BOOK III. THE SEX INSTINCT 

 CHAPTER VIII 



SEX AND THE INDIVIDUAL 



THE sex instinct is the only human instinct that 

 can be compared with the instinct of self-preserva- 

 tion in respect to the profundity of its influence 

 on the conduct of man. In its grosser expressions 

 this instinct differs from that of self-preservation in 

 one extremely important way, that is, in being 

 only occasionally instead of continuously operative. 

 In its secondary manifestations, however, it may 

 uninterruptedly color consciousness, its effects being 

 often fused with those that spring from the instinct 

 of self-preservation. It is essential not to lose sight 

 of this fact in any analysis of human conduct from 

 the standpoint of biological laws, for there is a strong 

 tendency among people, even among the cultivated, 

 to ignore the role of the sex instinct in common 

 life. Sometimes this arises from true ignorance 

 or self-deception, sometimes from hypocrisy, but 

 in every case it is fraught with danger the 

 danger which comes from dealing in a superficial 

 manner with a powerful force whose play cannot 

 be evaded. 



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