American wit and humor; Evolution (Biology) -- Wit and humor
Ailments of every kind will abound among such folk, inevitably, and
they will resort to extraordinary expedients in their search for
relief. Although squeamish as a race about inflicting much pain in cold
blood, they will systematically infect other animals with their own
rank diseases, or cut out other animals' organs, or kill and dissect
them, hoping thus to learn how to offset their neglect of themselves.
Conditions among them will be such that this will really be necessary.
Few besides impractical sentimentalists will therefore oppose it. But
the idea will be to gain health by legerdemain, by a trick, instead of
by taking the trouble to live healthy lives.
Strange barrack-like buildings called hospitals will stand in their
cities, where their trick-men, the surgeons, will slice them right open
when ill; and thousands of zealous young pharmacists will mix little
drugs, which thousands of wise-looking simians will firmly prescribe.
Each generation will change its mind as to these drugs, and laugh at
all former opinions; but each will use some of them, and each will feel
assured that in this respect they know the last word.
And, in obstinate blindness, this people will wag their poor heads, and
attribute their diseases not to simian-ness but to civilization.
The advantages that any man or race has, can sometimes be handicaps.
Having hands, which so aids a race, for instance, can also be harmful.
The simians will do so many things with their hands, it will be bad for
their bodies. Instead of roaming far and wide over the country, getting
vigorous exercise, they will use their hands to catch and tame horses,
build carriages, motors, and then when they want a good outing they
will "go for a ride," with their bodies slumped down, limp and
sluggish, and losing their spring.
Then too their brains will do harm, and great harm, to their bodies.
The brain will give them such an advantage over all other animals that
they will insensibly be led to rely too much on it, to give it too free
a rein, and to find the mirrors in it too fascinating. This organ, this
outgrowth, this new part of them, will grow over-active, and its many
fears and fancies will naturally injure the body. The interadjustment
is delicate and intimate, the strain is continuous. When the brain
fails to act with the body, or, worse, works against it, the body will
sicken no matter what cures doctors try.
As in bodily self-respect, so in racial self-respect, they'll be
wanting. They will have plenty of racial pride and prejudice, but that
is not the same thing. That will make them angry when simians of one
color mate with those of another. But a general deterioration in
physique will cause much less excitement.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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