the expression of emotion in man and animals-第72章

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_Breaches　of　etiquette_。The　rules　of　_etiquette_　always　refer　to　conduct　in　the　presence　of；　or　towards　others。　　They　have　no　necessary　connection　with　the　moral　sense；　and　are　often　meaningless。　Nevertheless　as　they　depend　on　the　fixed　custom　of　our　equals　and　superiors；　whose　opinion　we　highly　regard；　they　are　considered　almost　as　binding　as　are　the　laws　of　honour　to　a　gentleman。　Consequently　the　breach　of　the　laws　of　etiquette；　that　is；　any　impoliteness　or　_gaucherie_；　any　impropriety；　or　an　inappropriate　remark；　though　quite　accidental；　will　cause　the　most　intense　blushing　of　which　a　man　is　capable。　　Even　the　recollection　of　such　an　act；　after　an　interval　of　many　years；　will　make　the　whole　body　to　tingle。　So　strong；　also；　is　the　power　of　sympathy　that　a　sensitive　person；　as　a　lady　has　assured　me；　will　sometimes　blush　at　a　flagrant　breach　of　etiquette　by　a　perfect　stranger；　though　the　act　may　in　no　way　concern　her。


_Modesty_。This　is　another　powerful　agent　in　exciting　blushes；　but　the　word　modesty　includes　very　different　states　of　the　mind。　It　implies　humility；　and　we　often　judge　of　this　by　persons　being　greatly　pleased　and　blushing　at　slight　praise；　or　by　being　annoyed　at　praise　which　seems　to　them　too　high　according　to　their　own　humble　standard　of　themselves。　　Blushing　here　has　the　usual　signification　of　regard　for　the　opinion　of　others。　But　modesty　frequently　relates　to　acts　of　indelicacy；　and　indelicacy　is　an　affair　of　etiquette；　as　we　clearly　see　with　the　nations　that　go　altogether　or　nearly　naked。　He　who　is　modest；　and　blushes　easily　at　acts　of　this　nature；　does　so　because　they　are　breaches　of　a　firmly　and　wisely　established　etiquette。　　This　is　indeed　shown　by　the　derivation　of　the　word　_modest_　from　_modus_；　a　measure　or　standard　of　behaviour。　A　blush　due　to　this　form　of　modesty　is；　moreover；　apt　to　be　intense；　because　it　generally　relates　to　the　opposite　sex；　and　we　have　seen　how　in　all　cases　our　liability　to　blush　is　thus　increased。　We　apply　the　term　‘modest；'　as　it　would　appear；　to　those　who　have　an　humble　opinion　of　themselves；　and　to　those　who　are　extremely　sensitive　about　an　indelicate　word　or　deed；　simply　because　in　both　cases　blushes　are　readily　excited；　for　these　two　frames　of　mind　have　nothing　else　in　common。　Shyness　also；　from　this　same　cause；　is　often　mistaken　for　modesty　in　the　sense　of　humility。

Some　persons　flush　up；　as　I　have　observed　and　have　been　assured；　at　any　sudden　and　disagreeable　recollection。　　The　commonest　cause　seems　to　be　the　sudden　remembrance　of　not　having　done　something　for　another　person　which　had　been　promised。　In　this　case　it　may　be　that　the　thought　passes　half　unconsciously　through　the　mind；　〃What　will　he　think　of　me？〃　and　then　the　flush　would　partake　of　the　nature　of　a　true　blush。　But　whether　such　flushes　are　in　most　cases　due　to　the　capillary　circulation　being　affected；　is　very　doubtful；　for　we　must　remember　that　almost　every　strong　emotion；　such　as　anger　or　great　joy；　acts　on　the　heart；　and　causes　the　face　to　redden。

The　fact　that　blushes　may　be　excited　in　absolute　solitude　seems　opposed　to　the　view　here　taken；　namely　that　the　habit　originally　arose　from　thinking　about　what　others　think　of　us。　　Several　ladies；　who　are　great　blushers；　are　unanimous　in　regard　to　solitude；　and　some　of　them　believe　that　they　have　blushed　in　the　dark。　From　what　Mr。　Forbes　has　stated　with　respect　to　the　Aymaras；　and　from　my　own　sensations；　I　have　no　doubt　that　this　latter　statement　is　correct。　　Shakspeare；　therefore；　erred　when　he　made　Juliet；　who　was　not　even　by　herself；　say　to　Romeo　（act　ii。　　sc。　　2）：

　Thou　know'st　the　mask　of　night　is　on　my　face；　　Else　would　a　maiden　blush　bepaint　my　cheek；　　For　that　which　thou　hast　heard　me　speak　to…night。〃

But　when　a　blush　is　excited　in　solitude；　the　cause　almost　always　relates　to　the　thoughts　of　others　about　usto　acts　done　in　their　presence；　or　suspected　by　them；　or　again　when　we　reflect　what　others　would　have　thought　of　us　had　they　known　of　the　act。　Nevertheless　one　or　two　of　my　informants　believe　that　they　have　blushed　from　shame　at　acts　in　no　way　relating　to　others。　If　this　be　so；　we　must　attribute　the　result　to　the　force　of　inveterate　habit　and　association；　under　a　state　of　mind　closely　analogous　to　that　which　ordinarily　excites　a　blush；　nor　need　we　feel　surprise　at　this；　as　even　sympathy　with　another　person　who　commits　a　flagrant　breach　of　etiquette　is　believed；　as　we　have　just　seen；　sometimes　to　cause　a　blush。

