MENTAL PERILS OF UNEMPLOYMENT

There is the social, or socio-economic, problem of unemployment. This problem, as it affects individuals, is not merely the problem of losing a job and finding or trying to find another. It cuts deep into the emotional life, threatens the disintegration of personality, and thus presents a problem of mental hygiene. Instinctive fear gets in its deadly licks. The sense of security is weakened, the sense of inferiority is strengthened. Accustomed activities giving opportunity for self-assertion and self-expression are cut off, and the underlying “drives” are blocked or diverted. Neurotic habits and attitudes may develop, and the individual, apart from his mental discomfort, may become unable to function at his normal capacity. In this article the author, understandingly and sympathetically, writes of these dangers to personality and character, explains their mechanisms, workings, and effects, and tells how they may be avoided or overcome. Chief among the means of keeping mentally fit and healthy, during the ordeal of unemployment, is knowledge—particularly self-knowledge, but also knowledge of economic processes and vocational opportunities. How this knowledge may be used in banishing fear and preserving or regaining self-confidence and self-respect is described with many illustrations from actual experiences known to the author. The part played, in this application of intelligence to the personal problem of morale, not only by redirection of instinctive motivations but by loyalty to conscious life-goals and ideals, is shown by illuminating and inspiring examples.