criminal psychology-第9部分

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of　contemporary　civilization　is　reactionary；　because　subjective。。。。　The　thing　of　importance　is　everywhere　the　individual　who　is　trying　to　show　off　his　lordliness。　Nowhere　is　any　mentionable　effort　to　be　found　that　subordinates　itself　through　love　of　the　whole。''

These　unmistakable　terms　contain　a　‘‘discovery''　that　is　applicable　to　our　days　even　better　than　to　Goethe's。　_It　is　characteristic　of　our　time　that　each　man　has　an　exaggerated　interest　in　himself_。　Consequently；　he　is　concerned　only　with　himself　or　with　his　immediate　environment；　he　understands　only　what　he　already　knows　and　feels；　and　he　works　only　where　he　can　attain　some　personal　advantage。　It　is　hence　to　be　concluded　that　we　may　proceed　with　certainty　only　when　we　count　on　this　exaggerated　egoism　and　use　it　as　a　prime　factor。　The　most　insignificant　little　things　attest　this。　A　man　who　gets　a　printed　directory　will　look　his　own　name　up；　though　he　knows　it　is　there；　and　contemplate　it　with　pleasure；　he　does　the　same　with　the　photograph　of　a　group　of　which　his　worthy　self　is　one　of　the　immortalized。　If　personal　qualities　are　under　discussion；　he　is　happy；　when　he　can　say；‘‘Now　I　am　by　nature　so。''　If　foreign　cities　are　under　discussion；　he　tells　stories　of　his　native　city；　or　of　cities　that　he　has　visited；　and　concerning　things　that　can　interest　only　him　who　has　been　there。　Everyone　makes　an　effort　to　bring　something　of　his　personal　status　to　bear；either　the　conditions　of　his　life；　or　matters　concerning　only　him。　If　anybody　announces　that　he　has　had　a　good　time；　he　means　without　exception；　absolutely　without　exception；　that　he　has　had　an　opportunity　to　push　his　‘‘I''　very　forcefully　into　the　foreground。

Lazarus＇1＇　has　rightly　given　this　human　quality　historical　significance：　‘‘Pericles　owed　a　considerable　part　of　his　political　dictatorate　to　the　circumstance　of　knowing　practically　all　Athenian　citizens　by　name。　Hannibal；　Wallenstein；　Napoleon　I；　infected

＇1＇　M。　Lazarus：　Das　Leben　der　Seele。　Berlin　1856。

　their　armies；　thanks　to　ambition；　with　more　courage　than　could　the　deepest　love　of　arms；　country　and　freedom；　just　through　knowing　and　calling　by　name　the　individual　soldiers。''

Daily　we　get　small　examples　of　this　egoism。　The　most　disgusting　and　boresome　witness；　who　is　perhaps　angry　at　having　been　dragged　so　far　from　his　work；　can　be　rendered　valuable　and　useful　through　the　initial　show　of　a　little　_*personal_　interest；　of　some　comprehension　of　his　affairs；　and　of　some　consideration；　wherever　possible；　of　his　views　and　efficiency。　Moreover；　men　judge　their　fellows　according　to　their　comprehension　of　their　own　particular　professions。　The　story　of　the　peasant's　sneer　at　a　physician；　‘‘But　what　can　he　know　when　he　does　not　even　know　how　to　sow　oats？''　is　more　than　a　story；　and　is　true　of　others　besides　illiterate　boors。　Such　an　attitude　recurs　very　frequently；　particularly　among　people　of　engrossing　trades　that　require　much　time；e。　g。；　among　soldiers；　horsemen；　sailors；　hunters；　etc。　If　it　is　not　possible　to　understand　these　human　vanities　and　to　deal　with　these　people　as　one　of　the　trade；　it　is　wise　at　least　to　suggest　such　understanding；　to　show　interest　in　their　affairs　and　to　let　them　believe　that　really　you　think　it　needful　for　everybody　to　know　how　to　saddle　a　horse　correctly；　or　to　distinguish　the　German　bird…dog　from　the　English　setter　at　a　thousand　paces。　What　is　aimed　at　is　not　personal　respect　for　the　judge；　but　for　the　judge's　function；　which　the　witness　identifies　with　the　judge's　person。　If　he　has　such　respect；　he　will　find　it　worth　the　trouble　to　help　us　out；　to　think　carefully　and　to　assist　in　the　difficult　conclusion　of　the　case。　There　is　an　astonishing　difference　between　the　contribution　of　a　sulking　and　contrary　witness　and　of　one　who　has　become　interested　and　pleased　by　the　affair。　Not　only　quantity；　but　truth　and　reliability　of　testimony；　are　immensely　greater　in　the　latter　case。

