The Mass Psychology of Fascism - Anxiety Depression Self-Help

children than the antifascist movement ever was. This was shown in the fact that the Socialist movement in
Germany was always very weak as compared with the reactionaries in their work with children.
3. Although the reactionary work with children may be more efficient in everything else, there is one thing it
cannot do under any circumstances: Give the children true sexual knowledge, free them from sexual confusion.
This only the revolutionary movement can do. First, because it has no interest in the sexual suppression of
children, it has only the opposite interest; second, because the revolutionary movement was always the advocate
of a consistent natural upbringing. This mighty weapon, however, [169] remained unused; more than that, the
children's organizations in Germany showed a definite aversion to changing the customary individual sexual
enlightenment into a mass measure. In a tragicomic manner, these opponents of sex-economic work among
children pointed to Marx and Lenin. True, their writings contained nothing about sex-economy. But there was the
fact that the children, en masse, fell victim to the influence of political reaction. In spite of great difficulties, the
possibilities of sex-economic work with children are enormous because the children will show a burning interest.
Once children and adolescents are reached on a mass basis through their sexual interests, there will be a powerful
counterweight against the reactionary forces: political reaction will be powerless.
For the doubters and those who are moralistically concerned about the "purity" of the children, one need cite
only two practical experiences out of many:
First: the church is not so scrupulous. A boy of fifteen, who had left a fascist organization to join the Communist
youth, reported that in the former organization a priest would have a private talk with every individual boy once a
week in which he would question him about his sexual behavior. Regularly, he asked them whether they had
masturbated, which, of course, was the case and guiltily admitted. The priest then would say: "This is a great sin,
indeed, my boy. But you can atone for it by working for the church industriously. Go and distribute these
pamphlets tomorrow." Such is the sex-political practice of mysticism. We, on the other hand, are "inhibited,"
"pure," do not want to have anything to do with "such things." And then we are surprised that mysticism gets hold
of the majority of adolescents.
Second: the sex-economic work group in Berlin had collectively outlined a booklet to be used in the work with
children, entitled, DAS KREIDEDREIECK. VEREIN ZUR ERFORSCHUNG DER GEHEIMNISSE DER ERWACHSENEN
(The chalk triangle. Association for the discovery of the adults' secrets). Before going to press with it, it was
decided to read it to a group of children to study their reaction. One could have wished that all those who turn up
[170] their noses in contempt at the mention of social sex-economy had been present. To begin with, there were
seventy children present, instead of the usual twenty. While ordinarily it was difficult to get the children's
attention, now they were all ears, their faces expressed rapt attention. At many points, the reading was interrupted
by loud applause. At the end, the children were asked for their criticism and suggestions. A great many
responded. One had good reason to be ashamed of one's prudishness and hesitation. The teachers who were
among the authors had decided to omit the topics of contraception and infantile masturbation. Promptly there
were questions like, "Why don't you say anything about how one avoids getting children?" while a boy laughingly
interjected, "That we know anyhow." "What's that, a harlot? Nothing was said about that." "Tomorrow we'll go to
the Christians," they said enthusiastically, "they always talk about such things. We'll show them." "When is the
book going to come out? How much will it be? Will it be cheap enough so we can buy it and also distribute it?"
The part which had been read dealt mostly with sex information; the children were told that a second part was
planned which would deal with social problems. The immediate reaction was, "When will the second volume
come out? Will that also be so entertaining?" When did a group of children ever ask so enthusiastically for social
literature? Should this not teach us something? Yes, there is no doubt: By the affirmation of their sexual interests
and the gratification of their urge for knowledge, the children must be educated to social responsibility. They
must get the conviction that that is something which political reaction cannot give them. In this way, one will win
them on a mass basis, will immunize them, in all countries, against reactionary influences, and will make them
part of the revolutionary freedom movement. For the time being, however, this task is impeded not only by
political reaction but also by the moralists in the freedom movement.