i stated in the preceding chapter that to every degree of glandular development there corresponds a certain set of physical characteristics which, in the love life, may be transformed into fetishes, (beautiful features, laymen call them), which are necessary to arouse sexual desire in one's mate, but which are not necessarily attractive to any one else.
those physical characteristics are, in turn, the tangible evidence of the presence of certain mental attitudes and predispositions.
individuals seeking in the love union, not merely a passing gratification of their erotism, but a lifelong arrangement, gratifying both the physical and the mental aspects of the organism, should be trained to recognise the presence or absence of characteristics which would make such an arrangement a lasting pleasure or a lasting torture.
for instance, the woman who falls in love with a man because her fetishism requires a short, round,[pg 234] plump, man, with a good head of hair but hairless limbs, must not expect him to ever grow into a fighter, a good provider or even a companion of placid moods.
a man of that type is capricious, unstable, unresisting, and prefers the gentler arts to any form of competitive struggle.
likewise a man who picks out a woman for his mate because she has pretty, doll-like features, is "cute" and slight, has a soft skin, white and pink, must not expect to live peacefully with her on a farm, or even on main street or in a distant suburb.
that type of woman grows easily emotional, is constantly in search of new excitement and new pleasures. it is only at forty that she will become more settled (and rotund), retaining, however, a certain jollity of disposition.
the olive skinned dark haired type, and the freckled, red haired are very much alike. both have a low forehead, hair is plentiful all over the body, thick and coarse. their canines are long and sharp.
men and women of that type are good fighters, more easily angered than scared; they are generally successful, with a tendency to slave-driving. in the face of great difficulties, of painful disappointment,[pg 235] however, they are prone to turn embittered and cranky.
people of this type who show large birth marks are likely to be imbalanced and irritable. they may at times give the impression of being weak and lazy, altho their minds may be extremely active.
the tall type, with strong frame, firm muscles, generous hands and feet, a thick skin, oval face, head flattened at the sides, thick eyebrows, prominent eyes, placed rather wide apart, large nose, square chin, large upper middle incisors, heavy joints, hairy legs and arms, is characterised by intelligence and self-control. at times that type has a tendency to be a little calculating if not sordid.
the lean type with clean-cut features, thick hair, thick, long eyebrows, big, keen eyes, sometimes slightly protruding, well developed white teeth and a very masculine or very feminine mouth, according to sex, is active, restless, a live wire, emotional and likely to be easily prostrated by an unexpected defeat. men and women of that type have a tendency to be sleepless and to do too much planning at night instead of resting peacefully.
the short, obese, sallow type, with a high forehead, scanty eyebrows, deep set, narrow eyes, irregular teeth that decay early, with poor circula[pg 236]tion, cold and blue hands and feet, is rather "animal" and lacks self-control.
the slender type, with narrow waist line, rounded limbs, long chest, (which in women may carry poorly developed breasts), very white, hairless skin, delicate features, silky hair, childish teeth, flat feet, knock-knees, may be at times very brilliant, but is generally queer, eccentric, irresponsible, perverse, dishonest. that type is observed in many petty thieves, prostitutes, drug addicts, suicides.
those are the most striking physical types. they present hundreds of shadings and combinations.
environment. the last mentioned type, if reared and kept in a comfortable environment, among people of slightly lax behavior, of artistic inclinations, exposed to none of life's onslaughts, may do very well, and be considered by his associates as sensitive, gentle and likeable. it is the pressure of social and economic conditions which cause him to seek safety in theft (quick acquisition of wealth), drug stupor, (escape from reality, perversion, escape from biological duties connected with a normal sex life), or suicide, (return to the fetal stage and escape from life).
those people are children who can only thrive in the nursery.
[pg 237]
even as infant mortality depends solely upon the family income, the death rate being five times as high in poor as in wealthy families, the stability and social charm of almost any glandular type depends upon the social pressure that type has to bear.
almost any type is bearable, if not lovable, in a comfortable environment requiring little planning and no fighting.
one of the details of the social pressure is, of course, the attempts at repression or modification to which a personality may be subjected by the life mate. the fault lies in this case, not so much with the type in itself, however inferior it may be, as with the incurable optimist who attempts the impossible task of changing a human personality.
in other words, it might be said, that in an environment which exerts no pressure on the individual, that is, where there is abundance of wealth and comfort, one can select a mate with bad fetishes, that is, indicative of weakness, while those less favored financially must lay greater stress on fetishes denoting strength and fighting ability.
what teeth indicate. fraenkel and kaplan have pointed to the teeth as indicators of the general glandular condition of the individual and of his probable mental and physical powers. good middle[pg 238] incisors indicate good thyroid and pituitary, hence strength and balance.
good lateral incisors indicate sexual power; good canines indicate strong adrenals, hence good fighting ability.
lack of any of those teeth, or their stunted growth, gives naturally, the contrary indication as to make up and character.
one must not forget either that certain fetishes are superficial and likely to disappear early in life. blondes may turn into brunettes; sveltness may yield to invading obesity, altho this last change is to be blamed more on the individual's stupidity than upon his glandular condition; a white skin may become yellow, etc.
preference should, therefore, be given, when in doubt, to more durable fetishes, stature, strength, general appearance, attitude, which are less likely to change with the years.
matrimonial engineers. here is a new field for educators; there may grow from this very new knowledge a new profession, that of the matrimonial engineer, who will diagnose the chances of happiness two human beings may have, if they decide to associate their destinies.
much has to be studied and experimented upon be[pg 239]fore any one can consider himself qualified to pass final judgments upon the decisions to which love leads couples.
"however" as berman writes, "the fact remains that, though we are only upon the first rungs of the ladder, we are on the ladder. we possess a new way of looking upon humanity, a fresh transforming light upon these strange phenomena, ourselves. of the ugly achievements of that dreadful century, the nineteenth, the most illuminating was the discovery of itself as the ape-parvenu. yes, we are all animals now, it said to itself, and set its teeth in the cut-throat game of survival. but there was no understanding in that evil motto of a disillusioned heart. the ape-parvenu, desperately lonely and secretive, has still to understand itself....
"personality embraces much more than merely the psychic attributes. it is not the least important of the lessons of endocrine analysis that here is no soul, and no body either. rather a soul-body or body-soul, or the patterns of the living flame. the closer tracking of the internal secretions leads us into the secrets of the living flame, why it lives and how it lives, the strange diversities of its coloring and music and the odd variations in its energy,[pg 240] vitality and longevity. why it flickers, why it flares and glares, spurts, flutters, burns hard or soft, orange-blue or yellow."
