A noteworthy fact in regard to the swing of the pendulum, is that
the secondary tendency is sometimes found in the ruder state of
society, and the less reflective man. Naturalness comes last. The
pendulum started from naturalness: it swung over into artificiality:
and with thoughtful people it has swung back to naturalness again.
Thus it is natural, when in danger, to be afraid. It is natural,
when you are possessed by any strong feeling, to show it. You see
all this in children: this is the point which the pendulum starts
from. It swings over, and we find a reaction from this. The reaction
is, to maintain and exhibit perfect coolness and indifference in
danger; to pretend to be incapable of fear. This state of things
we find in the Red Indian, a rude and uncivilized being. But
it is plain that with people who are able to think, there must be
a reaction from this. The pendulum cannot long stay in a position
which flies so completely in the face of the law of gravitation. It
is pure nonsense to talk about being incapable of fear. I remember
reading somewhere about Queen Elizabeth, that 'her soul was incapable
of fear.' That statement is false and absurd. You may regard fear
as unmanly and unworthy: you may repress the manifestations of
it; but the state of mind which (in beings not properly monstrous
or defective) follows the perception of being in danger, is fear.
As surely as the perception of light is sight, so surely is the
perception of danger fear. And for a man to say that his soul is
incapable of fear, is just as absurd as to say that from a peculiarity
of constitution, when dipped in water, he does not get wet. You,
human being, whoever you may be, when you are placed in danger, and
know you are placed in danger, and reflect on the fact, you feel
afraid. Don't vapour and say no; we know how the mental machine
must work, unless it be diseased. Now, the thoughtful man admits
all this: he admits that a bullet through his brain would be a very