion. Most girls are interested only in a good time and want fellows with lots of money to spend. I didn't have the money for giving them a swell time. The girl I'm in love with now lived 9 miles from me. She attended a rival high school. I dated her once in high school. When I got back from the army, I worked in a lumber mill. This girl had graduated f r o m - - and started teaching. Her uncle is the vice-presi- dent of the bank. I talked to him about buying an automobile that she was interested in. I looked it over for her, since I knew something about cars, and told her it was in good condition. I got started going with her that way. I found out that she wasn't interested in money, but was interested in me in spite of my discharge from the army, my poor health and prospects. She's just very good-not beautiful, but a . tre- mendously nice personality. She is French with some Irish in her. She has a nice figure and is very wholesome. When we get married depends on circumstances. It's quite a responsibility. She wants to get married now; she is teaching in _ _ _ _ .
According to the clinical data the girl is a genuine Lesbian, who was severely reprimanded because of her homosexuality, and became afterwards "rather promiscuous to determine whether she did react sexually to men. " "All emotionally upset in one way or the other," she said. Her later history indicates that the Lesbian component is stronger than anything else.
It may be added that the Los Angeles sample contains three call-house girls, all of them completely free of prejudice and also low on the F scale. Since their profession tends to make them resentful about sex altogether, and since they profess symptoms of frigidity, they do not seem to belong to the "Impulsive" syndrome. However, only much closer analysis could ascer- tain whether the ultimate basis of their character formation is of the "im- pulsive" kind and has only been hidden by later reaction-formations, or whether their low score is due to a purely social factor, namely the in- numerable contacts they have with all kinds of people.
4. THE "EASY-GOING" LOW SCORER
This syndrome is the exact opposite of the "Manipulative" high scorer. Negatively, it is characterized by a marked tendency to "let things go," a profound unwillingness to do violence to any object (an unwillingness which often may approach, on the surface level, conformity), and by an extreme reluctance to make decisions, often underscored by the subjects themselves. This reluctance even affects their language: they may be recognized by the frequency of unfinished sentences, as if they would not like to commit them- selves, but rather leave it to the listener to decide on the merits of the case. ' Positively, they are inclined to "live and let live," while at the same time their own desires seem to be free of the acquisitive touch. Grudging and dis- content are absent. They show a certain psychological richness, the opposite of constrictedness: a capacity for enjoying things, imagination, a sense of humor which often assumes the form of self-irony. The latter, however, is as little destructive as their other attitudes: it is as if they were ready to con- fess all kinds of weaknesses not so much out of any neurotic compulsion as because of a strong underlying sense of inner security. They can give them- selves up without being afraid of losing themselves. They are rarely radical in their political outlook, but rather behave as if they were already living under nonrepressive conditions, in a truly human society, an attitude which
? TYPES AND SYNDROMES
779
may, sometimes, tend to weaken their power of resistance. There is no evi- dence of any truly schizoid tendencies. They are completely nonstereopathic -they do not even resist stereotypy, but simply fail to understand the urge
~ for subsumption.
The etiology of the "Easy-Going" syndrome is still somewhat obscure. The
subjects in whom it is pronounced seem not to be defined by the preponder- ance of any psychological agency, or by retrogression to any particular in- fantile phase though there is, superficially seen, something of the child about them. Rather, they should be understood dynamically. They are people whose character structure has not become "congealed": no set pattern of control by any of the agencies of Freud's typology has crystallized, but they are completely "open" to experience. This, however, does not imply ego weakness, but rather the absence of traumatic experiences and defects which otherwise lead to the "reification" of the ego. In this sense, they are "normal," but it is just this normality which gives them in our civilization the appear- ance of a certain immaturity. Not only did they not undergo severe child- hood conflicts, but their whole childhood seems to be determined by motherly or other female images. 7 Perhaps they may best be characterized as those who know no fear of women. This may account for the absence of aggressive- ness. At the same time, it is possibly indicative of an archaic trait: to them, the world has still a matriarchal outlook. Thus, they may often represent, sociologically, the genuine "folk" element as against rational civilization. Representatives of this syndrome are not infrequent among the lower middle- classes. Though no "action" is to be expected of them, one may count on them as on persons who, under no circumstances, ever will adjust themselves to political or psychological fascism. The aforementioned M711
is very amiable, mild, gende, casual, slow, and somewhat lethargic in both voice and manner. He is quite verbal, but very circumstantial. His statements are typically surrounded with qualifications to which he commonly devotes more attention than to the main proposition. He seems to suffer from pervasive indecision and doubt, to be pretty unsure of his ideas, and to have great difficulty in committing himself to positive statements on very many matters. In general, he tends to avoid committing himself to things, either intellectually or emotionally, and in general avoids getting involved in things.
