The Psychology of the EmotionsRibot, Th. (Théodule)
Science
The Psychology of the Emotions
Ribot, Th. (Théodule)
Emotions
_Anger the conservative instinct in its offensive
form—Physiology—Psychology—Anger passes through two stages, one
simple, the other mixed—Its evolution—Animal form, or that of
actual aggression—Emotional form, or that of simulated
aggression—Appearance of a pleasurable element—Intellectualised
form, or that of deferred aggression—Pathology: Epileptic
insanity, corresponding to the animal form; the maniacal state,
corresponding to the affective form—Disintegrated forms of
anger—Overpowering tendencies to destructiveness—How do they
arise and take a definite direction?—Return to the reflex
state—Essential cause: temperament—Accidental causes._
I.
The instinct of individual conservation, under its offensive form,
is the origin of anger—the type of violent and destructive
tendencies. This emotion is the second in chronological order,
appearing at two months, according to Perez, and, definitely, at ten
months, according to Darwin and Preyer.
Bain defines it as “a conscious impulse which drives one to inflict
suffering and to draw a positive enjoyment from the fact.” This
definition does not seem to me strictly applicable to the inferior
or animal forms of anger, as we shall see presently.
Considered objectively, or from without, anger presents itself with
very clearly defined characters as regards its physiology and its
mode of expression.[141]
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Footnote 141:
For detailed descriptions see Darwin, chap. x.; Lange, _op. cit._;
Mantegazza, _op. cit._, chap. xiii. The latter transcribes the
picture drawn by Seneca in his _De Ira_, and is of opinion—in
which I agree with him—that it is traced by a master hand.
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1. Dilatation of the blood-vessels, augmentation of the cutaneous
circulation, redness and swelling. This is also found in joy, but,
remarks Lange, with less intensity. Besides, anger has a special
manifestation of its own—_i.e._, the distention of the greater
veins, especially on the face and forehead. In its extreme form
(rage) it may cause nasal or pulmonary hæmorrhage, the rupture of
vessels, and death.
2. The innervation of the voluntary muscles is increased, but in an
un-coordinated and spasmodic form; the voice is broken and harsh,
the body leans forward in the attitude of aggression, the movements
are violent and destructive; “one strikes blindly,” the breath comes
in gasps with the well-known symptom of the dilated nostrils, the
object of which, according to Piderit, is that of taking a full
breath while the mouth is shut and the teeth clenched. According to
Charles Bell, it is due to the habitual co-action of all the
respiratory muscles, as the nostrils of an angry man may be seen to
become dilated, although his mouth is open.
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