AIR RAIDS

Evening Star, Issue 16626, 8 January 1918, Page 4

AIR RAIDS

THE PSYCHOLOGY OP FUNK. I cannot help thinking (writes a soldier in the London ‘ Morning Post ’) tliat too much has appeared in the Press about danger from air raids and not enough on the psychology of funk. Fear in air raids is largely attributable to the false sense of values and to suggestion. A little common sense, combined with an appreciation of the comparative casualties in London from -bombs- and from street accidents should put the former right, but the latter can be dealt with only when the more intelligent members of the public can be persuaded that it is the duty of each and everyone to cultivate a robust menta’i attitude towards danger, and to impose it, as far as lies in their power, on others. People should inform themselves as shortly and unemotionally as possible how best to avoid unnecessary danger. But the precautionary frame of mind should he a practical one and not made an excuse for unedifying chatter on dangers and horrors. Having once posted themselves, people should avoid alb talk of danger and cultivate the robust mental attitude. For those to whom this is not natural the strengthening influence of robust minds should be sought. This discussion of the dangers and horrors of air raids is a form of intensive cultivation of funk. > To see how true this is one has only to consider the case of ghosts and ghost stories. Those of us who heartily disbelieve in ghosts can be made extremely uncomfortable by the process of sitting in the dark telling and hearing ghost stories. On the other hand, trained troops face the most terrible dangers without undue emotion, even the first time. I attribute this to the cultivation during their training of a Spartan frame of mind. All through their military career conversation on the subject of danger is taboo. Beferences to it are couched in facetious ’language, and each man obeying an instinct of noblesse oblige refuses to admit to others or to himself that ho is more scared than his neighbor. It is this which strengthens and upholds these men. Themain thing is to distract people. Interest in the proceedings is excellent, and a sense of humor is seldom so deeply buried as to be inaccessible. _ -A good instance of this is a ridiculous little scheme I found of great value in France. When new men were going ont on patrol I usually took them out for tho first time myself. Creeping along in tho dark on hands and knees in No Man’s Land is as cold-blooded a game as I have come across. I knew from’ my own experience that each of them saw a Boche in every bush, and one could almost hear the men’s hearts beating. After a bit I would stop, and, pointing to a clomp of thistles, would ask them in a sepulchral whisper if they could see those Germans just ahead. Their hearts would almost stop beating as they inquired if they really were Germans. “ Let’s throw a lump of mud and see,” heaving a clod in that direction. Tho reaction from this seemingly stupid little performance had tho most successful results, and the \reawakened sense of humor enabled them to go on with lightened hearts and a -new and bolder view of things. The human race is very imitative. Each looks around and takes his cue from those about him. So it is up to all of us so to conduct ourselves in times of danger that those around vs shall gain comfort and courage from our presence and to beware lest some carelessly-spoken remark may have the effect of further scaring our flabbier neighbors.