Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 edition. Excerpt: ... chapter V The Other-one Appears Now Attentive, Now AbsentMinded, Now Inattentive. There is a joke about a man standing on a busy street corner and obstructing the traffic. The traffic policeman approaches him and says: "Move on, sir." He receives the reply: "It's your move, sir." The enthusiastic chess player, walking home, is still occupied with his own and his partner's possible moves. He is ready to make one of these moves on the real chess board, and also ready to ask his partner (anybody) to make such a move, altho the stimuli which he receives from the street traffic are normally not responded to either by a horizontal and specially directed hand movement or by the vocal action of requesting someone else to make a horizontal hand movement. What do we call such an abnormal readiness to respond by a definitely limited class of actions to any kind of stimulation? A stimulus which is normally not responded to by a certain action should be called a stimulus "inadequate" to this reaction. What then do we call such a responsiveness to an inadequate stimulus? We call it popularly "absent-mindedness." And what is its cause within the nervous system? Before answering the last question, some further illustrations are desirable. You meet a person on the street who knows you well. You expect him to respond to the stimulus of your appearance by an adequate action. You observe, however, that while passing you he looks you over from head to foot without saying anything or doing anything which could be called recognition or salute. That he wishes to offend you, to snub you, is improbable. He is "absentminded." To the action of measuring by the eye, or of staring, the fortuitous sight of an acquaintance on the street cannot be regarded as an...
