X PERSONALITY AS A WHOLE 289 



work as well as the personal record — for a full understanding 

 of any particular Personality. 



From a series of biographical studies, such as I propose, it 

 will, I imagine, become clear that Personalities follow theif^ 

 own laws of inner growth and development, which will, while / 

 conforming to a general plan, show very considerable di-J 

 versity in detail. It will be found that each Personality 

 is a psychic biological organism, an individual personal 

 whole, with its own curve of development, and its own 

 series of phases of growth. A person will thus be found to 

 be very different at different stages of his development, but 

 all the stages and phases will be bound together by and be 

 the outcome of the identical inner Personality. A com- 

 parison of such studies of individual Personalities will then 

 give the curve or the law of Personality, and reduce to 

 rational order a phenomenon which is to-day still within the 

 region of mystery. 



As the key to all the highest interests of the human race 

 Personality seems to be quite the most important and fruit- 

 ful problem to which the thinkers of the coming generation 

 could direct their attention. In Personality will probably be 

 found the answer to some of the hardest and oldest questions 

 that have troubled the heart as well as the head of man.j 

 The problem of Personality seems as hard as it is important. 

 Not without reason have thinkers throughout the ages shied 

 off from it. But it holds precious secrets for those who will 

 seriously devote themselves to the new science or discipline 

 of Personology. 



