the expression of emotion in man and animals-第76章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　Rev。　R。　H。　Blair；　equally　well　with　those　gifted　with　eyesight。　We　can　thus　also　understand　the　fact　that　the　young　and　the　old　of　widely　different　races；　both　with　man　and　animals；　express　the　same　state　of　mind　by　the　same　movements。

We　are　so　familiar　with　the　fact　of　young　and　old　animals　displaying　their　feelings　in　the　same　manner；　that　we　hardly　perceive　how　remarkable　it　is　that　a　young　puppy　should　wag　its　tail　when　pleased；　depress　its　ears　and　uncover　its　canine　teeth　when　pretending　to　be　savage；　just　like　an　old　dog；　or　that　a　kitten　should　arch　its　little　back　and　erect　its　hair　when　frightened　and　angry；　like　an　old　cat。　When；　however；　we　turn　to　less　common　gestures　in　ourselves；　which　we　are　accustomed　to　look　at　as　artificial　or　conventional；　such　as　shrugging　the　shoulders；　as　a　sign　of　impotence；　or　the　raising　the　arms　with　open　hands　and　extended　fingers；　as　a　sign　of　wonder；　we　feel　perhaps　too　much　surprise　at　finding　that　they　are　innate。　That　these　and　some　other　gestures　are　inherited；　we　may　infer　from　their　being　performed　by　very　young　children；　by　those　born　blind；　and　by　the　most　widely　distinct　races　of　man。　　We　should　also　bear　in　mind　that　new　and　highly　peculiar　tricks；　in　association　with　certain　states　of　the　mind；　are　known　to　have　arisen　in　certain　individuals；　and　to　have　been　afterwards　transmitted　to　their　offspring；　in　some　cases；　for　more　than　one　generation。

Certain　other　gestures；　which　seem　to　us　so　natural　that　we　might　easily　imagine　that　they　were　innate；　apparently　have　been　learnt　like　the　words　of　a　language。　　This　seems　to　be　the　case　with　the　joining　of　the　uplifted　hands；　and　the　turning　up　of　the　eyes；　in　prayer。　So　it　is　with　kissing　as　a　mark　of　affection；　but　this　is　innate；　in　so　far　as　it　depends　on　the　pleasure　derived　from　contact　with　a　beloved　person。　The　evidence　with　respect　to　the　inheritance　of　nodding　and　shaking　the　head；　as　signs　of　affirmation　and　negation；　is　doubtful；　for　they　are　not　universal；　yet　seem　too　general　to　have　been　independently　acquired　by　all　the　individuals　of　so　many　races。


We　will　now　consider　how　far　the　will　and　consciousness　have　come　into　play　in　the　development　of　the　various　movements　of　expression。　As　far　as　we　can　judge；　only　a　few　expressive　movements；　such　as　those　just　referred　to；　are　learnt　by　each　individual；　that　is；　were　consciously　and　voluntarily　performed　during　the　early　years　of　life　for　some　definite　object；　or　in　imitation　of　others；　and　then　became　habitual。　The　far　greater　number　of　the　movements　of　expression；　and　all　the　more　important　ones；　are；　as　we　have　seen；　innate　or　inherited；　and　such　cannot　be　said　to　depend　on　the　will　of　the　individual。　Nevertheless；　all　those　included　under　our　first　principle　were　at　first　voluntarily　performed　for　a　definite　object；namely；　to　escape　some　danger；　to　relieve　some　distress；　or　to　gratify　some　desire。　For　instance；　there　can　hardly　be　a　doubt　that　the　animals　which　fight　with　their　teeth；　have　acquired　the　habit　of　drawing　back　their　ears　closely　to　their　heads；　when　feeling　savage；　from　their　progenitors　having　voluntarily　acted　in　this　manner　in　order　to　protect　their　ears　from　being　torn　by　their　antagonists；　for　those　animals　which　do　not　fight　with　their　teeth　do　not　thus　express　a　savage　state　of　mind。　We　may　infer　as　highly　probable　that　we　ourselves　have　acquired　the　habit　of　contracting　the　muscles　round　the　eyes；　whilst　crying　gently；　that　is；　without　the　utterance　of　any　loud　sound；　from　our　progenitors；　especially　during　infancy；　having　experienced；　during　the　act　of　screaming；　an　uncomfortable　sensation　in　their　eyeballs。　　Again；　some　highly　expressive　movements　result　from　the　endeavour　to　cheek　or　prevent　other　expressive　movements；　thus　the　obliquity　of　the　eyebrows　and　the　drawing　down　of　the　corners　of　the　mouth　follow　from　the　endeavour　to　prevent　a　screaming…fit　from　coming　on；　or　to　cheek　it　after　it　has　come　on。　Here　it　is　obvious　that　the　consciousness　and　will　must　at　first　have　come　into　play；　not　that　we　are　conscious　in　these　or　in　other　such　cases　what　muscles　are　brought　into　action；　any　more　than　when　we　perform　the　most　ordinary　voluntary　movements。

