Impulses and Inhibitions

Every such bodily movement is an expression of energy. The recall toconsciousness of the terrifying experience, the recall of the pictureof the assembled audience, these things automatically produce bodilyactivities. So we must conclude that Every idea in memory hasassociated with it the potential energy necessary for the productionof muscular movement .

It does not necessarily follow that the recall to consciousness of agiven idea will be invariably followed by an outwardly visiblemuscular activity expressive of its energy. Just as the mere presenceof an idea in consciousness tends to bring about a movement, so thepresence of a contrary idea will tend to inhibit it .

Try to imagine that you are bending your forefinger. At the same timehold it straight. Your finger will actually tremble with the dammed upenergy of the repressed impulse. But the finger will not actuallymove, because the idea of its not moving is just as much a part ofyour consciousness as the idea of its moving. Put out of yourconsciousness this thought of the finger's not moving, and forthwiththe finger will bend.

Your conduct during your waking hours is thus always the result ofopposing forces, some tending in one direction, others tending tocounteract the first. Thus there comes about a great waste of mentalpower and an appalling loss of individual efficiency.
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