"Mens Agitat Molem" (or Maybe, Vice Versa) [essay]

***

The 19th-century psychologist William James - brother of the novelist Henry James - is remembered for having said: "If you would make a man a warrior, have him make a fist."  In other words, as James had observed, one's internal state of being ready to fight which we might expect would be expressed in the outward gesture of a clinched fist might instead be created by making the outward gesture itself first.

He might just as well have said: "If you would be happy, smile!"

This must seem ridiculous.  But in my experience, it works.

*

For years my job consisted predominantly of contentious discussions with groups of articulate and intelligent persons who were predisposed to deny and resist anything I said to them about almost any topic.   Sometimes the conversations were respectful and reasoned, but they could also be irrational though friendly, or well-argued though nasty, or both illogical and unkind. 


I held my own in these quarrelsome exchanges, if I do say so, and I even succeeded in convincing myself that others would not do as well as I often did.  Also, I got used to this kind of thing and was surprised only rarely when things went more smoothly than I'd expected.  Still, in general these were not pleasant experiences.  I didn't dread them, but I certainly did not look forward to them.

After a year or two, as I was leaving for just such a meeting I happened to pass a mirror.  Noting the grim expression on my face, I grinned satirically at myself and may even have stuck out my tongue.  But then as I turned away I noted the look of satisfaction in my expression as I proceeded onward.

Eventually, I had a mirror placed on the inside of my office's closet door, which I usually left open.  I routinely gave myself a little smile on the way out the door to any of these meetings.  Just doing that made me feel more in control of the situation, and more confident about what was to come.

I have recommended this little stratagem to others.

*

How could this work?  How could artificially manufacturing the (outward) effect bring into being the (internal) cause?

Presumably it's the old "association of ideas" once again, a common 18th-century theme.  Wanting to fight is so often accompanied by one's making a fist, or one's success in a vitriolic debate is so often accompanied by a facial expression of calm satisfaction that... well, the cause and effect become so closely associated in the mind that if one willfully initiates the effect, the cause is called up (it seems) automatically.

Does that make sense?  (If it doesn't at first, start nodding your head and then read the question again!)

*

I have this shadowy memory, from my high school days.  Mr. Anderson, the principal, was ushering me and a good friend down a deserted school hallway.  Maybe it was late in the afternoon, after drama practice, for example), or maybe it was at night for some reason?  In any case, he was going to introduce us to someone or show us something and was trying to 'make nice' as we walked to his office

I knew at the time that he felt awkward around us, and that struck me as odd (HE was the big boss, after all) and a little touching too.  Anyway, he seemed to be searching for topics of conversation, as we walked by a high school seal on the wall.  He pointed it out, especially the Latin motto around the rim.

"'Byron,'" he said.  "You're taking Latin.  What does this motto say?"

To tell the truth, I don't think anyone ever noticed there was a Latin motto on the seal.  We always talked about our school "slogan," I guess you'd call it, in English.  "Not 'Loyal Forever,' is it?" I replied.

Mr. Anderson said No.  "'Mens Agiatat Molem,'" he said (butchering the pronunciation, I seem to recall): "Mind Over Matter."

I did know the verb "agito," which means "do" or "drive" and has the English cognate "agitate."  And, now that he'd mentioned it, the Latin "mens" (as in "mental" or "non compos mentis") could mean "mind."  And after all, that's a pretty good motto for a school.  So I learned something from the principal that day.

{Note: I believe the saying is attributed to the Roman poet Vergil, whose Aeneid our class was studying at that very time.]

*

"Mind over matter" means, of course, "mind over body" too.  But it's also possible, under the right circumstances, for bodily action to direct one's mental state too.  Wonder what Mr. Anderson would say to that?

***