COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



organism, such a state of equilibrium cannot be 

 of long continuance. Sooner or later — either 

 from the greater vividness with which one of 

 the desired objects is mentally realized, or from 

 any one of a thousand other disturbing circum- 

 stances down to those of a purely physical na- 

 ture, — one desire will become stronger than the 

 other. And instantly thereupon, the surplus 

 nervous tension remaining after the weaker de- 

 sire is neutralized wall pass into nervous vis viva; 

 or, in other words, volition will take place. 



The opposing tension need not, however, 

 have desire for its concomitant. It may be fur- 

 nished by the mere inertia of the nervo-mus- 

 cular system ; as when a man, wishing to do 

 something which requires exertion, is too weary 

 to do it. Weariness implies a diminution in the 

 total amount of contractile force — a state in 

 which a tension greater than ordinary is obvi- 

 ously required for the initiation of muscular 

 motion. Conversely, the originating tension 

 need not always be supplied by desire, but may 

 be consequent upon vivacity, which is the pre- 

 sence of a superfluous amount of vital energy; 

 as exemplified alike in the morning frolics of an 

 infant, in the singing of birds, and in the gam- 

 bols of a dog when released from his kennel. 



Cases as simple as those here treated occur 

 no doubt with comparative infrequency. Usu- 

 ally a great number of motives, indefinitely 

 262 



