emotion; or, in stricter language, the
psychophysical disposition whose excitement involves the rise to
consciousness of this idea, has become associated or intimately
connected with the psychophysical disposition whose excitement produces
the bodily and mental symptoms of fear. Such an association constitutes
a rudimentary sentiment that we can only call a sentiment of fear.

In a similar way, a single act of kindness done by A to B may evoke in B
the emotion of gratitude; and if A repeats his kindly acts, conferring
benefits on B, the gratitude of B may become habitual, may become an
enduring emotional attitude of B towards A--a sentiment of gratitude.
Or, in either case, a single act--one evoking very intense fear or
gratitude--may suffice to render the association more or less durable
and the attitude of fear, or gratitude, of B toward A more or less
permanent.

6. Social Attitudes[165]

"Consciousness," says Jacques Loeb, "is only a metaphysical term for
phenomena which are determined by associative memory. By associative
memory I mean that mechanism by which a stimulus brings about not only
the effects which its nature and the specific structure of the irritable
organ call for, but by which it brings about also the effects of other
stimuli which formerly acted upon the organism almost or quite
simultaneously with the stimulus in question. If an animal can be
trained, if it can learn, it possesses associative memory." In short,
because we have memories we are able to profit by experiences.

It is the memories that determine, on the whole, what objects shall mean
to us, and how we shall behave toward them. We cannot say, however, that
a perception or an object is ever wholly without meaning to us. The
flame to which the child stretches out its hand means, even before he
has any experience of it, "something to be reached for, something to be
handled." After the first experience of touching it, however, it means
"something naturally attractive but still to be avoided." Each new
experience, so far as it is preserved in memory, adds new meanings to
the objects with which it is associated.

Our perceptions and our ideas embody our experiences of objects and so
serve as signs of what we may expect of them. They are the means by
which we are enabled to control our behavior toward them. On the other
hand, if we lose our memories, either temporarily or permanently, we
lose at the same time our control over our actions