the situation is never clear-cut for decision--there is the ideal
implanted by training, education, social pressure, and her own desire to
live in conformity with this ideal; there is opposing it disgust, anger,
weariness, lack of interest that her house duties bring with them. This
conflict leads nowhere so far as action is concerned, for she can
neither accept nor reject the situation.

This is to say: The human being needs primarily a definite point of
view, a definite starting place for his actions. Some belief, some goal,
some definite purpose is needed for the rallying of the energy of mind
and body. Drifting is intolerable to the acute, active mind bent upon
some achievement before death. Man is the only animal keenly aware of
his mortality, and consequently he is the only one to fear the passing
of time. This passing of time can be received equably by the one
conscious of achievement, or who has some compensation in belief and
purpose; it becomes intolerable to those in doubt.

Fundamentally one may say that neurasthenia and the allied diseases
which we are here summing up as the nervousness of the housewife are
reactions to the disagreeable. The fatigue, pains and aches, changes in
mood and emotion are born of this reaction, except in those cases where
they arise from definite bodily disease, and even here a vicious circle
is established. The weakness and fatigue state, the consciousness of
impaired power brought about by sickness, are reacted to in a
neurasthenic manner. It is not often enough realized by physicians that
a physical defect or a physical injury may be reacted to so as to bring
about nervous and mental symptoms; may cause the emotions of fear,
hopeless anger, and sorrow; may cause an agony of doubt.

With these few words on types of reactions to the disagreeable let us