-assertion. Sometimes the hero is not
the dreamer's self, but some one closely identified with himself. The
mother is prone to make her son the hero of daydreams and so to
gratify her pride in him.

The "suffering hero" daydream seems at first thought inexplicable, for
why should any one picture himself as having a bad time, as
misunderstood by his best friends, ill-treated by his family, jilted
by his best girl, unsuccessful in his pet schemes? Why should any one
make believe to be worse off than he is; what satisfaction can that
{495} be to him? Certainly, one would say, the mastery motive could
not be active here. And yet--do we not hear children _boasting_ of
their misfortunes? "Pooh! That's only a little scratch; I've got a
real deep cut." My cut being more important than your scratch makes
me, for the moment, more important than you, and gives me a chance to
boast over you. Older people are known sometimes to magnify their own
ailments, with the apparent aim of enhancing their own importance.
Perhaps the same sort of motive underlies the suffering hero daydream.

I am smarting, let us suppose, from a slight administered by my
friend; my wounded self-assertion demands satisfaction. It was a very
little slight, and I should make myself ridiculous if I showed my
resentment. But in imagination I magnify the injury done me, and go on
to picture a dreadful state of affairs, in which my friend has treated
me very badly indeed, and perhaps deserted me. Then I should not be
ridiculous, but so deeply wronged as to be an important person, one to
be talked about; and thus my demand for importance and recognition is
gratified by my daydream.

Usually the suffering hero pictures himself as in the right, and
animated by the noblest intentions, though misunderstood, and thus
further enhances his self-esteem; but sometimes he takes the other
tack and pictures himself as wicked--but as very, very wicked, a
veritable desperado. It may be his self-esteem has been wounded by
blame for some little meanness or disobedience, and he restores it by
imagining himself a great, big, important sinner instead of a small
and ridiculous one. In adolescence, the individual's growing demand
for independence is often balked by the continued domination of his
elders, and he rebelliously plans quite a career of crime for himself.
He'll show them! They won't be so pig-headedly complacent when they
know they have driven him to the bad. You can tell b