With　respect　to　the　expressive　movements　due　to　the　principle　of　antithesis；　it　is　clear　that　the　will　has　intervened；　though　in　a　remote　and　indirect　manner。　　So　again　with　the　movements　coming　under　our　third　principle；　these；　in　as　far　as　they　are　influenced　by　nerve…force　readily　passing　along　habitual　channels；　have　been　determined　by　former　and　repeated　exertions　of　the　will。　The　effects　indirectly　due　to　this　latter　agency　are　often　combined　in　a　complex　manner；　through　the　force　of　habit　and　association；　with　those　directly　resulting　from　the　excitement　of　the　cerebro…spinal　system。　This　seems　to　be　the　case　with　the　increased　action　of　the　heart　under　the　influence　of　any　strong　emotion。　　When　an　animal　erects　its　hair；　assumes　a　threatening　attitude；　and　utters　fierce　sounds；　in　order　to　terrify　an　enemy；　we　see　a　curious　combination　of　movements　which　were　originally　voluntary　with　those　that　are　involuntary。　It　is；　however；　possible　that　even　strictly　involuntary　actions；　such　as　the　erection　of　the　hair；　may　have　been　affected　by　the　mysterious　power　of　the　will。

Some　expressive　movements　may　have　arisen　spontaneously；　in　association　with　certain　states　of　the　mind；　like　the　tricks　lately　referred　to；　and　afterwards　been　inherited。　But　I　know　of　no　evidence　rendering　this　view　probable。

The　power　of　communication　between　the　members　of　the　same　tribe　by　means　of　language　has　been　of　paramount　importance　in　the　development　of　man；　and　the　force　of　language　is　much　aided　by　the　expressive　movements　of　the　face　and　body。　We　perceive　this　at　once　when　we　converse　on　an　important　subject　with　any　person　whose　face　is　concealed。　　Nevertheless　there　are　no　grounds；　as　far　as　I　can　discover；　for　believing　that　any　muscle　has　been　developed　or　even　modified　exclusively　for　the　sake　of　expression。　　The　vocal　and　other　sound…producing　organs；　by　which　various　expressive　noises　are　produced；　seem　to　form　a　partial　exception；　but　I　have　elsewhere　attempted　to　show　that　these　organs　were　first　developed　for　sexual　purposes；　in　order　that　one　sex　might　call　or　charm　the　other。　Nor　can　I　discover　grounds　for　believing　that　any　inherited　movement；　which　now　serves　as　a　means　of　expression；　was　at　first　voluntarily　and　consciously　performed　for　this　special　purpose；like　some　of　the　gestures　and　the　finger…language　used　by　the　deaf　and　dumb。　On　the　contrary；　every　true　or　inherited　movement　of　expression　seems　to　have　had　some　natural　and　independent　origin。　But　when　once　acquired；　such　movements　may　be　voluntarily　and　consciously　employed　as　a　means　of　communication。　Even　infants；　if　carefully　attended　to；　find　out　at　a　very　early　age　that　their　screaming　brings　relief；　and　they　soon　voluntarily　practise　it。　　We　may　frequently　see　a　person　voluntarily　raising　his　eyebrows　to　express　surprise；　or　smiling　to　express　pretended　satisfaction　and　acquiescence。　　A　man　often　wishes　to　make　certain　gestures　conspicuous　or　demonstrative；　and　will　raise　his　extended　arms　with　widely　opened　fingers　above　his　head；　to　show　astonishment；　or　lift　his　shoulders　to　his　ears；　to　show　that　he　cannot　or　will　not　do　something。　The　tendency　to　such　movements　will　be　strengthened　or　increased　by　their　being　thus　voluntarily　and　repeatedly　performed；　and　the　effects　may　be　inherited。

It　is　perhaps　worth　consideration　whether　movements　at　first　used　only　by　one　or　a　few　individuals　to　express　a　certain　state　of　mind　may　not　sometimes　have　spread　to　others；　and　ultimately　have　become　universal；　through　the　power　of　conscious　and　unconscious　imitation。　　That　there　exists　in　man　a　strong　tendency　to　imitation；　independently　of　the　conscious　will；　is　certain。　This　is　exhibited　in　the　most　extraordinary　manner　in　certain　brain　diseases；　especially　at　the　commencement　of　inflammatory　softening　of　the　brain；　and　has　been　called　the　〃echo　sign。〃　Patients　thus　affected　imitate；　without　understanding　every　absurd　gesture　which　is　made；　and　every　word　which　is　uttered　near　them；　even　in　a　foreign　language。＇1＇