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magazine, “if you have a big, husky, ingrowing

inferiority complex you’re

about as lucky as you could hope to be,

provided you have the backbone along

with it.”

Despite the hopeful tone of this

piece, child guidance experts of the

1920s set about helping children to develop

winning personalities. Until then,

these professionals had worried mainly

about sexually precocious girls and delinquent

boys, but now psychologists,

social workers, and doctors focused on

the everyday child with the “maladjusted

personality”—particularly shy children.

Shyness could lead to dire outcomes,

they warned, from alcoholism to

suicide, while an outgoing personality

would bring social and financial success.

The experts advised parents to socialize

their children well and schools

to change their emphasis from book-

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