generally. Briefly, fighting responses growing out of man's selfishness
are as old as man himself, and the inherited tendencies connected with
them are among the strongest of our natures.

In the training of children, one of the most difficult tasks is to help
them to get control over the fighting instinct and other selfish
tendencies. These tendencies are so deeply rooted in our natures that it
is hard to get control of them. In fact, the control which we do get
over them is always relative. The best we can hope to do is to get
control over our fighting tendencies in ordinary circumstances.

It is doubtful whether it would be good for us if the fighting spirit
should disappear from the race. It puts vim and determination into the
life of man. But our fighting should not be directed against our fellow
man. The fighting spirit can be retained and directed against evil and
other obstacles. We can learn to attack our tasks in a fighting spirit.
But surely the time has come when we should cease fighting against our
neighbors.

=Social Tendencies.= Over against our fighting tendencies we may set the
socialistic tendencies. Coöperative and sympathetic actions grow out of
original nature, just as truly as do the selfish acts. But the
socialistic tendencies are not, in general, as strong as are the
individualistic ones. What society needs is the strengthening of the
socialistic tendencies by use, and a weakening of at least some of the
individualistic tendencies, by control and disuse.

Socialistic tendencies show themselves in gangs and clubs formed by
children and adults. It is, therefore, a common practice now to speak of
the "gang" instinct. Human beings are pleased and content when with