TABOO AND GENETICS 253 



attitude, society is not accomplishing its purpose 

 and preventing all sexual relationships except 

 those which conform to its institutionalized 

 standards. It is merely forcing what should be 

 always the most dignified of human relationships 

 into the shamefulness of concealment and furtive- 

 ness. Moreover, because it visits its wrath on 

 the child born of unions which are not strictly 

 conventionalized, it prevents the birth of chil- 

 dren from mothers who might be of great 

 eugenic value, but whom fear of social dis- 

 approval keeps from the exercise of their 

 maternal functions but not of their sexual 

 activities. 



In the final analysis, it will probably be 

 demonstrated that for a certain type of per- 

 sonality there can be no compromise which will 

 resolve the conflict between the egoistic in- 

 clinations and the interests of the group. For 

 those whose deepest desires are so out of harmony 

 with the social life of the times there is no 

 alternative but to sacrifice their personal desires 

 or to forfeit the pleasure of feeling in complete 

 rapport with their fellows. In such natures, 

 the ultimate course of conduct will be deter- 

 mined by the relative strengths of the individu- 

 alistic and gregarious impulses, other things 

 being equal. In some instances this will mean 

 the choice of a line of conduct out of harmony 

 with the general trend of group life ; in others, 



