OUTLINE OF A STUDY OF THE SELF 22 



Do your parents, or other relatives, wish you to follow a certain vocation ? 

 Why ? Are you going to permit their wish to determine the course of your 

 career ? Why ? Does your social position or self-esteem, pride, or snobbishness, 

 force you to choose from a limited range of vocations ? Discuss the matter 

 from the broadly social point of view. 



Summing up : — To what extent should the following factors influence one's 

 choice of an occupation: physical constitution; mental traits, temperament, 

 character; wishes of parents; wishes of betrothed, husband or wife; ambition; 

 sense of duty to society; sense of duty to one's ideals of success, happiness, 

 social service ? 



2. Marital 



The bearing of the following on (i) congeniality in wedlock and (2) the 



welfare of of spring 



(a) The inheritances of the self: physical, mental, moral, social, vocational. 

 Consider especially and in detail, with frankness and impartiality, your family 

 failings, weaknesses, and good points. Take up any prevalent diseases or ten- 

 dencies to disease in yourself. Is there any sufficient reason or combination 

 of reasons why you should not marry ? Why you should not have children ? 

 If you are an excellent representative of high-class stock, is it not your duty to 

 have as many children as you can successfully rear ? 



(b) The self as moulded by environment: the physical, mental, moral, social, 

 religious self. What significance has it for mating; for your children ? Are 

 you physically well fitted for a particular type of mate ? For any mate ? 

 Give your reasons. 



Is it possible for you now to improve your physical fitness for marriage and 

 for the production of children ? Do you know the probable effects of venereal 

 disease on marital happiness and on offspring ? 



What, so far as you can foresee at present, should be the mental, moral, and 

 social characteristics of your ideal mate ? ^ 



(c) The preparation or fitness of the self for the duties and responsibilities of 

 parenthood. Systematically examine yourself with a view to deciding whether 

 you are physically, mentally, and morally, fit to have children. State the 

 results of your self-examination. 



1 If you are looking forward to marriage you will find it profitable to obtain a copy of the " Index 

 to the Germ Plasm " from the Eugenics Record Office, Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, New York. 

 It will be sent to you on request. 