He describes his choice of profession as accidental, but it is interesting that he was originally a landscape architect-which may imply a desire for the res- titution of nature rather than its domination-and later became an inter- viewer in government employment, a job that gives him the gratification of helping other people without his stressing, however, this aspect narcis- sistically. He is not indifferent to wealth and admits his wish for "security," but is, at the same time, totally unimpressed by the importance of money per
7 The subject chosen as an illustration of this type "was brought up in a household of women-mother and grandmother. "
? THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY
se. His religious attitude has been described in Chapter XVIII, and it fits psy- chologically, in every detail, into the make-up of the "Easy-Going" syn- drome. It may be added that he "does not believe in the Immaculate Con- ception" but doesn't think "it makes any difference. "
When asked about discipline in childhood, he answers "practically none," "very undisciplined. " His strong attachment to his mother is emphasized without any inhibition: the only period of his childhood when there were any "bones of contention" was when his mother "exhibited her possessive- ness. She didn't like the gals I went with. " What he himself likes about women is described as follows:
"A wfully hard to say when you're pretty sold on a gal. . . . Seems to have all the things I like-fun to be with, brains, pretty. She likes me, which is important. We share things together. (What enjoy doing together? ) Music, reading, swim- ming, dancing. Most of the things which don't require too much energy, which makes it good. "
It is remarkable that there is no trace of hostility against the father-whom he lost very early-in spite of the mother-fixation. It is the imaginative gift of the father which lingers in his memory:
(Pleasant memories of father? ) "Lots of pleasant memories, because he spoiled us when he was home, always cooking up wonderful ideas for things to do. (Mother and father got along? ) I think very well. (Which parent take after? ) I don't know, because I didn't know my father very well. (Father's faults? ) Don't know. "
Most significant are his statements on race issues:
(What think of minority group problems? ) "I wish I knew. I don't know. I think that is one problem we should all be working on. (Biggest problem? ) Negroes, in terms of numbers. . . . I don't think we've ever faced the problem squarely. . . . Many Negroes have come to the West Coast. . . . (Have you ever had Negroes as friends? ) Yes . . . Not intimately, though have known a number that I've liked and enjoyed. (What about intermarriage? ) I think it's a false issue. ? . . They say, 'What if your sister married a Negro? ' I wouldn't have any feelings about it, frankly. . . . (Negro traits? ) No. "
As to the Jews, he does not come to their "defense," but actually denies that they are a "problem":
(What about the Jewish problem? ) "I don't think there is a Jewish problem. There again, I think that's been a herring for agitators. (How do you mean? ) Hitler, Ku Klux Klan, etc. (Jewish traits? ) No . . . I've seen Jewish people exhibit so- called Jewish traits, but also many non-Jewish people. " . . . (Subject emphasizes there is no distinction along racial lines. )
The danger implicit in the "Easy-Going" syndrome, i. e. , too great reluctance to use violence even against violence, is suggested by the following passage:
(What about picketing Gerald K. Smith? ) "I think Gerald K. Smith should have an opportunity to speak, if we are operating under a democracy. (What about
? TYPES AND SYNDROMES
picketing as registering a protest? ) If a certain group wants to, they have a right to. . . . I don't think it's always effective. "
That the subject's attitude of noncommitment to any "principle" is actually based on a sense of the concrete and not purely evasive is indicated by the following highly elucidating passage:
(Interviewer reads question . . . about tireless leader and refers to subject as agreeing a little, asks for elaboration. ) "I agree a little. However, the opposite of that, Huey Long, was a courageous, tireless leader and Hitler (laughs). It depends. (How do you mean? ) Well, I admired Willkie; I admired Roosevelt; I admired Wallace. But, I don't think we should ever have leaders in whom the people put their faith and then settle back. People seem to seek leaders to avoid thinking for themselves. "
This subject's interview concludes with the dialectical statement that "power is almost equivalent to the abuse of power. "
5. THE GENUINE LIBERAL
By contrast to the pattern just described, this syndrome is very outspoken in reaction and opinion. The subject in whom it is pronounced has a strong sense of personal autonomy and independence. He cannot stand any outside interference with his personal convictions and beliefs, and he does not want to interfere with those of others either. His ego is quite developed but not libidinized-he is rarely "narcissistic. " At the same time, he is willing to admit id tendencies, and to take the consequence-as is the case with Freud's "erotic type" (39). One of his conspicuous features is moral courage, often far beyond his rational evaluation of a situation. He cannot "keep silent" if some- thing wrong is being done, even if he seriously endangers himself. Just as he is strongly "individualized" himself, he sees the others, above all, as individ- uals, not as specimens of a general concept. He shares some features with other syndromes found among low scorers. Like the "Impulsive," he is little re- pressed and even has certain difficulties in keeping himself under "control. " However, his emotionality is not blind, but directed towards the other person as a subject. His love is not only desire but also compassion-as a matter of fact, one might think of defining this syndrome as the "compas- sionate" low scorer. He shares with the "Protesting" low scorer the vigor of identification with the underdog, but without compulsion, and without traces of overcompensation: he is no "Jew lover. " Like the "Easy-Going" low scorer he is antitotalitarian, but much more consciously so, without the element of hesitation and indecision. It is this configuration rather than any single trait which characterizes the "Genuine Liberal. " Aesthetic interests seem to occur frequently.
