Boas, Franz: Primitive art (Oslo , Leipzig [u.a.], 1927)

Style

149

of definite motor habits, and to certain types of association between
sense impressions and definite activities, that a resistance to change
appears as the most natural mental attitude; if for no other reason,
because it requires the effort of unlearning and relearning. It must
be understood that this does not imply an absolute stability, which
does not exist, but merely the individual resistance to sudden changes.
In another way this resistance is expressed through an emotional
attachment to customary forms. In the domain of tools it is per-
haps not so much the pleasure of play that induces man to bestow
much labor upon the manufacture of his utensils, as rather the love
of the special tool that he is using, a love that implies pleasure in
the customary movements as well as in the form of the implement.
rtant sources of the con-
of the tendency to give
ence. The intensity of

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1 his tool is naturally
person; it must decay
ained. Here is one of
of form of native uten-
ures are introduced,
of utensils, and their
ons of definite motor
^ firmly associated with
y fixed, there are other
rm may not be thus
e use of an object does
i its form. Whether a
lout corners does not
is as a carrying basket.
:d through long use of
1 attachment that finds
e refusal to accept new,
mal resistance to change
of impropriety of certain