er must walk
in a painfully bent position, his head thrown back and his feet
forward. On reaching the house of his betrothed he makes proof of
his boldness and skill in wielding this extremely heavy standard
which at this moment seems a plaything in his hands, but may yet
prove fatal to him through injury to the loins or other parts.
This same tendency, which we find in so highly developed a degree
among animals and primitive human peoples, is also universal
among the children of even the most civilized human races,
although in a less organized and more confused way. It manifests
itself as "showing-off." Sanford Bell, in his study of the
emotion of love in children, finds that "showing-off" is an
essential element in the love of children in what he terms the
second stage (from the eighth to the twelfth year in girls and
the fourteenth in boys). "It constitutes one of the chief numbers
in the boy's repertory of love charms, and is not totally absent
from the girl's. It is a most common sight to see the boys taxing
their resources in devising means of exposing their own
excellencies, and often doing the most ridiculous and extravagant
things. Running, jumping, dancing, prancing, sparring, wrestling,
turning handsprings, somersaults, climbing, walking fences,
swinging, giving yodels and yells, whistling, imitating the
movements of animals, 'taking people off,' courting danger,
affecting courage are some of its common forms.... This
'showing-off' in the boy lover is the forerunner of the skilful,
purposive, and elaborate means of self-exhibition in the adult
male and the charming coquetry in the adult female, in their
love-relations." (Sanford Bell, "The Emotion of Love Between the
Sexes," _American Journal Psychology_, July, 1902; cf.
"Showing-off and Bashfulness," _Pedagogical Seminary_, June,
1903.)
If, in the light of the previous discussion, we examine such facts as
those here collected, we may easily trace throughout the perpetual
operations of the same instinct. It is everywhere the instinctive object
of the male, who is very rarely passive in the process of courtship, to
assure by his activity in display, his energy or skill or beauty, both his
own passion and the passion of the female. Throughout nature sexual
conjugation only takes place after much expenditure of energy.[34] We are
deceived
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