The illustration we give is a girl whose character of a "genuine liberal" stands out the more clearly, since, according to the interviewer,
? THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY
she is politically naive like the majority of our college women, regardless whether they are high or low.
No "ticket" is involved. Fszs
is a 2 1-year-old college student. She is a handsome brunette with dark, flashing eyes, who exudes temperament and vitality. She has none of the pretty-pretty femininity so frequently seen in high subjects, and would probably scorn the little feminine wiles and schemes practiced by such women. On the contrary, she is extremely frank and outspoken in manner, and in build she is athletic. One senses in her a very passionate nature and so strong a desire to give intensely of herself in all her relationships, that she must experience difficulty in restraining herself within the bounds of conventionality.
Apart from a semiprofessional interest in music she also "enjoys painting and dramatics. " As to her vocation, however, she is still undecided. She
has taken nurses' aid training. She liked helping people in this way. "I enjoyed it. I feel that I could now take care of a sick person. It didn't bother me to carry bed- pans and urinals. I learned that I could touch flesh without being squeamish. I learned to be tactful about certain things. And then it was patriotic! (slightly joking tone). People liked me. (Why did they like you? ) Because I smiled, and because I was always making cracks-like I'm doing now. "
Her views with regard to minorities are guided by the idea of the individual:
"Minorities have to have just as many rights as majorities. They are all people and should have just as many rights as the majority. There should be no minorities; there should only be individuals and they should be judged according to the indi- vidual. Period! Is that sufficient? "
(Negroes? ) "Same thing! Still as individuals. Their skin is black, but they are still people.
Individuals have loves and sorrows and joys. I don't think you should
kill them all or liquidate them or stick them in a corner just because they are dif- ferent people. I would not marry one, because I should not want to marry a person who has a trait I don't like, like a large nose, etc. I would not want to have children with dark skins. I would not mind if they live next door to me. " (Earlier in the interview subject had brought out the fact that she had also to care for Negro " patients during her nurses' aid work, and that she had not minded at all having to give baths to them, etc. )
(Jews? ) "Same! Well I could marry a Jew very easily. I could even marry a Negro if he had a light enough skin. I prefer a light skin. I don't consider Jews different from white people at all, because they even have light skins. It's really silly. (What do you think are the causes of prejudice? ) Jealousy. (Explain? ) Be- cause they are smarter and they don't want any competition. W e don't want any competition. If they want it they should have it. I don't know if they are more intelligent, but if they are they should have it. "
The last statement shows complete absence of any aspect of guilt feelings in her relation to the Jews. It is followed up by the joke:
"Maybe if the Jews get in power they would liquidate the majority! That's not smart. Because we would fight back. "
? TYPES AND SYNDROMES
Her views on religion, with a slightly humorous touch, are centered in the idea of Utopia. She mentions the word herself, when referring to her read- ing of Plato. The gist of her religion is contained in the statement: "Per- haps we will all be saved. " This should be compared with the prevailing "anti-Utopian" attitude of our subjects.
