MEASUREMENT OF CHARACTER, 735 



trary, they are so intermixed that they are never singly in action. I 

 tried to gain an idea of the number of the more conspicuous aspects 

 of the character by counting in an appropriate dictionary the words 

 used to express them. Roget's " Thesaurus " was selected for that 

 purpose, and I examined many pages of its index here and there as 

 samples of the whole, and estimated that it contained fully one thou- 

 sand words expressive of character, each of which has a separate shade 

 of meaning, while each shares a large part of its meaning with some of 

 the rest. 



It may seem hopeless to deal accurately with so vague and wide a 

 subject, but it often happens that, when we are unable to meet difficul- 

 ties, we may evade them, and so it is with regard to the present diffi- 

 culty. It is true that we can not define any aspect of character, but 

 we can define a test that shall elicit some manifestation of character, 

 and we can define the act performed in response to it. Searchings 

 into the character must be conducted on the same fundamental prin- 

 ciple as that which lies at the root of examinations into the intellectual 

 capacity. Here there has been no preliminary attempt to map out the 

 field of intellect with accuracy ; but definite tests are selected by 

 which the intellect is probed at places that are roughly known but not 

 strictly defined, as the depth of a lake might be sounded from a boat 

 rowing here and there. So it should be with respect to character. 

 Definite acts in response to definite emergencies have alone to be noted. 

 No accurate map of character is required to start from. 



Emergencies need not be waited for, they can be extemporized ; 

 traps, as it were, can be laid. Thus, a great ruler, whose word can 

 make or mar a subject's fortune, wants a secret agent, and tests his 

 character during a single interview. He contrives by a few minutes' 

 questioning, temptation, and show of displeasure, to turn his charac- 

 ter inside out, exciting in turns his hopes, fear, zeal, loyalty, ambition, 

 and so forth. Ordinary observers, who stand on a far lower pedestal, 

 can not hope to excite the same tension and outburst of feeling in 

 those whom they examine, but they can obtain good data in a more 

 leisurely way. If they are unable to note a man's conduct under great 

 trials for want of opportunity, they may do it in small ones, and it is 

 well that those small occasions should be such as are of frequent 

 occurrence, that the statistics of men's conduct under like conditions 

 may be compared. After fixing upon some particular class of persons 

 of similar age, sex, and social condition, we have to find out what com- 

 mon incidents in their lives are most apt to make them betray their 

 character. We may then take note, as often as we can, of what they 

 do on these occasions, so as to arrive at their statistics of conduct in a 

 limited number of well-defined small trials. 



One of the most notable differences between man and man lies in 

 the emotional temperament. Some persons are quick and excitable ; 

 others are slow and deliberate. A sudden excitement, call, touch, gest- 



