in the stolid, repressed races. Jew, Italian, French and Irish
figure much more largely than English, Scotch or Norwegian in the
statistics of neurasthenia and hysteria.
[1] Isador N. Coriat's book, "The Repression of Emotions" deals
with the subject from psychoanalytic. point of view.
10. I have said but little on other emotions,--on admiration,
surprise and awe. This group of affective states is of great
importance. Surprise may be either agreeable or disagreeable and
is our reaction to the unexpected. Its expression, facially and
of body, is quite characteristic, with staring eyes and mouth
slightly open, raised eyebrows, hands hanging with fingers
tensely spread apart, so that a thing held therein is apt to
drop. Surprise heightens the feeling of internal tension, and in
all excitement it is an element, in that the novel brings
excitement and surprise, whereas the accustomed gives little
excitement or surprises. In all wit and humor surprise is part of
the technique and constitutes part of the pleasure. Surprise
usually heightens the succeeding feeling, whether of joy, sorrow,
anger, fear, pleasure or pain, or in any form. But sometimes the
effect of surprise is so benumbing that an incapacity to feel, to
realize, is the most marked result and it is only afterward that
the proper emotion or feeling becomes manifest.
The reaction to the unexpected is an important adjustment in
character. There are situations beyond the power of any of us
quickly to adjust ourselves to and we expect the great
catastrophe to surprise and overwhelm. Nevertheless, we judge
people by the way they react to the unexpected; the man who
rallies quickly from the confusion of surprise is, we say,
"cool-headed," keeps his wits about him; and the man who does not
so rally or adjust "loses his head,"--"loses his wits." Part of
this cool-headedness is not only the rallying from surprise but
also the throwing off of fear. A warning has for its purpose,
"Don't be surprised!" and training must teach resources against
the unexpected. "If you expect everything you are armed against
half the trouble of the world." The cautious in character
minimize the number of surprises they may get by preparing. The
impulsive, who rarely prepare, are always in danger from the
unforeseen. Aside from preparation and knowledge, there is in the
condition of the organism a big factor in the reaction to the
unexpected. Fatigue, neurasthenia, hysteria and certain depressed
conditions render a man more liable to react excessively and
badly to surprise. The tired soldier has lessened resources in
wit and courage when surprised, for fatigue heightens the
confusion and numbness of surprise and decreases the scope of
intelligent conduct. Choice is made difficult, and the
neurasthenic doubt is transformed to impotence by surprise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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