Finally；　then；　I　conclude　that　blushing；whether　due　to　shyness　to　shame　for　a　real　crimeto　shame　from　a　breach　of　the　laws　of　etiquetteto　modesty　from　humilityto　modesty　from　an　indelicacydepends　in　all　cases　on　the　same　principle；　this　principle　being　a　sensitive　regard　for　the　opinion；　more　particularly　for　the　depreciation　of　others；　primarily　in　relation　to　our　personal　appearance；　especially　of　our　faces；　and　secondarily；　through　the　force　of　association　and　habit；　in　relation　to　the　opinion　of　others　on　our　conduct。


_Theory　of　Blushing_。We　have　now　to　consider；　why　should　the　thought　that　others　are　thinking　about　us　affect　our　capillary　circulation？　Sir　C。　Bell　insists＇31＇　that　blushing　〃is　a　provision　for　expression；　as　may　be　inferred　from　the　colour　extending　only　to　the　surface　of　the　face；　neck；　and　breast；　the　parts　most　exposed。　　It　is　not　acquired；　it　is　from　the　beginning。〃　　Dr。　Burgess　believes　that　it　was　designed　by　the　Creator　in　〃order　that　the　soul　might　have　sovereign　power　of　displaying　in　the　cheeks　the　various　internal　emotions　of　the　moral　feelings；〃　so　as　to　serve　as　a　check　on　ourselves；　and　as　a　sign　to　others；　that　we　were　violating　rules　which　ought　to　be　held　sacred。　Gratiolet　merely　remarks；〃Or；　comme　il　est　dans　l'ordre　de　la　nature　que　l'etre　social　le　plus　intelligent　soit　aussi　le　plus　intelligible；　cette　faculte　de　rougeur　et　de　paleur　qui　distingue　l'homme；　est　un　signe　naturel　de　sa　haute　perfection。〃

The　belief　that　blushing　was　SPECIALLY　designed　by　the　Creator　is　opposed　to　the　general　theory　of　evolution；　which　is　now　so　largely　accepted；　but　it　forms　no　part　of　my　duty　here　to　argue　on　the　general　question。　Those　who　believe　in　design；　will　find　it　difficult　to　account　for　shyness　being　the　most　frequent　and　efficient　of　all　the　causes　of　blushing；　as　it　makes　the　blusher　to　suffer　and　the　beholder　uncomfortable；　without　being　of　the　least　service　to　either　of　them。　　They　will　also　find　it　difficult　to　account　for　negroes　and　other　dark…coloured　races　blushing；　in　whom　a　change　of　colour　in　the　skin　is　scarcely　or　not　at　all　visible。


＇31＇　Bell；　‘Anatomy　of　Expression；'　p。　　95。　　Burgess；　as　quoted　below；　ibid。　　p。　　49。　　Gratiolet；　De　la　Phys。　　p。　　94。

No　doubt　a　slight　blush　adds　to　the　beauty　of　a　maiden's　face；　and　the　Circassian　women　who　are　capable　of　blushing；　invariably　fetch　a　higher　price　in　the　seraolio　of　the　Sultan　than　less　susceptible　women。＇32＇　But　the　firmest　believer　in　the　efficacy　of　sexual　selection　will　hardly　suppose　that　blushing　was　acquired　as　a　sexual　ornament。　This　view　would　also　be　opposed　to　what　has。　　just　been　said　about　the　dark…coloured　races　blushing　in　an　invisible　manner。

The　hypothesis　which　appears　to　me　the　most　probable；　though　it　may　at　first　seem　rash；　is　that　attention　closely　directed　to　any　part　of　the　body　tends　to　interfere　with　the　ordinary　and　tonic　contraction　of　the　small　arteries　of　that　part。　These　vessels；　in　consequence；　become　at　such　times　more　or　less　relaxed；　and　are　instantly　filled　with　arterial　blood。　This　tendency　will　have　been　much　strengthened；　if　frequent　attention　has　been　paid　during　many　generations　to　the　same　part；　owing　to　nerve…force　readily　flowing　along　accustomed　channels；　and　by　the　power　of　inheritance。　　Whenever　we　believe　that　others　are　depreciating　or　even　considering　our　personal　appearance；　our　attention　is　vividly　directed　to　the　outer　and　visible　parts　of　our　bodies；　and　of　all　such　parts　we　are　most　sensitive　about　our　faces；　as　no　doubt　has　been　the　case　during　many　past　generations。　　Therefore；　assuming　for　the　moment　that　the　capillary　vessels　can　be　acted　on　by　close　attention；　those　of　the　face　will　have　become　eminently　susceptible。　Through　the　force　of　association；　the　same　effec