brows, and, being determined, closes his mouth. The actions and
attitude of a helpless man are, in every one of these respects, exactly
the reverse. In Plate VI. we may imagine one of the figures on the left
side to have just said, What do you mean by insulting me? and one of
the figures on the right side to answer, I really could not help it.
The helpless man unconsciously contracts the muscles of his forehead
which are antagonistic to those that cause a frown, and thus raises his
eyebrows; at the same time he relaxes the muscles about the mouth, so
that the lower jaw drops. The antithesis is complete in every detail,
not only in the movements of the features, but in the position of the
limbs and in the attitude of the whole body, as may be seen in the
accompanying plate. As the helpless or apologetic man often wishes to
show his state of mind, he then acts in a conspicuous or demonstrative
manner.
In accordance with the fact that squaring the elbows and clenching the
fists are gestures by no means universal with the men of all races,
when they feel indignant and are prepared to attack their enemy, so it
appears that a helpless or apologetic frame of mind is expressed in
many parts of the world by merely shrugging the shoulders, without
turning inwards the elbows and opening the hands. The man or child who
is obstinate, or one who is resigned to some great misfortune, has in
neither case any idea of resistance by active means; and he expresses
this state of mind, by simply keeping his shoulders raised; or he may
possibly fold his arms across his breast.
_Signs of affirmation or approval, and of negation or disapproval:
nodding and shaking the head_. I was curious to ascertain how far the
common signs used by us in affirmation and negation were general
throughout the world. These signs are indeed to a certain extent
expressive of our feelings, as we give a vertical nod of approval with
a smile to our children, when we approve of their conduct; and shake
our heads laterally with a frown, when we disapprove. With infants, the
first act of denial consists in refusing food; and I repeatedly noticed
with my own infants, that they did so by withdrawing their heads
laterally from the breast, or from anything offered them in a spoon. In
accepting food and taking it into their mouths, they incline their
heads forwards. Since making these observations I have been informed
that the same idea had occurred to Charma.[1117] It deserves notice
that in accepting or taking food, there is only a single movement
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