The Coconino sun. (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 1898-1978, 1916-12-29
HUMAN BEINGS MAY WELL
LEARN FROM ANIMALS

| FSoiioiuSb tiiC oulOHloDAlC. WHICH tiiC
car is going to stand still for more
than few minutes the driver stops
the engine. By doing this he saves
gasoline, oil, and above all, useless
wear and tear on the machinery. II
he lets the engine run idle" he has
wasted lot of valuable material,
shortened the life of his engine and
in the meantime the automobile hasn't
budged an inch.
The birds build nests for the pro-
lection Of their young against the
weather; the foxes dig holes for secu-
rity against foes; the squirrels lay by
stores of nuts against the coming Of
winter; and dogs bury bones against
the day when bones will be scarce.
These are the manifestations Of a
normal protective instinct arising
from an experience Of many, many
generations. So far as is known
though, no bird ever tried to build
more nests than his neighbor; no fox
ever fretted because he only had one
hole in which to hide; no squirrel ever
died Of anxiety lest he should not lay
by enough nuts for two winters in
stead Of for one; and no dog ever lost
any sleep over the fact that he didn't
have enough bones laid aside to pro-
vide for his declining years.
This protection instinct is also pre-
sent in the human mind and when
properly directed is great source of
prosperity both to the individual and
the nation. In order for man to
store up and lay by, to gain advance
ment either in honor or material
things, it is necessary that he take
some forethought of the morrow, but
just so soon as he carries this beyond
the normal point the mental process
becomes an exaggerated and abnormal
one. The normal protective instinct
is stimulated by a normal fear Of
those events which are reasonably
sure to happen in the future unless
means are adopted against them. The
moment that this fear becomes abb
normal or exaggerated it over stimu-
lates this protective instinct and to no
good purpose because it results in
worry. This worry continues long
after the necessity for the normal
stimulus Of fear has passed, with the
result that there is an impairment in
mental power and dissipation of the
nervous forces. In other words, the
mental engine has been running idle"
and at the same time delivering no
propulsive power. In fact, worry is
an abnormal state.
Not all worry is preventable but
for the most part it can be avoided.
Most Of our fears are never realized,
and as rule, If we meet our troubles
day by day as they come without wor-
rying about them before they arrive
or fretting over them after they have
passed, we will find that we have the
strength to rise above them. Worry
undermines the health to certain
extent. 1t really weakens the mental
forces by firing them out by doing
nothing. Usually the relief from
worry rests with the victim Of this
unhappy habit himself, but sometimes
the real causes are not the ones which
seem to explain the condition and we
must go deep into our lives or have
the assistance Of those who are skilled
in unraveling mental processes.
The best antidote for worry is a
change Of mental occupation, a get
ting away from the scenes which pro-
woke worry, exercise in the open air,
a good book, pleasant recreation, or
a temporary change Of occupation
AS a matter Of mental health every
sufferer from this unfortunate condi-
ton owes it to himself to discover
some simple means Of getting away
from this habit which is destructive
to health and peace Of mind alike.