26. Gaiety.
The organ of Gaiety is sometimes called Wit; and has been defined by Spurzheim as “a sentiment which disposes men to view every thing in a gay, joyful, and mirthful manner;”—“given to man to render him merry and gay,—feelings not to be confounded with satisfaction and contentment.” The faculty appears to give a characteristic tendency to view every thing that occurs in a light manner, simply as far as it gratifies, and pleases, not in proportion to its intrinsic value, combined with the higher faculties, it produces wit, in common events humour; with the animal propensities, sarcasm and satire, or caricature and excess; with language, punning and double meanings, and in all cases it tends to a levity that is often misplaced. It is situated between Ideality and Causality at the upper part of the side of the forehead. In ABUSE, or when not counteracted by reason and reflection, it tends to severity and satirical remarks on the failings and weaknesses of others: a too easy regard for sin when not positively offensive, a love of pleasure, often leading to vicious excess; and frequently the faculty to gratify itself, offends friends by ill timed remarks and a system of practical jokes.
This organ acting upon the intellect leads to unsound and hasty judgments, because the mind being influenced more by Ideality than Causality, (between which two organs Gaiety is situated) it becomes an enemy to self discipline, and study, and leads the possesser into a physical love of pleasure, &c.—it opposes also the operation of the higher intellectual faculties from its close approximation to the true organ of analogy which is situated between the duplex organ of Causality in the centre of the forehead, and by a vain influence on the imagination it leads to delusive analogies as regards truth, overcoming the careful study of fact by the perceptive faculties and diverting the current of conscious inquiry by a regard for self and its pleasures rather than the true and correct analogies of truth.
27. Imitation.
Imitation leads us to imitate what we see deserving to be copied in others, and thus lies at the foundation of all art, because it is necessary to copy before any skill can be arrived at. It is a necessary ingredient in the character of actors, sculptors, architects, painters and engravers: it influences the style of the author, the manner of the poet, the correctness of the dramatist. It is always active in children and thus forms a natural education in them, taken from the persons around them: it is for this reason essentially and imperatively necessary that good models are presented to children in their youth; it gives a talent of acquiring the peculiarity of foreign languages; and when deficient, it produces a stiffness and uncomfortable mannerism that causes a person to appear like a fish out of water. It may be misused by being employed for mimicry and buffoonery especially for defects—in vice this is the real “facilis descensus averni,”—The situation of the faculty on either side of Benevolence, and above the reflective faculties teaches the proper use of Imitation; to copy what is good and above all the prominent features of our Lord’s character, charity and universal love.
28. Caution.
Caution tends naturally to circumspection, and it produces a cautious and considerate disposition of mind; persons so organized are continually on their guard, they look forward from fear of what may happen and are anxious to anticipate every occurence, they ask advice, take opinions and are still undecided; thus it produces doubt, irresolution, and wavering, which prevents vigorous and decisive conduct: when the organ is deficient in mature age, the individual is rash and precipitate, never apprehensive of the results of his conduct and thus he adopts rash resolutions and enters on hazardous enterprizes without foreseeing what must necessarily follow: to a due influence of this faculty we may trace the moral virtue that regulates the impulses of passion—looks to the future, and keeps the end of all things steadily in view. In ABUSE the faculty occasions fear and anxiety of the future, timid and desponding sentiments; no reliance upon Providence, too much thought about the morrow, forgetting that “sufficient for the day is the evil thereof”—Let a wise man, “Fear God and have no other fear,” for this will lead him to be cautious against offences against Him, and if a man keeps this steadily in view, he will never violate the laws of man.
29. Temperance.
Temperance is allied to caution, it is to the animal portion of man what caution is to the intellectual: its existence is identified with the preceding organ by many phrenologists, and probably the developement of that organ, as it is closer too, and more active upon the animal passions may be coincident with this. In this way Temperance tends to present as cautiousness to future prudence, it gives mind the mastery over matter, overcomes Combativeness and the lower feelings, and teaches temperance in all things: carried into an erroneous action it produces meanness and almost avariciousness; the wise man whose animal nature predominates will learn the difference between use, and abuse, by exercising Temperance not by the abuse of the goodness and gifts of his Creator.
30. Conscientiousness.