the origin and nature of emotions-第15节

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nsist　almost　wholly　of　muscular　exertion；　they　serve　precisely　such　clarifying　purposes　as　would　be　served　by　the　gymnastic　exercises　of　an　angry　man。　As　it　seems　to　me；　the　muscular　action　of　laughter　clears　the　system　of　the　energizing　substances　which　have　been　mobilized　in　various　parts　of　the　body　for　the　performance　of　other　actions　（Figs。　27　to　29）。　If　this　be　true；　the　first　question　that　presents　itself　is；　Why　is　the　respiratory　system　utilized　for　such　a　clarifying　purpose？　Why　do　we　not　laugh　with　our　feet　and　hands　as　well？　Were　laughter　expressed　with　the　hands；　the　monkey　might　fall　from　the　tree　and；　if　by　the　feet；　man　might　fall　to　the　ground。　He　would　at　least　be　ataxic。　　In　fact；　laughter　has　the　great　advantage　of　utilizing　a　group　of　powerful　muscles　which　can　be　readily　spared　without　seriously　interfering　with　the　maintenance　of　posture。　　Laughter；　however；　is　only　one　form　of　muscular　action　which　may　consume　the　fuel　thrown　into　the　blood　by　excitation。　That　these　products　of　excitation　are　often　consumed　by　other　motor　acts　than　laughter　is　frequently　seen　in　public　meetings　when　the　stamping　of　feet　and　the　clapping　of　hands　in　applause　gives　relief　to　the　excitation　（Fig。　30）。　Why　the　noise　of　laughter？　In　order　that　the　products　of　excitation　may　be　quickly　and　completely　consumed；　the　powerful　group　of　expiratory　muscles　must　have　some　resistance　against　which　they　can　exert　themselves　strongly　and　at　the　same　time　provide　for　adequate　respiratory　exchange。　The　intermittent　closure　of　the　epiglottis　serves　this　purpose　admirably；　just　as　the　horizontal　bars　afford　the　resistance　against　which　muscles　may　be　exercised。　　The　facial　muscles　are　not　in　use　for　other　purposes；　hence　their　contractions　will　consume　a　little　of　the　fuel。　An　audience　excited　by　the　words　of　an　impassioned　speaker　undergoes　a　body…wide　stimulation　for　action；　all　of　which　may　be　eliminated　by　laughter　or　by　applause　（Fig。　31）。

Let　us　test　this　hypothesis　by　some　practical　examples。　The　first　is　an　incident　that　accidentally　occurred　in　our　laboratory　during　experiments　on　fear　which　were　performed　as　follows：　A　keen；　snappy　fox　terrier　was　completely　muzzled　by　winding　a　broad　strip　of　adhesive　plaster　around　his　jaw　so　as　to　include　all　but　the　nostrils。　When　this　aggressive　little　terrier　and　the　rabbit　found　themselves　in　close　quarters　each　animal　became　completely　governed　by　instinct；　the　rabbit　crouched　in　fear；　while　the　terrier；　with　all　the　ancestral　assurance　of　seizing　his　prey；　rushed；　upon　the　rabbit；　his　muzzle　always　glancing　off　and　his　attack　ending　in　awkward　failure。

This　experiment　was　repeated　many　times　and　each　time　provoked　the　serious…minded　scientific　visitors　who　witnessed　it　to　laughter。　　Why？　　Because　the　spectacle　of　a　savage　little　terrier　rushing　upon　an　innocent　rabbit　as　if　to　mangle　it　integrated　the　body　of　the　onlooker　with　a　strong　desire　to　exert　muscular　action　to　prevent　the　cruelty。　　This　integration　caused　a　conversion　of　the　potential　energy　in　the　brain…cells　into　kinetic　energy；　and　there　resulted　a　discharge　into　the　blood…stream　of　activating　internal　secretions　for　the　purpose　of　producing　muscular　action。　Instantly　and　unexpectedly　the　danger　passed　and　the　preparation　for　muscular　action　intended　for　use　in　the　protection　of　the　rabbit　was　not　needed。　　This　fuel　was　consumed　by　the　neutral　muscular　action　of　laughter；　which　thus　afforded　relief。

A　common　example　of　the　same　nature　is　that　encountered　on　the　street　when　a　pedestrian　slips　on　a　banana　peel　and；　just　as　he　is　about　to　tumble；　recovers　his　equilibrium。　　The　onlookers　secure　relief　from　the　integration　to　run　to　his　rescue　by　laughing。　On　the　other　hand；　should　the　same　pedestrian　fall　and　fracture　his　skull　the　motor　integration　of　the　onlookers　would　be　consumed　by　rendering　physical　assistancehence　there　would　be　no　laughter。　In　children　almost　any　unexpected　phenomenon；　such　as　a　sudden　〃booing〃　from　behind　a　door；　is　attended　by　laughter；　and　in　like　manner　the　kinetic　reaction　produced　by　the　innumerable　threats　of　danger　which　are　suddenly　averted；　a　breach　of　the　conventions；　a　sudden　relief　from　acute　nervous　tension；　a　surpriseindeed；　any　excitant　to　which　there　is　no　predetermined　method　of　giving　a　physical　response　may　be　neutralized　by　the　excitation　of　the　mechanism　of　laughter。

