Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-09-25
WHERE FATIGUE STARTS
By H. Addington Bruce

is not nearly so generally known as II
ought to be that no matter what the
work in which man is engaged, fatigue
first sets in not in his muscles but in his
mind.
Nor is it generally known that the de-
gree of a mans resstiyity to fatigue de-
ponds to a large extent on his mental at
titude Indeed his muscular strength itself
may be amazingly conditioned by the state
of his mind.
In his recently published book, "The Psy-
chology of Power" book which I especial
ly commend to all who tire easily, DR., y.
A. Hadfield details an experiment. con-
clusiveIy demonstrating the dependence Of
strength on the mental state.
DR.. Hadfield, it appears asked three men
to grip with all their might a dynamOmeter
an instrument employed to measure strength.
1t was found that the average grip of these
men was 101 pounds.
They were then hypnotized and the sug
gestion given to them that they had
become strangely weak, Once more they were
asked to grip the dynamOmeter with all
their might. Now the average grip was only
30 pounds, albeit one of the subjects was
priZefighter.
While still hypnotized the three were next
informed that they had become exceedingly
strong. Their response to this suggest, y,
DIS again measured ny the uyudluOlu0IC1,
was an average grip of 142 pounds, as con-
trasted with the 101 pounds obtained bet'Te
hypnosis and the 80 pounds reaction to the
suggestion of weakness.
For that matter one does not have to re-
sort to hypnotic experiment to prove the
relationship between mental states and
variations in strength and fattguability. 1t
is a fact of everyday observation, though
the significance of such observation is COM
monty overlooked.
Again and again we hear Of
prodigious feats of strength and endurance
performed, under the stress of some excite
ment, by persons who perhaps have declared
themselves too weak to work, or even walk,
more than a few minutes at time Of
such persons it is rightly said that they
were obsessed by false ideas Of weakness
and fatiguability.
But seldom is account taken of the pos
sibility that similar if milder obsessions
may almost constantly beset multitudes of
people. holding them back from working up
to anything like their normal limits of
power,
Seldom, 100, is account taken of the
further possibility that under contrasting
mental attitudes there may be, as an or
binary everyday occurrences. Variations in
strength and fatigue-resistiyity as remark
able as the variations shown by Dr. Had
fields hypnOtized subjects.
Yet compare the fatiguability of many
worker with the endurance shown by that
same worker on a holiday. Your average
"tired business man" may seem to be al
most immune against tredness when rec
for the strenuous pleasures of hunting or
Notwithstanding or a protracted golfEg-
tour
In other words, while there certainly are
physical origins for fatigue and physical
limitations of power, most people tend 10
under-use their powers except on special 0c
casions; and, also except on special
casons, tend TO let ideas of fatigue induce
fatigue unnecessarily soon. How to combat
and overcome that tendency is of course an
important problem, consideration of which
must be postponed to another day.