The Washington herald., 1912-04-07
- Among Men with Hand Brain H5AA]
How to Make Most Of Yourself;
Learn to Control Your Emotions.
By G. S. MADDOCKS.


men have emotions peculiar to themselves.
due TO environn bt In its large sense. The
emotions Of the business man are those
aroused by the conditions of his life.
The emotions Of man with large amounts
OF money invested or great ventures at stake
are, some Of them. entirely unknown and
almost incomprehensibie to the scholar in his
study. On the other hand. the business man
cannot understand what seem 10 him the
useless enthusiasms Of the scholar.
The character or any historic period has
always been determined more by what has
appealed TO the emotions OF the great ma
Jority OF the men of the period than by any
other factor. II we study the great emotional
periods OF the world. such as that which
Jean Jacques Rousseau introduced. and
which ended in the French revolution. Il 10
easy to see that this Is true In this occasion
emotion ran riot did its worst Fear. suffer-
ing. hate drove men and women to the Wild
est excesses Every period has had Its emo
tional character. although seldom have the
manifestations been so positive and compre-
hensIble as during thatepoch in France.
Influence on Life.
A man without emotion Is q poor stick. In
deed. and sincerely to be pitied. Emotions
stimulate or hinder the very processes by
which lhe is maintained. The emotion Of
gladness quickens the pulses and so infiu-
ences the circulation OF the blood. On the
other hand. fear affects the heart, and so the
blood fow and even the alimentary canal
Joy exalts the visceral powers, but emotion
al pains derange visceral action When the
vital powers are reduced by illness very slight
annoyances-the arousing Of the emotions In
a disagreesble way-cause relapses. A de-
termination to live or determination to die
often fathers an emotion that either in
creases or decreases the vital activities. 50
that the desire is realized
Says great philosopher who believed that
man should irst be good animal: Every
power, bodily or mental. Is increased by
good spirits -; which is one name for gen.
eral emotional satisfaction. The truth that
the fundamental vital actions-thoss OF nutri-
tion-are furthered by laughter moving con-
versation. or rather by the pleasurable feel
ing causing laughter. Is one of old standing;
and every dyspeptic knows that in exhilarat-
ing company a large and varied dinner, IN
GLIDING not very digestible things. may be
eaten with impunity. and, indeed. with ben
eft. while a small. carefully chosen dinner OF
simple things, eaten In solitude, will be fol-
lowed by indigestion. This striking effect In
the alimentary system Is accompanied by
effects equally certain, though less manifest,
on the circulation and respiration. Again,
one who released from daily labors or anxie-
ties, receives delight from fne scenery and Is
enlivened by the novelties he sees abroad.
comes back showing by toned up face and
vivacious manner the greater energy
PIeasurable sensations arouse pleasant
emotions. The sunshine Is always enlivening
10 soms people. and the gloom always de-
pressing-men have despsired IN darkness
and taken their lives because OF an oppression
due to the dark. We can to . degree choose
what our sensations shall be, and 30 to some
extent determine our emotions but the mere
qualification. Of sense Is nearly always fol-
lowed by depressing emotionA
= =
Effect of Mental States.
Our mental states also have the greatest sf-
feet on our emotions. Some mental states
should never for moment be allowed to con-
troll US, for that way madness lies. Such
state is that Of perpetual doubt. which leads
TO what may be conscious madness This
has been defined as '' a state Of unstable
equilibrium in which successive contradictory
representations neither virtually exclude no.
conciliate each other" They are ever at
war, and the battle is q constant wrangle OF
emotion. intellectual indecision always pro-
duces an emotional state-a state OF discom-
fort
The mind must be controlled before the
emotions can be. A man can neyet be a
philosopher until he can control his srfetions.
Emotions, ike hope. are stronger than fea-
k.,%~ r,1 sv-r. ffnrsa
will never go very Wild II reason is vffstAlly
active.
The poet says that we live by admiration.
hope, and love. Strong feelings not only
AFFECT our bodily processes, but they react
upon the mind and make life worth living or
death desirable. Feeling or emotion is what
makes that desirable thing. temperament
which is but another word for interesting
character.
1t is a great pity that feeling and emotion
are so often the subject of derision. 1t ~
for this reason that many perfectly noble
feelings are kept in the dark, where they
may develop in noisoms ways. People are
ashamed to weep when there Is a Just and
reasonable provocstion- They are ashamed
to show sympathy unless others are doing
the same The man with great enthusiasm
is often ridiculed for having q bee In his
bonnet" The young man must hide his
preferences In love; the old manis accused Of
senilIty IL he shows some legitimate emotion.
1t is legitimate to seek pleasurable emo
tions These would be worth whileif for
no other reason than that their physical con-
conitants are q freer circulation. better res
piration, snd bodily movement The intel
lectual. the moral the religious emotions all
have their place In well lroundedcharscter. A
man Of well disciplined emotions viii think
truly and act the best
f SAVING Money!