The description of both her parents contains elements of her own ego ideal, in quite an unconventional way:
"Father has been employed for 25 years in the freight complaint department of t h e - - R. R. Co. His work involves the hiring of many men. He has about 150 people working under him. " (Subject described her father as follows:) "He could have been vice-president by now-he has the brains-but he does not have the go- get-in nature; he is not enough of a politician. He is broad-minded-always listens to both sides of a question before making up his mind. He is a good 'argumenter' for this reason. He is understanding. He is not emotional like mother. Mother is emotional, father factual. Mother is good. She has a personality of her own. She gives to all of us. She is emotional. She keeps Daddy very satisfied. (In what way? ) She makes a home for him to come home to-he has it very hard at the office. It's living. Their marriage is very happy-everybody notices it. Their children perform too-people notice them! Mother is very friendly. Understanding. She gives sym- pathy. People love to talk to her. Someone calls her up on the telephone and they become lifelong friends just from having talked on the telephone! She is sensitive; it is easy to hurt her. "
Her attitude towards sex is one of precarious restraint. Her boy friend
wants to have sexual intercourse everytime that they have a date-in fact he wanted it the first time he dated her-and she doesn't want it that way. She cries every time he tries something, so she supposes it cannot be right for her. She thinks that friendship should precede sexual relations, but he thinks that sex relations are a way of getting to know each other better. Finally she broke with him three days ago (said with mock tearfulness). He had said, "Let's just be friends," but she didn't want that either! The sex problem bothers her. The first time she danced with him he told her that he thought she wanted intercourse; whereas she just wanted to be close to him. She is worried because she didn't mean it the other way, but perhaps unconsciously she did!
It is evident that her erotic character is connected with a lack of repression with regard to her feelings towards her father: "I would like to marry some- one like my father. "
The result of the interview is summed up by the interviewer:
The most potent factors making for the low score in this case are the open-mind- edness of the parents and the great love subject's mother bore all her children.
If this can be generalized, and consequences be drawn for high scorers, we might postulate that the increasing significance of the fascist character de- pends largely upon basic changes in the structure of the family itself (see Max Horkheimer, 53a).
? CHAPTER XX
GENETIC ASPECTS OF THE AUTHORI- T ARIAN PERSONALITY: CASE STUDIES OF TWO CONTRASTING INDIVIDUALS R. Nevitt Sanford
A. INTRODUCTION
As Mack and Larry have been followed through the various techniques of the study each of these subjects has shown striking consistency of response, and numerous differences between them have been found. The consistency embraces personality as well as ideology, and the differences have appeared in each area of investigation, from surface attitudes to the deep-lying needs explored by the T. A. T. Evidence has accumulated in support of the view that the differing ideological patterns are closely associated with differences in personality structure. The present task is to describe these personality struc- tures, to see how they are expressed in ideological trends and, above all, to learn as much as possible about how they developed. Numerous personality characteristics of the two subjects have already been brought to light, and the T. A. T. has given strong indications of what the central forces in each case might be; over-all formulation, however, has had to wait upon an examina- tion of the material from the clinical section of the interview. This material obviously leaves much to be desired, but when it is brought into relation with what has gone before and interpreted with the freedom which the background afforded by the foregoing clinical chapters now permits, rea- sonably complete and meaningful pictures emerge.
Many of the variables discussed in the chapters dealing with data from the clinical interviews will appear again as we consider these two cases. It is hoped that by paying more attention to specific detail than has been possible when the concern was with groups of subjects, we may come to closer grips with some of the concrete phenomena from which our variables were ab- stracted and that they will thus gain something in meaningfulness. The concern here, however, is not so much with particular variables as with the pattern- ing of variables within a single individual. The aim is to achieve as lifelike a portrait of one authoritarian personality, in its genetic aspects, as our frag-
787
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mentary material permits, and to point up the contrasts with a nonauthori- tarian personality.
Most consideration will be given to the case of Mack: Here, as throughout the book, prejudice, rather than the relative lack of it, is in the focus of atten- tion. Larry's case is used mainly for purposes of contrast-contrast both with respect to the broad outlines of personality structure and with respect to certain turning points of development which seem to have been crucial for prejudice.
B. THE CASE OF MACK The clinical part of Mack's interview follows.
"Mother was sick in bed a great deal of the time. I remember her reading and singing to us. She devoted her last strength to us kids. I don't have those early recollections of my father. My first recollection of him as a father was one spring morning, when mother passed away. He came back to tell us. Of course, there is such a disparity between his age and mine. He is 77 now. Mother had 3 operations. The third time she left I was very distressed. It was like a premonition. The aunt across the street helped take care of us, when we got sick. Father spent all of his time with us after mother died.
