Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-12-29
PROTECTION VS. WORRY

Consider the automobile. When the
car is going to stand still for more
than a few minutes the driver stops
the engine By doing this he saves
gasoline, oil, and above all, useless
wear and tear on the machinery. If
he lets the engine run idle" he has
wasted a lot of valuable material,
shortened the life of his engine and
budged an inch.
The birds build nests for the protec-
tion of their young against the wea-
ther; the foxes dig holes for security
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.
1hls protective instinct is also pres
ent in the human mind and when pro-
Jer1y aIrected is a great source OF
prosperity both to the individual and
che nation. In order for man to store
Up and lay by, to. gain advancement
either in honor or material things, II
is necessary that he take some fore
Cnought OF the morrow, but just sc
soon as he carries this beyond the nor.
NAL 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 tt
happen in the future unless means are
adopted against them. The momen
that this fear becomes abnormal an(
to no good purpose because it result:
in worry. This worry continues Ions
after the necessity for the norma
stimulus of fear has passed, with the
result that there is an impairment il
mental power and dissipation of th'
nervous forces. In other words, th
mental engine has been running idle
and at the same time delivering NJ
propulsive power. In fact, worry i
an abnormal state.
Not all worry is preventable bu
. for the most part it can be avoided
Most of our fears are never realized
and as a rule, if we meet our trouble
: day by day as they come without wor
: rying about them before they arrlv
| or fretting over them after they hav
5 passed, we will find that we have tn
: strength to rise above them Worr
| undermines the health to certain eX
!. tent. 1t really weakens the ments
! forces by tiring them out by doin
nothing. Usually the relief fror
worry rests with the victim of this ur
happy habit himself, but sometime
the real causes are not the ones whic
: seem to explain the condition and W
n must go deep into our lives or hav
: the assistance of those who are skill
: ed in unraveling mental processes.
s The best antidote for worry is
n change of mental occupation, gettin
: away from the scenes which provoE
U worry, exercise in the open air,
good book, a pleasant recreation, {
n temporary change of occupation. A
n matter of mental health every su
ferer from this unfortunate conditic
: owes it to himself to discover SON
y 'mple means Of getting away fro
;. this habit which is destructive
;, health and peace of mind alike.