122 MAN AN ADAPTIVE MECHANISM 



purposes : for defense, for procuring food, and for 

 accomplishing procreation. Reduced to its lowest 

 terms, each one of the reactions concerned with these 

 purposes may be represented by some form of motor or 

 chemical activity. 



Emotion a Form of Muscular Activation 



The resemblance between emotion and muscular 

 exertion was first pointed out many years ago by Darwin 

 and other evolutionists who have given remarkably 

 accurate and vivid descriptions of the outward ex- 

 pressions of both major and minor emotions, showing 

 their likeness to the acts of flight, combat or embrace ; 

 and postulating that their origin was simultaneous 

 with the biologic necessities of escaping from injury, 

 securing prey and accomplishing procreation ; and 

 that, like language, play, song, music, etc., they were 

 evolved as highly advantageous means of expediting 

 these motor processes. In his book, "The Expression 

 of the Emotions in Men and Animals," Darwin gives 

 the following description of fear and terror : 



"Fear is often preceded by astonishment, and is 

 so far akin to it, that both lead to the senses of sight 

 and hearing being instantly aroused. In both cases 

 the eyes and mouth are widely opened, and the eye- 

 brows raised. The frightened man at first stands 

 like a statue motionless and breathless, or crouches 

 down as if instinctively to escape observation. The 

 heart beats quickly and violently, so that it palpi- 

 tates or knocks against the ribs. . . . That the skin 

 is much affected under the sense of great fear, we see 

 in the marvellous and inexplicable manner in which 



