The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-06-09
WHY PEOPLE BLUSH.
Fear Is the True Cause, and Old People
Rarely DO It.


Why do people blush? Certain emo
lions cause kind Of syncope Tho heart
stops for an instant, and regaining
strength Immediately it acts in stron.
ger manner and sends tho blood racing
into the arteries So much for tho phys
biological portion of tho question, but we
wish to know what causes these emo
tions
Darwin explained this by saying that
when we perceive or fancy that we arc
being criticised or closely observed our
whole attention is forcibly directed to
ourselves and Is especially concentrated
upon our countenance. When pnrticu-
lar part Of tho body becomes the object
of such concentrated attention, its work
Ing is greatly modified. We sec a good
example of this in the Immediate effect
produced upon the saliva by thinking of
lemon Our face reddens on tho Same
principle. Tho veins relax aud are filled
with arterial blood
This explanation Is not quite satisfao-
tory, and other theories have been put
forward with moro or less success The
latest is that of Mr.. Melinard, which is
at least original We blush through
modesty. timidity, bashfulness and con
fusion Praise makes us blush-that is
modesty. Now, what takes place within
us2 Something worry simple This praise
pleases us, but we do not wish that fact
to DO perceived. Take case of timid-
ity. A schoolboy Is asked a question
which no cannot answer. He wishes to
hide his ignorance, which may expose
him To mini ch rp0r,t bo oh 20 1, L.,
fellow scholars. He turns red
1t is the Same with confusions. We
have done something which we wish to
hide, and VIC arc afraid that 1t will be-
como known. In short, the moral state
is identical In all cases Wo redden bo-
cause we feel that people are finding out
something which we wish to hide.
NJ. Melinard endcavors to demonstrate
the correctness Of his theory by showing
that when tho fear of being "unmasked"
is removed there Is no blushing In the
case of lovers We find at first that they
blush when they meet because they are
DESTROYS to hide their sentiment After
ward there is no sign of blush because
each knows that the other is aware of
his or her sentiments and is no longer
b1AhANA VI lllCl1 DtlllS huOMIL
A child does not blush. That is be-
cause he has no idea of hiding anything.
AS soon KS no becomes old enough to
understand that it may be to his inter
est not to tell all that he has dono or all
that passes in his mind he begins to
redden. 1t Is the same with idiots. The
fear of being unmaskcd does not exist,
and there is no blushing.
Fear, then, Is the cause of this change
Of countenance, according to NJ Nell
nard. We are moro likely to turn red in
front Of number of people than when
we arc face to face with ono or two
only. Old people blush very seldom be-
cause they are not troubled with the fear
that other people will find them out
This is novel theory, with some good
points, but there are several objections
to it 1t Is fact that we blush invol-
UNFAIRLY; wo blush when we have moth
ing at all to hide in the presence of peo-
pie concerning whom we are quite in
different
Girls and boys will sometimes turn
red when one inquiries about tho health
of their father mother or little brother
That old people do not blush much is
owing not to the fact that they have
nothing to hide, but because they know
better how to dissimulate
According to M Melinard's theory
all old people must be paragons of vir-
tue and all young ones just tho oppo-
site, which we beg leave to doubt
Nevertheless there Is some truth in
this new theory, and study Of this in
connection with tho Darwinian theory
mentioned above will lead to somo posi-
tive explanation of the psychology of
blushing. Atlanta Constitution