Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-24
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES Z. TRACEWELL.

festations Of humanity to make it a
popular commodity in the human mar
ket. at least for everyday consump-
ton .--
Ever since writing as an art came
into fashion there have been great
diatribes against the sin Of anger. In
when thoughtful men f1rst began TO
put their ideas into written form, the
topic of anger became q favorite.
Plutarch wrote charmingly and to the
point in his moral essays. In later
age Montaigne handled the subject
we'll.
Man was quick to see In the mani
festations of nature the anger Of the
gods" and the great Hebrew writings
He was declared to be q man Of wrath,
mighty in anger, but plentiful in
mercy. too.
Thus anger was seen to have o
rightful heritage. both in heaven and
earth, largely because human beings
who wrote out their thoughts saw the
emotion so universal. Modern re-
searches have shown this emotion to be
almost as much physiological as psy-
Geological, depending upon the work Of
certain glands Of interior secretion for
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which touches the button" as it were,
is the mind, coupled with the nervous
system. These operate through the
senses. and especially through the I'M
derstanding, which may be called the
sixth sense, to our way Of thinking.
Anger would thus seem too consum-
ing q passion to be evoked in mock
T0IaU On To InI,
might better be said plainly and as a
fact.
Such statements as we have quoted
show q prediction for teasing, which
many adults indulge in as play but
which in reality Is simply form of
mild cruelty curiously intertwined with
anger.
Teasing usually involves q mental or
physical prodding by one superior In
strength to the victim. It is a form
OF bullying on a mild scale, usually toll
Grated because both victim and spec
tatorS fear to attract attention to them
selves and thus draw upon themselves
q more sincere form Of anger.
Thus anger turks at the base Of this
as Of many other matters. The danger
of all teasing all joking statements and
actions lies in the ease with which an
ger is invoked.
Anger is such terrible thing, so rec
ognized by the world at large, as we'll
as by individuals, that only the reck
less man will consciously risk stirring
it up.
Unconsciously, however. thousands
run the risk simply because they fail
to realize the relationship of anger with
Joking and teasing. The acceptance
Of such Jokes" Is supposed to show
one q good sport" whatever that Is,
but the futility of them may be ques-
toned at the same time.
It Is so much easier to say plainly
what one thinks. especially when the
thought is laudatory, that there would
never seem to be occasion for acting
to the contrary, even when another
thoroughly understands this method OF
back-hand compliment.
Others may not understand It ana
20 away with false reports. Certainly
there are enough of these without run
ming the risk Of adding to their num-
Der through purposeful misstatements.
All such Joking is beside the mark.
It tends to leave hurtful impressions,
even though not realized as such. for
words are mighty and possess power not
alone in their combinations but in
themselves. If one wants to Joke. let 1t
be a real joke, not based upon sim
ulation of emotions having no connec-
ton with wit and humor.