MENTAL CHARACTERS IN MAN 169 



terest in nature " was a fact, this interest may have 

 been a portion of her son's inheritance. Kempf 

 (p. 216) impUes that the mother had unconsciously 

 '' named her wish for her boy's destiny," and that 

 this early attachment to his mother had influenced 

 the whole course of his life, preventing him from 

 following his father's and grandfather's profession 

 of a physician. But Darwin's attachment to his 

 father, who survived to influence him throughout his 

 development, seems to have been equally strong. 

 It seems, at least, very unlikely that Darwin's mother- 

 attachment was the basis of his attraction to natural 

 histor\^. Rather his taste for natural history appears 

 to have represented the inevitable expression of an 

 inherited tendenc}^ a tendency which finally overcame 

 all obstacles and found an environment (the Beagle 

 voyage) where it could develop freely. There are 

 many similar instances of exceptional men whose 

 development necessitated the overcoming of parental 

 wishes. The recognition of Darwin's inheritance, 

 which made his greatness possible, does not lessen 

 the importance of parental attachment as a guide 

 in development, or in some cases a hindrance if 

 unwisely exercised. 



Kempf goes on to consider Darwin's later chronic 

 ill-health. He thinks Darwin suffered from an 

 '' anxiety neurosis, due to consistent affective sup- 

 pression," from anticipation of what his work would 

 mean to civilisation, the criticisms and opposition it 

 would arouse. Although Darwin suffered from sea- 

 sickness and dizziness during the voyage, yet his first 

 experience of becoming " unwell " was after his 

 return, and in his early life he was very vigorous and 

 fond of sports. " The later course of his anxiety 

 indicates that it was a reaction to his efforts to adjust 

 himself to his career, his father (who had opposed the 

 voyage on the Beagle, and wished him to take up 



