n inanimate object. You may see a child kick the
door viciously when unable to open it; and grown-ups will sometimes
tear, break or throw down angrily any article which they cannot make
do as they wish. A bad workman quarrels with his tools. Undoubtedly,
however, interference from other persons is the most effective
stimulus.

The impulse so aroused is directed primarily towards getting rid of
the restraint or interference, but also towards inflicting damage on
the opponent; and with this impulse often goes the stirred-up organic
and emotional state of anger. As brought out in the chapter on
emotion, the organic state in anger is nearly or quite identical with
that in fear of the active type; and the two states of the individual
differ in respect to impulse rather than in respect to emotion. In
fear, the impulse is to get away from the adversary, in anger to get
at him. The emotion of anger is not always aroused in fighting, for
sometimes there is a cold-blooded desire to damage the adversary.

The motor response, instinctively consisting of struggling, kicking,
etc., as already described, becomes modified {160} by learning, and
may take the form of scientific fistwork, or the form of angry talk,
favored by adults. Or, the adversary may be damaged in his business,
in his possessions, in his reputation, or in other indirect ways. The
fighting spirit, the most stimulating of the emotions, gives energy to
many human enterprises, good as well as bad. The successful reformer
must needs be something of a fighter.

Thus far we have said nothing to justify our placing fighting here
among the play instincts. Fighting against attack has survival value,
fighting to protect the young has survival value, and, in general, the
defensive sort of fighting has survival value, even though
interference with play activity is just as apt to give this response
as interference with more serious activities.

But there is more than this to the fighting instinct. The stimulus of
interference is not always required. Consider dogs. The mere presence
of another dog is often enough to start a scrap, and a good fighting
dog will sally forth in search of a fight, and return considerably
mauled up, which does not improve his chances for survival, to say the
least. Fighting of this aggressive sort is a luxury rather than a
necessity. It has play value rather than survival value. There can be
no manner of doubt that pugnacious individuals, dogs or men