WHY SILENT GEIEF IS THE DEEPEST GRIEF. 199 



conversely, should anything determine an unusual efflux in 

 one direction, there will be a diminished efflux in other di- 

 rections. 



Daily experience illustrates these conclusions. It is 

 commonly remarked, that the suppression of external signs 

 of feeling, makes feeling more intense. The deepest grief 

 is silent grief. Why? Because the nervous excitement 

 not discharged in muscular action, discharges itself in other 

 nervous excitements — arouses more numerous and more 

 remote associations of melancholy ideas, and so increases 

 the mass of feelings. People who conceal their anger are 

 habitually found to be more revengeful than those who ex- 

 plode in loud speech and vehement action. Why? Be- 

 cause, as before, the emotion is reflected back, accumulates, 

 and intensifies. Similarly, men who, as proved by their 

 powers of representation, have the keenest appreciation of 

 the comic, are usually able to do and say the most ludi- 

 crous things with perfect gravity. 



On the other hand, all are familiar with the truth that 

 bodily activity deadens emotion. Under great irritation 

 we get relief by walking about rapidly. Extreme effort in 

 the bootless attempt to achieve a desired end, greatly di- 

 minishes the intensity of the desire. Those who are forced 

 to exert themselves after misfortunes, do not suffer nearly 

 so much as those who remain quiescent. If any one wishes 

 to check intellectual excitement, he cannot choose a more 

 efficient method than running till he is exhausted. More- 

 over, these cases, in which the production of feeling and 

 thought is hindered by determining the nervous energy 

 towards bodily movements, have their counterparts in the 

 cases in which bodily movements are hindered by extra 

 absorption of nervous energy in sudden thoughts and feel- 

 ings. If, when walking along, there flashes on you an idea 

 that creates great surprise, hope, or alarm, you stop ; or if 

 sitting cross-legged, swinging your pendent foot, the move- 



