Predominant.—A person in whom this organ predominates, will be miserly, sordid and avaricious. He will look upon the accumulation of property as the great end of human existence. If with a low education, he will not scruple to steal and pilfer.
Large.—With large Acquisitiveness, and small Benevolence, an individual will be selfish, sordid and grasping; but with large Conscientiousness, he will not trespass on the rights of others. With Domestic Feelings small, he will be excessively penurious in regard to his family, and will begrudge every shilling that is expended for their benefit; but if Domestic Feelings are large, he will spend money freely for the comfort of his family, when he would not on his own account. With Love of Approbation and Ideality large, he will spend money freely, in order that he may excel in dress, equipage, &c., while at the same time, he will be excessively penurious in his dealings. With large Veneration, he will look with much respect and awe upon those who are distinguished for their wealth. With Love of Approbation large, he will be anxious to avoid the reputation of littleness in his dealings, and will often give to charitable objects, but will give in such a way as it shall be known. With Firmness, Self-esteem, Hope and Combativeness large, he will be eminently enterprising and persevering. If Caution is small, will be apt to rush into speculations heedlessly and recklessly; but if Caution is large, will be exceedingly prudent and careful in what he undertakes; but when he has come to a conclusion upon a point, he will pursue it with great zeal and energy. If Secretiveness is large, he will have great ability to make a bargain and effect an arrangement where many others would fail. If Cautiousness is large, and Hope and Self-esteem moderate or small, he will be averse to speculations and great enterprises, and prefer slow processes of accumulation. If Firmness is small, he will be apt to be fickle in his undertakings and not pursue them long enough to obtain his ends. If Conscientiousness and Veneration be large, he may be induced to give money to religious purposes. If Ideality and Veneration are large, he will be likely to hoard antiquities, medals, &c. With large Intellect, he will take great pleasure in accumulating a library. If Ideality and Love of Approbation are small, he will care little for the beauty of the binding or the neatness of the type; but with Ideality large, he will spend money freely for these luxuries. With Perceptive organs large, will be a good judge of property, &c.
Moderate.—With moderate Acquisitiveness, Self-esteem and Love of Approbation, a person may be close and economical in his dealings, be shrewd, enterprising and industrious, may make and accumulate money, but he will often spend it unnecessarily. With every desire, as he supposes, to save, yet he will find at the end of the year that he has expended much that he might have saved. If Alimentiveness is large, he will be unable to deny himself the pleasures of the table. If Adhesiveness is large, he will spend money freely for the gratification of his friends. If Benevolence is large, he will give much to objects of charity. He will look upon money as the means of enjoyment, and not as the end of human exertion.
Small.—A person in whom Acquisitiveness is small, will be unable to understand the value of money, or to take pleasure in its acquisition, and unless restrained by the influence of the moral feelings, will be a spendthrift.
5. ALIMENTIVENESS.
This organ imparts the relish for food and drink. Its activity is increased when the person is engaged in eating or drinking.
Predominant.—One in whom this organ is predominant, will be greatly addicted to the pleasures of the table, will eat voraciously, and will consider gustatory enjoyments one of the chief pleasures of existence.
Large.—With Adhesiveness and Love of Approbation large, he will be very fond of public dinners and festive occasions. If to these be added Ideality large, the pleasures of these occasions will be heightened in proportion to the splendour of their appearance. If Acquisitiveness is large, there will be a continued struggle in his mind; the one wishing to save money and the other to indulge in good living: the contest will be decided by the character of his other developements and his worldly circumstances. If Acquisitiveness is small, he will be regardless of the expense of an entertainment, and will gratify his appetite without reference to its cost. With Adhesiveness, Ideality and Approbativeness large, he will take delight in entertaining his friends in a sumptuous manner. With Conscientiousness, Veneration and Benevolence large, he will often reproach himself for his extravagance in matters of the table. With Mirthfulness, Imitation and Secretiveness large, will be excessively fond of telling stories, and in “setting the table in a roar.” With Ideality and Love of Approbation moderate, and Causality and Self-esteem large, will be fond of entertaining company, but will despise ceremony.
Moderate.—With Alimentiveness moderate, a person is fond of a good diet, but does not make it a prominent object of his attention. With Benevolence large, he will cheerfully put up with meaner fare than he is accustomed to when necessity requires it. If Acquisitiveness is large, he will not expend much upon the pleasures of the palate.
Small.—With Alimentiveness small, an individual will be quite regardless of what he eats; will be unable to remember from one day to another what he has eaten, and usually finds it difficult to decide at table what dish to take first. With Destructiveness large, often speaks bitterly of those who indulge in luxurious living. With large Love of Approbation and Ideality, will give entertainments, but think more of the respectability of his company and the splendour of the appearance of his table, than of the quality of the food, &c.