Earl Foley was fifteen years old when he entered high school and came
under the control of its principal, Mr. Mullendore.
Earl was large, with a round face, thick lips, a big mouth and a too
ready smile. He was very active and learned easily, but was unmannerly
and above all, selfish. He invariably selected the best for himself,
stood between others and the teacher, gave his views unsought, and in
many little ways annoyed his teachers and companions.
[Sidenote: Selfish Manners]
Mr. Mullendore discovered that the boy simply needed teaching, so he
decided that in his private talks with Earl he would use illustrations
easily understood. He asked Earl one day what famous person he admired
above all others. Finding the man to be Lincoln, Mr. Mullendore talked
of Lincoln’s unselfishness and humility and even asked Earl what kind of
pencil he thought Lincoln would have taken if passed a box containing
one good pencil, and the others second grade, Lincoln knowing,
meanwhile, that all would be used by his classmates. Mr. Mullendore
talked of Earl’s work on the farm and asked him to recall the practice
of pigs, cattle and fowls in getting their share of food. He asked Earl
to study out the cause for the development of unselfishness in the human
race.
All this was said without a single reference to Earl’s own traits. It
seemed a part of the study of Lincoln. Earl was not slow to apply the
suggestions of the lesson, however, and before many months had passed he
was one of the most unselfish pupils in the high school.
(2) _Jealousy._ Some one has truly said, “In jealousy there is more
self-love than love.” It is an attitude which develops early, however.
Even very young children will sometimes destroy an object rather than
have it fall into the hands of another. As a rule the smaller the number
of individuals in competition and the narrower the range of their
interests the more intense will be the jealousy between them.
The teacher’s problems are complicated by jealousies in two ways: (1) by
a spirit of unkindly rivalry among patrons of the school, a feeling
which is sure to be reflected in the attitudes of the pupils toward each
other, and (2) by a spirit of jealousy arising among and limited to the
pupils themselves.
The first type has been treated incidentally in other parts of Practical
School Discipline and need not be further dealt with here. The second
type, fortunately, is not a very common cause of trouble in the well
ordered school-room, but it is a fault so harmful to the child himself
and in adult life, so harmful to all who come within its blighting
influence, that it can not be too carefully watched and checked in its
early development.
During adolescence and afterwards, jealous attitudes arise mainly out of
sports and out of competition for sex recognition and appreciation.
Jealousy breeds an angry resentment toward a person who holds or seems
likely to acquire one’s property or personal privilege. It embraces a
feeling of fear and a sense of helplessness in the face of the
aggressor. It develops an enlarged appreciation of the treasures
involved and a disposition to care for them by violence, or if defence
is useless, to destroy them.
Jealousy, envy, rivalry and covetousness are only varying forms of the
same anti-social attitude of selfishness. Tact and patience on the part
of parent and teacher and the judicious application of the Five
Fundamental Principles will uproot them all in time.