"My sister is 4 years 0lder than I. She has been married about 312 years. She is a housewife, has a 2-year-old boy, and is expecting another. I have had very good relations with her, a few arguments, but not like other brothers and sisters I have seen. She took care of the family cooking and took care of me. They called her 'the little old lady. ' That has kept up. She helped put me through school ,and to buy my clothes. She is an accomplished stenographer and bookkeeper. She loaned me money to get started in the East. I have repaid her. No, she has not influenced me much in ideas. She's like myself in that. She doesn't take religion very seriously; she never drinks or smokes, has high ideals. But father was more responsible for that.
"Up to high school I didn't do much thinking about anything. When I entered high school, my sister had left. The four years in high school I spent mostly with my father. When I graduated, he was living with us in "
(What things did you admire especially in your father? ) "Mostly, his attention to us kids was very admirable. He's very honest, so much so that he won't condone charge accounts. He's known throughout the country as a man whose word is as good as his bond. His greatest contribution was denying himself pleasures to take care of us kids. (What disagreements have you had with your father? ) There haven't been any to any great extent. I had a mind of my own at a very early age. He has too. We've had arguments, but I can't remember any lickings by him. He scolded but usually talked things over. Our arguments were usually about things I wanted that he didn't want me to have-like the 22 rifle I wanted when I was 10, or a bicycle. He had to be very careful about money. He wouldn't let me work-he thought it was beneath me. He was afraid I would hurt myself with the rifle. But he never denied me anything I needed. (What have been the effects of the age discrep- ancy? ) Well, I've had to shift for myself a lot. I would have welcomed instruction that he wasn't able to give me. My first venture socially was in the DeMolay. I was a charter member and later a master counselor. I was vice-president of the student body in high school and president of the student body at business school. He was pleased and encouraged me,
? GENETIC ASPECTS OF THE AUTHORIT ARIAN PERSONALITY 789
"Bud, my cousin, and I were always together. He is 2 months younger. W e played baseball and went hunting, etc. We're still close, though we write seldom. He is in India. "
(What are your most pleasant memories of childhood? ) "Those good times Bud and I had, and with other groups. Skiing and tobogganing. My real pleasures are very simple and always have been. But I like nice equipment, for example, a good rifle. Bud and I had good help from father. He used to spend his winters alone in the mountains, and made his own skis and snowshoes. He showed us how to make them. "
(What did you worry most about as a kid? ) "Well, mostly about being held back by lack of funds. I worried about such things. In the 7th grade, I was the best speller, but I remember a defeat by a girl at the county spelling bee. Often I was just a little under the top. Just like in the service. I went to OCS, and got sick just before getting my commission. Usually I tried too hard, like in football. I was not as good an end as I should have been. I dropped passes because I tried too hard and so I was mediocre. Now, when I'm relaxed I have no trouble at all.
"They found I was anemic at the age of 12. I had my first hemorrhage from the stomach when I was 18. lt always comes around when I start working too hard. "
(Where did you get your sex instruction? ) "I never had any from my parents, though I did get some suggestions from my aunt; no real instruction. What I know I have picked up from reading. I've listened to men talk, but accepted little of it; I weighed it in the light of what I have read. "
(What was your first sex experience? ) "It was in 1940-41, the aftermath of a New Year's party in Washington. There was liquor. I was always the backward boy. I hope to get married to the girl I'm going with now. She is an awfully nice companion. Most girls are interested only in a good time and want fellows with lots of money to spend. I didn't have the money for giving them a swell time. The girl I'm in love with now lived 9 miles from me. She attended a rival high school. I dated her once in high school. When I got back from the army, I worked in a lumber mill. This girl had graduated f r o m - - and started teaching. Her uncle is the vice-presi- dent of the bank. I talked to him about buying an automobile that she was interested in. I looked it over for her, since I knew something about cars, and told her it was in good condition. I got started going with her that way. I found out that she wasn't interested in money, but was interested in me in spite of my discharge from the army, my poor health and prospects. She's just very good-not beautiful, but a . tre- mendously nice personality. She is French with some Irish in her. She has a nice figure and is very wholesome. When we get married depends on circumstances. It's quite a responsibility. She wants to get married now; she is teaching in _ _ _ _ .
