《criminal psychology》

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criminal psychology- 第108部分


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It is characteristic of egoism that it causes people to permit themselves to be bribed by being met half…way。 The inclination and favor of most men is won by nothing so easily and completely as by real or apparent devotion and interest。 If this is done at all cleverly; few can resist it; and the prepossession in their favor is complete。 How many are free of prejudice against ugly; deformed; red…haired; stuttering; individuals; and who has no prejudice in favor of handsome; lovable people? Even the most just must make an effort so to meet his neighbor as to be without prejudice for or against him; because of his natural endowment。

Behavior and little pleasantnesses are almost as important。 Suppose that a criminalist has worked hard all morning。 It is long past the time at which he had; for one reason or another; hoped to  get home; and just as he is putting his hat on his head; along comes a man who wants to lay information concerning some ancient apparent perjury。 The man had let it go for years; here he is with it again at just this inconvenient moment。 He has come a long distance he can not be sent away。 His case; moreover; seems improbable and the man expresses himself with difficulty。 Finally; when the protocol is made; it appears that he has not been properly understood; and moreover; that he has added many irrelevant thingsin short; he strains one's patience to the limit。 Now; I should like to know the criminalist who would not acquire a vigorous prejudice against this complainant? It would be so natural that nobody would blame one for such a prejudice。 At the same time it is proper to require that it shall be only transitive; and that later; when the feeling has calmed; everything shall be handled with scrupulous conscientiousness so as to repair whatever in the first instance might have been harmed。

It is neither necessary nor possible to discuss all the particular forms of prepossession。 There is the unconditional necessity of merely making a thoroughly careful search for their presence if any indication whatever; even the remotest; shows its likelihood。 Of the extremest limit of possible prejudice; names may serve as examples。 It sounds funny to say that a man may be prejudiced for or against an individual by the sound of his name; but it is true。 Who will deny that he has been inclined to favor people because they bore a beloved name; and who has not heard remarks like; ‘‘The very name of that fellow makes me sick。'' I remember clearly two cases。 In one; Patriz Sevenpounder and Emmerenzia Hinterkofler were accused of swindling; and my first notion was that such honorable names could not possibly belong to people guilty of swindling。 The opposite case was one in which a deposition concerning some attack upon him was signed by Arthur Filgr
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