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dy erect。 He is haughty (_haut_); or high; and makes himself appear as large as possible; so that metaphorically he is said to be swollen or puffed up with pride。 A peacock or a turkey…cock strutting about with puffed…up feathers; is sometimes said to be an emblem of pride。'13' The arrogant man looks down on others; and with lowered eyelids hardly condescends to see them; or he may show his contempt by slight movements; such as those before described; about the nostrils or lips。 Hence the muscle which everts the lower lip has been called the _musculus superbus_。 In some photographs of patients affected by a monomania of pride; sent me by Dr。 Crichton Browne; the head and body were held erect; and the mouth firmly closed。 This latter action; expressive of decision; follows; I presume; from the proud man feeling perfect self…confidence in himself。 The whole expression of pride stands in direct antithesis to that of humility; so that nothing need here be said of the latter state of mind。
_Helplessness; Impotence: Shrugging the shoulders_。When a man wishes to show that he cannot do something; or prevent something being done; he often raises with a quick movement both shoulders。 At the same time; if the whole gesture is completed; he bends his elbows closely inwards; raises his open hands; turning them outwards; with the fingers separated。 The head is often thrown a little on one side; the eyebrows are elevated; and this causes wrinkles across the forehead。 The mouth is generally opened。 I may mention; in order to show how unconsciously the features are thus acted on; that though I had often intentionally shrugged my shoulders to observe how my arms were placed; I was not at all aware that my eyebrows were raised and mouth opened; until I looked at myself in a glass; and since then I have noticed the same movements in the faces of others。 In the accompanying Plate VI。; figs。 3 and 4; Mr。 Rejlander has successfully acted the gesture of shrugging the shoulders。
'12' Gratiolet (De la Phys。 p。 351) makes this remark; and has some good observations on the expression of pride。 See Sir C。 Bell (‘Anatomy of Expression;' p。 111) on the action of the _musculus superbus_。
Englishmen are much less demonstrative than the men of most other European nations; and they shrug their shoulders far less frequently and energetically than Frenchmen or Italians do。 The gesture varies in all degrees from the complex movement; just described; to only a momentary and scarcely perceptible raising of both shoulders; or; as I have noticed in a lady sitting in an arm…chair; to the mere turning slightly outwards of the open hands with separated fingers。 I have never seen very young English children shrug their shoulders; but the following case was observed with care by a medical professor and excellent observer; and has been communicated to me by him。 The father of this gentleman was a Parisian; and his mother a Scotch lady。 His wife is of British extraction on both sides; and my informant does not believe that she ever shrugged her shoulders in her life。 His children have been reared in England; and the nursemaid is a thorough Englishwoman; who has never been seen to shrug her shoulders。 Now; his eldest daughter was observed to shrug her shoulders at the age of between sixteen and eighteen months; her mother exclaiming at the time; 〃Look at the little French girl shrugging her shoulders!〃 At first she often acted thus; sometimes throwing her head a little backwards and on one side; but she did not; as far as was observed; move her elbows and hands in the usual manner。 The habit gradually wore away; and now; when she is a little over four years old; she is never seen to act thus。 The father is told that he sometimes shrugs his shoulders; especially when arguing with any one; but it is extremely improbable that his daughter should have imitated him at so early an age; for; as he remarks; she could not possibly have often seen this gesture in him。 Moreover; if the habit had been acquired through imitation; it is not probable that it would so soon have been spontaneously discontinued by this child; and; as we shall immediately see; by a second child; though the father still lived with his family。 This little girl; it may be added; resembles her Parisian grandfather in countenance to an almost absurd degree。 She also presents another and very curious resemblance to him; namely; by practising a singular trick。 When she impatiently wants something; she holds out her little hand; and rapidly rubs the thumb against the index and middle finger: now this same trick was frequently performed under the same circumstances by her grandfather。
This gentleman's second daughter also shrugged her shoulders before the age of eighteen months; and afterwards discontinued the habit。 It is of course possible that she may have imitated her elder sister; but she continued it after her sister had lost the habit。 She at first resembled her Parisian grandfather in a less degree than did her sister at the same age; but now in a greater degree。 She likewise practises to the present time the peculiar habit of rubbing together; when impatient; her thumb and two of her fore…fingers。
In this latter case we have a good instance; like those given in a former chapter; of the inheritance of a trick or gesture; for no one; I presume; will attribute to mere coincidence so peculiar a habit as this; which was common to the grandfather and his two grandchildren who had never seen him。
Considering all the circumstances with reference to these children shrugging their shoulders; it can hardly be doubted that they have inherited the habit from their French progenitors; although they have only one quarter French blood in their veins; and although their grandfather did not often shrug his shoulders。 There is nothing very unusual; though the fact is interesting; in these children having gained by inheritance a habit during early youth; and then discontinuing it; for it is of frequent occurrence with many kinds of animals that certain characters are retained for a period by the young; and are then lost。
As it appeared to me at one time improbable in a high degree that so complex a gesture as shrugging the shoulders; together with the accompanying movements; should be innate; I was anxious to ascertain whether the blind and deaf Laura Bridgman; who could not have learnt the habit by imitation; practised it。 And I have heard; through Dr。 Innes; from a lady who has lately had charge of her; that she does shrug her shoulders; turn in her elbows; and raise her eyebrows in the same manner as other people; and under the same circumstances。 I was also anxious to learn whether this gesture was practised by the various races of man; especially by those who never have had much intercourse with Europeans。 We shall see that they act in this manner; but it appears that the gesture is sometimes confined to merely raising or shrugging the shoulders; without the other movements。
Mr。 Scott has frequently seen this gesture in the Bengalees and Dhangars (the latter constituting a distinct race) who are employed in the Botanic Garden at Calcutta; when; for instance; they have declared that they could not do some work; such as lifting a heavy weight。 He ordered a Bengalee to climb a lofty tree; but the man; with a shrug of his shoulders and a lateral shake of his head; said he could not。 Mr。 Scott knowing that the man was lazy; thought he could; and insisted on his trying。 His face now became pale; his arms dropped to his sides; his mouth and eyes were widely opened; and again surveying the tree; he looked askant at Mr。 Scott; shrugged his shoulders; inverted his elbows; extended his open hands; and with a few quick lateral shakes of the head declared his inability。 Mr。 H。 Erskine has likewise seen the natives of India shrugging their shoulders; but he has never seen the elbows turned so much inwards as with us; and whilst shrugging their shoulders they sometimes lay their uncrossed hands on their breasts。
With the wild Malays of the interior of Malacca; and with the Bugis (true Malays; though speaking a different; language); Mr。 Geach has often seen this gesture。 I presume that it is complete;