Besides；　the　antecedent　self…love　goes　so　far　that　it　may　become　very　important　in　the　examination　of　the　accused。　Not　that　a　trap　is　to　be　set　for　him；　merely　that　since　it　is　our　business　to　get　at　the　truth；　we　ought　to　proceed　in　such　proper　wise　with　a　denying　accused　as　might　bring　to　light　facts　that　otherwise　careful　manipulation　would　not　have　brought　out。　How　often　have　anonymous　or　pseudonymous　criminals　betrayed　themselves　under　examination　just　because　they　spoke　of　circumstances　involving　their　capital　_*I_；　and　spoke　so　clearly　that　now　the　clue　was　found；　it　was　no　longer　difficult　to　follow　it　up。　In　the　examination　of　well…known　criminals；　dozens　of　such　instances　occurthe　fact　is　not　new；　but　it　needs　to　be　made　use　of。　

A　similar　motive　belongs　to　subordinate　forms　of　egoism　the　obstinacy　of　a　man　who　may　be　so　vexed　by　contradiction　as　to　drive　one　into　despair；　and　who　under　proper　treatment　becomes　valuable。　This　I　learned　mainly　from　my　old　butler；　a　magnificent　honest　soldier；　a　figure　out　of　a　comedy；　but　endowed　with　inexorable　obstinacy　against　which　my　skill　for　a　long　time　availed　nothing。　As　often　as　I　proposed　something　with　regard　to　some　intended　piece　of　work　or　alteration；　I　got　the　identical　reply‘‘It　won't　do；　sir。''　Finally　I　got　hold　of　a　list　and　worked　my　plan‘‘Simon；　this　will　now　be　done　as　Simon　recently　said　it　should　be　done；　namely。''　At　this　he　looked　at　me；　tried　to　think　when　he　had　said　this　thing；　and　went　and　did　it。　And　in　spite　of　frequent　application　this　list　has　not　failed　once　for　some　years。　What　is　best　about　it　is　that　it　will　serve；　mutatis　mutandis；　with　criminals。　As　soon　as　ever　real　balkiness　is　noted；　it　becomes　necessary　to　avoid　the　least　appearance　of　contradictoriness；　since　that　increases　difficulties。　It　is　not　necessary　to　lie　or　to　make　use　of　trickery。　Only；　avoid　direct　contradiction；　drop　the　subject　in　question；　and　return　to　it　indirectly　when　you　perceive　that　the　obstinate　individual　recognizes　his　error。　Then　you　may　succeed　in　building　him　a　golden　bridge；　or　at　least　a　barely　visible　sidedoor　where　he　can　make　his　retreat　unnoticed。　In　that　case　even　the　most　difficult　of　obstinates　will　no　longer　repeat　the　old　story。　He　will　repeat　only　if　he　is　pressed；　and　this　although　he　is　repeatedly　brought　back　to　the　point。　If；　however；　the　matter　is　once　decided；　beware　of　returning　to　it　without　any　other　reason；　save　to　confirm　the　settled　matter　quite　completely；that　would　be　only　to　wake　the　sleeper　to　give　him　a　sleeping　powder。

