56 
VOLITION. 
organic predisposition consolidated into habit—the habit of 
associating ideas metaphysically and poetically; aided, doubt¬ 
less, by the other habit of taking opium. 
This mention of opium leads us to the second great class 
of involuntary actions, which I shall call impulsive. These, 
too, may be divided into excito-motor, sensori-motor, and 
ideo-motor groups. They follow upon unusually strong 
internal or external stimuli, and are not necessarily con¬ 
nected in any way with habit, except in structures like the 
spinal cord, all of whose normal functions are automatic. 
For instance, when the foot is tickled, and the leg in conse¬ 
quence drawn up with some force, the action may either be 
said to be automatic or to be impulsive. But when, the 
cord having been stimulated by strychnia, the whole body is 
thrown into convulsions at a touch, then the movements are 
impulsive, although the special form they take is determined 
by automatism. Similar remarks may be made respecting 
unusually strong stimulation of the sensory organs. It is in 
ideo-motor actions that the contrast between automatism 
and impulse appears most strongly; although here, too, the 
path of an impulse, and its outward manifestations, may be 
determined by ingrained habit. Thus a similar emotion oi 
anger may express itself in one individual by a blow or a 
stab, in another by a cutting phrase. Again, an impulse 
may clear a path, which remains open and initiates a new 
habit. It is a truism of moralists, that yielding to our 
passions weakens the moral nature; that is, makes it the 
prey of evil or exhausting habits. 
From the effects of insanity and from the influence of 
various alcoholic and other stimulants are drawn the most 
striking examples of impulsive actions. The automatic powers 
are often heightened, the bodily and mental vigour seems for 
a time increased, and the superfluous though diseased and 
precarious energy overflows into new, or at least into 
unaccustomed channels. Frequently illusions occur, so vivid 
and so insistent as to hurry the insane or intoxicated person 
to extraordinary and often terrible deeds, of which in his 
normal condition he would be incapable, but which are now 
accomplished in spite of the strenuous efforts which he some¬ 
times makes to desist from them. Of course the impulse 
must expend a force greater than that which is opposed to it 
by volition ; but on the side of the conquered impulse the 
force is felt as energy , while on the side of the conquered 
volition it is felt as effort. It is true that when the impulse 
is not very strong, it can conquer volition only by a conscious 
effort; that is, by becoming itself in some degree volitional. 
