Conceptions of the Mature Personality from Dr. Graves' Research

"I shall open my conception with a short statement which will lay before you the basic facts of what a conception of mature behaviour should be. The statement will be about the assignment, that we have been doing in class and the facts of my conception.

1. This class has been the worst o what I feared I would run into in college. It has been nothing but empty-headed theorizing and muddle-headed hemming and hawing. why we have to spend four weeks talking about what proper instruction would cover in one good lecture I don't know.

2. It seems to me that it would be far more efficient for the facts of mature personality to be presented and then cover how to achieve it along with what happens if one does not. [Note the subtly challenging reference to authority]

3. Several times I have asked why such nonsense is allowed, why the time is being utterly wasted and why the instructor will not tell us what mature personality is.

4. Therefore, at the risk of incurring the instructor's displeasure, sir, my conception is what any clear thinking person knows mature personality is.

1. The mature personality is the clear thinking person who makes decision s on the basis of fact. The mature foes not let emotion overrule his reason.

2. The mature personality thinks about the things that are important, not about a lot of muddle-headed abstractions. He stands for the tried and true and against those who through their muddle-headed thinking would question the established purposes and virtue of man.

3. The mature personality does not go off on tangents, he is clearly focused.

4. The mature personality is loyal, he respects those who know better.

5. The mature personality has "his reach beyond his grasp." He works hard, he does not waste time, he knows that reward should come only from effort.

6. The mature personality sees to it he is known by his deeds, what he does, not what is said and he knows that it is right for him to do so.

7. The mature personality lives by the rules of proper living and requires that all others do so lest there be chaos.

8. The mature personality seeks always to better himself, he is never satisfied with half measures.

9. The mature accepts the laws for living because it is only through their existence that one can be free.

10. The mature has goals in life, he is not hampered in his goal seeking or decisions by uncertainties. He knows where he is going.

11. The mature is open-minded. He listens to all sides so that when he makes a decision he has all the information necessary to make the best decision, the one he knows is right.

12. The mature personality is he who achieves on his own, through his own efforts, by following the established rules.

13. The mature personality is one who respects the established order in life. He is one who knows that established order does exist and he is one who strives always to know and to guide his life by that established order.

14. The mature personality is respectful of his duty and he does it. If he does not subscribe to what is being done he seeks to achieve the position where he can institute right.

15. The mature has the will to work. He does not waste time, he always finds something worthwhile to do.

16. The mature controls his thinking. He keeps his mind on what he wants and off what he should not think about.

17. The mature strives to express only positive emotions -- he uses negative emotions only to handle the evil in the world such as war or crime which he may need to hate so as to kill the evil.

18. The mature uses up surplus energy in work not in frivolity or sex or drinking or eating or the like.

19. The mature is undaunted by failure or misfortune. He believes success comes to he who keeps trying whatever his troubles may be. Every adversity has a benefit.

20. The mature is a master of his attitudes. He directs his thoughts and ordains through self-direction how to control his destiny.

21. The mature separates fact from fiction, fantasy from reality.

22. The mature believes the greatest value in life is to master the negative and animal emotions so as to do good for people even if they cannot or will not do good for themselves.

23. And finally -- whatever the mature has accomplished he recognizes it is not enough. To do right he must set his standards high and seek ever and ever to achieve more, so the best be better."