Speaking　generally；　the　significant　rule　is　this：　_Egoism；　laziness　and　conceit　are　the　only　human　motives　on　which　one　may　unconditionally　depend_。　Love；　loyalty；　honesty；　religion　and　patriotism；　though　firm　as　a　rock；　may　lapse　and　fall。　A　man　might　have　been　counted　on　for　one　of　these　qualities　ten　times　with　safety；　and　on　the　eleventh；　he　might　collapse　like　a　house　of　cards。　Count　on　egoism　and　laziness　a　hundred　or　a　thousand　times　and　they　are　as　firm　as　ever。　More　simply；　count　on　egoismfor　laziness　and　conceit　are　only　modifications　of　egoism。　The　latter　alone　then　should　be　the　one　human　motive　to　keep　in　mind　when　dealing　with　men。　There　are　cases　enough　when　all　the　wheels　are　set　in　motion　after　a　clue　to　the　truth；　i。　e。；　when　there　is　danger　that　the　person　under　suspicion　is　innocent；　appeals　to　honor；　conscience；　humanity　and　　religion　fail；but　run　the　complete　gamut　of　self…love　and　the　whole　truth　rings　clear。　Egoism　is　the　best　criterion　of　the　presence　of　veracity。　Suppose　a　coherent　explanation　has　been　painfully　constructed。　It　is　obvious　that　the　correctness　of　the　construction　is　studied　with　reference　to　the　given　motive。　Now；　if　the　links　in　the　chain　reach　easily　back　to　the　motive；　there　is　at　least　the　possibility　that　the　chain　is　free　of　error。　What　then　of　the　motive？　If　it　is　noblefriendship；　love；　humaneness；　loyalty；　mercythe　constructed　chain　may　be　correct；　and　happily　is　so　oftener　than　is　thought；　but　it　_*need　not_　be　correct。　If；　however；　the　structure　rests　on　egoism；　in　any　of　its　innumerable　forms？　and　if　it　is　logically　sound；　then　the　whole　case　is　explained　utterly　and　reliably。　The　construction　is　indubitably　correct。


Section　8。　（f）　Secrets。


The　determination　of　the　truth　at　law　would　succeed　much　less　frequently　than　it　does　if　it　were　not　for　the　fact　that　men　find　it　very　difficult　to　keep　secrets。　This　essentially　notable　and　not　clearly　understood　circumstance　is　popularly　familiar。　Proverbs　of　all　people　deal　with　it　and　point　mainly　to　the　fact　that　keeping　secrets　is　especially　difficult　for　women。　The　Italians　say　a　woman　who　may　not　speak　is　in　danger　of　bursting；　the　Germans；　that　the　burden　of　secrecy　affects　her　health　and　ages　her　prematurely；　the　English　say　similar　things　still　more　coarsely。　Classical　proverbs　have　dealt　with　the　issue；　numberless　fairy　tales；　narratives；　novels　and　poems　have　portrayed　the　difficulty　of　silence；　and　one　very　fine　modern　novel　（Die　Last　des　Schweigens；　by　Ferdinand　Krnberger）　has　chosen　this　fact　for　its　principal　motive。　The　universal　difficulty　of　keeping　silence　is　expressed　by　Lotze＇1＇　in　the　dictum　that　we　learn　expression　very　young　and　silence　very　late。　The　fact　is　of　use　to　the　criminalist　not　only　in　regard　to　criminals；　but　also　with　regard　to　witnesses；　who；　for　one　reason　or　another；　want　to　keep　something　back。　The　latter　is　the　source　of　a　good　deal　of　danger；　inasmuch　as　the　witness　is　compelled　to　speak　and　circles　around　the　secret　in　question　without　touching　it；　until　he　points　it　out　and　half　reveals　it。　If　he　stops　there；　the　matter　requires　consideration；　for　‘‘a　half　truth　is　worse　than　a　whole　lie。''　The　latter　reveals　its　subject　and　intent　and　permits　of　defence；　while　the　half　truth　may；　by　association　and　circumscriptive　limitations；　cause　vexatious　errors　both　as　regards　the　identity　of　the　semi…accused

＇1＇　Lotze：　Der　Instinkt。　Kleine　Schriften。　Leipzig　1885。

　and　as　regards　the　circumstances　with　which　he　is　thus　involved。　For　this　reason　the　criminalist　must　consider　the　question　of　secrets　carefully。

As　for　his　own　silence；　this　must　be　considered　in　both　directions　That　he　is　not　to　blab　official　secrets　is　so　obvious　that　it　need　not　be　spoken　of。　Such　blabbing　is　so　neglige