226 TABOO AND GENETICS 



shrinking, avoiding movements, sometimes of 

 the whole body, but more often of the eyes or 

 some other special organ. 



" In the sphere of love," Watson remarks, 

 " there are numerous attitudes as shown by the 

 popular expressions lovelorn, lovesick, tender- 

 ness, sympathy. More fundamental and pro- 

 minent attitudes are those of shyness, shame, 

 embarrassment, jealousy, envy, hate, pride, 

 suspicion, resentment, anguish, and anxiety." 



(4-) 

 The significant fact is that these attitudes 



function by limiting the range of stimuli to 

 which the person is sensitive. The attitude of 

 shame concerning their sexual functions, which 

 has been impressed upon women as a result of 

 ages of thinking in harmony with taboo stand- 

 ards, thus is able to prevent the normal bio- 

 logical response to a situation which should call 

 out the emotions of love. In women who have 

 an unstable nervous system this shameful feehng 

 often results in a definite physiological shrinking 

 from the physical manifestations of sexuahty 

 and renders the individual insensitive to all 

 erotic stimulation. 



This attitude of shame in connection with the 

 love life came into existence as a socially con- 

 ditioned emotional reaction set up under the 

 influence of the traditional ideal of the " model 

 woman " who was pictured as a being of un- 



