2 56 BIOLOGY AND HUMAN LIFE 



human body in connection with every emotional disturbance. 

 Everything that modifies the normal action of any of the inter- 

 nal organs at once brings about an increase (or decrease) in the 

 secretion of one or more of the ductless glands (see section 145) . 

 In anger, for example, there is a rapid increase in the output of 

 the suprarenal capsules (which lie next to the kidneys). An 

 injection of extract of these glands (adrenin) into the blood at 

 once sets up changes similar to those observed in anger. The 

 question may well be asked, then, whether anger is a state of 

 mind or a chemical state of the blood. Is there anything in 

 anger besides the outward manifestations? 



We are pretty sure of this : what happens to the emotions 

 influences the whole body, probably through the chemical effects 

 of the substances from the ductless glands ; and the experiences 

 and activities of the whole body in turn modify the ductless 

 glands and the emotions. It is said that when one is frightened 

 and starts to run, the movements and the whole attitude of the 

 body will tend to strengthen the fear feelings. If, on the other 

 hand, one stands fast, clenches his fists, and takes on the posture 

 of fearlessness, the feeling soon evaporates. This is so true that 

 we can see every day the relation between a person's posture 

 and his habitual disposition. The sergeant may be able to force 

 the recruits to stand up like soldiers, but unless they get the 

 habit of feeling like soldiers they will slump into some other 

 way of standing as soon as the discipline is withdrawn. On the 

 other hand, one of the best ways of getting ourselves to feel 

 self-confidence, or generosity, or kindness is to get the habit of 

 standing up like self-confident persons, of going through the 

 motions or postures that belong with the feelings we wish to 

 cultivate (see Fig. 143). 



212. Emotion habits. A person cannot help becoming hungry 

 when he has been short of food for a long time ; the nature of 

 the organism compels a certain emotion under certain condi- 

 tions. But the manner of satisfying our hunger is entirely 

 within our control. Hungry people have fought one another 

 for food ; that is one way. Hungry people have gone out to hunt 



