The Washington herald., 1915-07-27
Nerves Of Sympathy.
~ JOHN d. BARRY.


If we are to develop nerves it is, of course, i'm
portant to develop the right kind. Sometimes we
speak with sympathy with disapproval of people
who have nerves. We mean that they have be-
come either sick from their nerves or the slaves
of their nerves. For nerves, besides serving, can
both control and poison human beings The sick
nerves are those that grow too alert, that over
work, that reach abnormal activity, giving both
true messages and false. Such nerves may easily
become tyrants. In some it takes good
deal Of discretion to decide how far should let
ones nerves go. 1t is better. for example, to be
stolid than supersenstive. For in stolidity there
lies wholesomeness and safety, whereas super
senstiveness may lead to many kinds of disaster.
There is celebrated prize fighter whose sue
cess has been won chiefly by his lack of nerves.
1t has enabled him to receive without apparent
harm, pounding that would cripple and perhaps
kill many other men. People like him can endure
much. but they also lose much. They 60 through
life missing the finest impressions as we'll as the
most painful. Where they are immune to pain
they may suffer denals in the way of refined en-
joyment and of stimulus.
1t Ia es wisdom to make it possible for human
beings to control their nerves, that is, to make
all wisdom. this particular kind is abundantly re-
warded By the exercise of selfdiscpline it is pos
sible for most of to minimize what is painful or
depressing in life to increase to surprising ex-
tent what is agreeable and inspiring. The trouble
with most of us is that we yield to the morbid
sensations, letting them master us, and we do not
cultivate sufficiently those agreeable sensations
that do us good. Such agreeable sensations as
we do cultivate are often unwholesome. And the
unwholesome in life invariably defeats itself in the
end, turning to disappointment and misery.
Every now and then something happens to each
of us that suggests how imperfect our nerves are
Companionship with dog, for example, ought to
make us humble. The dog is alert to sensations
that we may miss altogether. Think of how much
sharper he is than in the matter of smells
Here he makes subtle distinctions. Observe him
as he goes about shifting He detects realities
that, for us. may have existence whatever For
miles he can trace a human being by his fine in
stinctve sense. We are used to this phenom-
enon that we forget to marvel. 1t is indeed but
one of many marvels, suggesting that to US is re-
vealed only part, perhaps very small part of
the world.
In recent years we have become aware of mar
wells IN the way Of communication. Where once
we were deaf we may hear across the earth
Coming generations will look back at us somewhat
as we look back on the savages. And are they
not likely to be less surprised at our relation
with the lnanimate world about us than at our
relation with one another? They will be told of
the extreme senSltivcness that many of US have |
developed in ourselves to both pleasure and pain !
And they will wonder how, with such sensitive
ness. we could be lacking in senstivsness to the
pleasure and pain of our fellow creatures. They
will ask why the nerves that we gave 50 much |
thought to in ourselves did not reach to all So |
ciety For, of course in the society of the future,
the society where justice developing of the great
est possible happiness and sympathy shall range,
there will be an eager recognition of the social
nerves. the highly sensitive ties that benefit of the
mass and for the welfare of generations yet to
come.