NERVES AND NONSENSE

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1860, 20 September 1913, Page 12

NERVES AND NONSENSE

(By a Scratch Golfer in tho "Daily Mail.")

I see that someone liaa been writing on the effect of nerves on golf.

I have always thought that this word "nerves" was used more loosely thfini any other in the language. To nerves have boon attributed most of t3io unexpected failures of history, whether in tho pulpit, on tho platform; or on tho first teo. Vagueness, in a ivol'd l , is the price of its popularity, and most people who use this term have only a hazy conception of what they. mean. They see a man of brilliant intellectual gifts stuttering incoherently over an opening sentence. They see a strained look on tho faco of great athletes before an ordoal. They realise that there is another factor in success besides capacity • they murmur "nerves," and are satisfied. Tho one thing they are quite certain of is that this other factor is detrimental.

Tho implication always that a nervous temperament is something to be deplored if not overcome. It is suggested that tho race is to tlw phlegmatic, who will always, in fair fight, defeat the highly strung. This interesting ' fiction has been by a large number of novelists, especially of lato years. Wo have beon inundated with floods of ill-digest-ed Kipling. Time after tiino_ we have had held up for our admiration heroic beings who invariably conceal behind a bronzed visago and athlotic form a soul that never has known, never will know, and never can know, tilie thrill of nerves or the twinge of fear. Now it may be imagined that, had tho novelist described his 'hero as utterly lacking in imagination and temperamentally incapable of experiencing the sensation of love, aiid then invited his readers to bow down and worship him, the subsequent response would bo uncmtliusiastic. But surely the man who does not know what nerves are is a soulless and unimaginative being, a type that is doubtless of groat value' to the world, but very far from the highest type.

Temperament and Success. It is only in popular fiction that human beings can so juggle with their natures that they exhibit only the virtues of. the particular- temperament they may happen to possess. At the same time that peoplo condemn tlicy aro quite ready to talk glibly of "nervous force" and tho benefits it brings to those who command it. They regard it as a distinctly valuable, if vaguo possession. People have a crude feeling that no. one who. is not highly strung is anything, and yet they shake their heads ominously over the outward and visible symptoms of that force. The consequence is that those who are conscious of the clement of nerves in their own composition, that vivid sense of anticipation, that fierce realisation of tho great occasion, feel they have been unfairly handicapped by nature, and would cheerfully change temperaments with any stolid automaton. Instead of which they ought to thank the fates for that most blessed gift—imagination. '

People judge from appearances_ in this world far more than they think, ■and certainly tho demeanour of the phlegmatic individual when faced with an •ordeal is certainly impressive. He looks quiet, calm, and unconcerned, and to give him his' due lie will usually reproduce his normal performance. To talk in. tonus of golf, if his averago round is 85, ho will go round in about that number on the 'great day. Tho "nervy", man, unless ho has exceptional control- over' his feelings, will be fidgety, anxious, and lib will probably do 80. I can imagine some people who would say, "Give me the consistent man every time." But thoy do not win great events or rise to the great occasion, for they lack inspiration. I should be the last person to deny that the nervous temperament ■ has no dangers, and that no great failures can be iattriouted to nerves. But I do say that tho number of such failures ;is vastly exaggerated, and I am certain that most brilliant successes ca.n be attributed rather to the possession than to the lack of the nervous temperament. For every man that fails through nerves there are fifty who fail through lack of imagination. There is one Very distinguished golfer who must 1 , be heartily weary of discussions on, his temperament. Whenever ho fails, to reproduce his'finest form his nerves afe-blamed. Tho many brilliant things he does are regarded as accomplished in spite of his temperament. Of course there are people too nervous to succeed. But so also there are peoplo too ambitious,. too clever, too hardworking, too eloquent, in fact, every good quality may develop elephantiasis, but tliat is no condemnation of such a quality. Everyone has known instances of a breakdown through nerves, and from the contemplation of such cases has come the delusion that nerves aro tho ruin of games.

Energy of Youth. Yet all through the animal kingdom wo find tho same supremacy of tlio highly strung. All racehorses and greyhounds aro nervous and "jumpy" in a greater or less degree. They often have curious and irrational' preferences and prejudices, and exactly the samo thing is found in human beings. There has lately been a discussion on the way in which the youthful American is defeating our middle-aged representatives. Other things being equal,.youth will always beat age, beeauso youth can summon up a greater amount of nervous energy, which is tho forco that makes men riso to and surmount tlio ereat occasion. Not being a psyclioJogist I will not venture 011 hazardous explanations. I have heard people refer wisely to "subconscious muscular energy," and so on, but tho whole question of the influence of mind over nutter is extremely nebulous and little understood. All I want to do is to protest against an absurd and dangerous fallacy. I have played and watched a great many different games, and all tho great triiimnlis I can remember havo been gained "by persons possessing that type of temperament that is vulgarly oonswjred a v.ery heavy liandiqap— that is to say, the highly-strung temperament. Yet it is the most natural thing m the world. For what, after all, does tho expression "highly strung" signify? It signifies imagination, adaptability, a temperament that feels things keenly, realises intensely with an immense reservo forco of fire and energy that answers swiftly to the call of the great occasion. Everyone who has.over moved tho world lias possessed it. Surely tho worship of phlegm has lasted long 'enough.