In　the　same　way　the　laughter　excited　by　jokes　may　be　explained。　An　analysis　of　a　joke　shows　that　it　is　composed　of　two　parts　the　first；　in　which　is　presented　a　subject　that　acts　as　a　stimulus　to　action；　and　the　second；　in　which　the　story　turns　suddenly　so　that　the　stimulus　to　action　is　unexpectedly　withdrawn。　The　subject　matter　of　the　joke　affects　each　hearer　according　to　the　type　of　stimuli　that　commonly　excites　that　individual。　Hence　it　is　that　a　joke　may　convulse　one　person　while　it　bores　another；　and　so　there　are　jokes　of　the　classes；　bankers'　jokes；　politicians'　jokes；　the　jokes　of　professional　men；　of　the　plebeian；　of　the　artist；　etc。　If　the　joke　fails；　the　integration　products　of　the　excitation　may　be　used　in　physical　resentment　（Fig。　32）。

Another　type　of　laughter　is　that　associated　with　the　ticklish　points　of　certain　parts　of　the　body；　the　soles　of　the　feet　and　certain　parts　of　the　trunk　and　of　the　abdomen。　　The　excitation　of　the　ticklish　receptors；　like　pain；　compels　self…defensive　motor　acts。　This　response　is　of　phylogenetic　origin；　and　may　be　awakened　only　by　stimuli　which　are　too　light　to　be　painful。　　In　this　connection　it　is　of　interest　to　note　that　a　superficial；　insect…like　contact　with　the　skin　rarely　provokes　laughter；　and　that　the　tickling　of　the　nasal；　oral；　and　pulmonary　tracts　does　not　produce　laughter。　The　ticklish　points　that　cause　laughter　are　rather　deeply　placed；　and　a　certain　type　of　physical　contact　is　required　to　constitute　an　adequate　stimulus。　　That　is；　the　contact　must　arouse　a　phylogenetic　association　with　a　physical　struggle　or　with　physical　exertion。　In　the　foot；　the　adequate　stimuli　for　laughter　are　such　contacts　as　resemble　or　suggest　piercing　by　stones　or　rough　objects。。　The　intention　of　the　one　who　tickles　must　be　known；　if　his　intention　be　playful；　laughter　results；　whereas　if　injury　be　intended；　then　an　effort　toward　escape　or　defense　is　excited；　but　no　laughter。　If　deep　tickling　of　the　ribs　is　known　to　be　malicious；　it　will　excite　physical　resentment　and　not　laughter。　　Self…tickling　rarely　causes　laughter　for　the　reason　that　auto…tickling　can　cause　only　a　known　degree　of　stimulation；　so　that　there　results　no　excessive　integration　which　requires　relief　by　the　neutral　muscular　activity　of　laughter。　In　fact；　one　never　sees　purposeful　acts　and　laughter　associated。　According　to　its　severity；　an　isolated　stimulus　causes　either　an　action　or　laughter。　　The　ticklish　points　in　our　bodies　were　probably　developed　as　a　means　of　defense　against　serious　attacks　and　of　escape　from　injurious　contacts。

Anger；　fear；　and　grief　are　also　strong　excitants　and；　therefore；　are　stimuli　to　motor　activity。　　It　is　obvious　that　whatever　the　excitant　the　physico…chemical　action　of　the　brain　and　the　ductless　glands　cannot　be　reversedthe　effect　of　the　stimulus　cannot　be　recalled；　therefore　either　a　purposeful　muscular　act　or　a　neutralizing　act　must　be　performed　or　else　the　liberated　energy　must　smoulder　in　the　various　parts　of　the　body。

It　is　on　this　hypothesis　that　the　origin　and　the　purpose　of　laughter　and　crying　may　be　understood。　　Even　a　superficial　analysis　of　the　phenomena　of　both　laughter　and　crying　show　them　to　be　without　any　external　motor　purpose；　the　respiratory　mechanism　is　intermittently　stimulated　and　inhibited；　and　the　shoulder　and　arm　muscles；　indeed；　many　muscles　of　the　trunk　and　the　extremities　are；　as　far　as　any　external　design　is　concerned；　purposelessly　contracted　and　released　until　the　kinetic　energy　mobilized　by　excitation　is　utilized。　During　this　time　the　facial　expression　gives　the　index　to　the　mental　state。

Crying；　like　laughter；　is　always　preceded　by　a　stimulation　to　some　motor　action　which　may　or　may　not　be　performed　（Figs。　33　and　34）。　If　a　mother　is　anxiously　watching　the　course　of　a　serious　illness　of　her　child　and　if；　in　caring　for　it；　she　is　stimulated　to　the　utmost　to　perform　motor　acts；　she　will　continue　in　a　state　of　motor　tenseness　until　the　child　recovers　or　dies。　If　relief　is　sudden；　as　in　the　crisis　of　pneumonia；　and　the　mother　is　not　exhausted；　she　will　easily　laugh　if　tired；　she　may　cry。　If　death　occurs；　the　stimulus　to　motor　acts　is　suddenly　withdrawn　and　she　then　cries　aloud；　and　performs　many　motor　acts　as　a　result　of　the　intense　stimulation　to　motor　activity　which　is　no　longer　needed　in　the　physical　care　of　her　child。　With　this　clue　we　can　find　the　explanation　of　many　phenomena。　　We　can　understand　why　laughter　and　crying　are　so　frequently　interchangeable；　why　they　often　blend　and　why　either　gives　a　sense　of　relief；　we　can　understand　why　either　laughter　or　crying　can　come　only　when　the　issue　that　causes　the　integration　is　determined；　we　can　understand　the　extraordinary　tendency　to　laughter　that　discloses　the　unspoken　sentiments　of　love；　we　can　understand　the　tears　of　the　woman　when　she　receives　a　proposal　of　marriage　from　the　man　she　loves；　we　can　understa