The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-12-30
WORRY AN ABNORMAL STATE
human Beings Prone to Indulge in It,
However.

Human Beings Prone to Indulge in II,
However.
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 let's the engine run idle he has
wasted a 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 Sc
curity 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 normal protective instince arts
ing from an experience of many,
many generations. So far as is known
though, no bird ever tried to build
more nests than his nelghbor; 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 win
tiers instead of for one; and no dog
ever lost any sleep over the fact that
he didn't have enough bones laid
aside to provide for his declining
years.
This protective instinct is also
u,.ncopt In, tha human mind on1 yrhat,
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 advancement
either in honor or material things, it
is necessary that he take some fore
thought OF the morrow but just so
soon as he carries this beyond the
normal point the mental process be-
comes an exaggerated and abnormal
one. The normal protective instinct
is stimulated by normal fear OF
those events which are reasonably
sure to happen in the future unless
means are adopted against them. The
amount that this fear becomes alb.
normal or exaggerated, it overstimu-
lates this protective instinct and TO
no good purposes 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
worry about them before they arrive
or frettng over them after they have
passed. we will find that we have the
strength to rise above them. Worry.
ing undermines the health to a GER.
tain extent. Il 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 process.
es.
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 a pleasant recreation, or
q 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.