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Emotion: Intellect’s Ridiculous Little Brother

Started by hooplala, April 04, 2014, 12:06:03 AM

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hooplala

April 04, 2014, 12:06:03 AM
Any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary. ~Mark Twain

The emotions aren't always immediately subject to reason, but they are always immediately subject to action. ~William James


You are, of course, a robot. Don't bother denying it. If you weren't, you would have complete control of your entire body at all times, both physical aspects and mental. But, you do not. You are governed to varying degrees by a strange group we call 'Emotions'.

These emotions sit inside your skull watching everything you do and edit the information before processing it through your brain. No information reaches you unaltered.

For this reason all intelligence you receive from the outside world is skewed in some direction away from what we often refer to as 'objective truth'. The old adage 'garbage in, garbage out' is especially relevant in this situation, and because of this skewed view we always react to situations in a slightly off-kilter manner; some more inaccurately than others, but none are immune.

"Is there any hope of eradicating this disease and becoming like Vulcans?" I hear you ask. Probably not. In fact, I don't think I would want to live in a world completely devoid of emotions. Complete lack of emotion is just as dangerous as being completely controlled by emotion.

"So what can we do?" I hear you ask. Become aware of your emotions. Observe your emotions and how they manipulate you. Go out and get in an argument. Get into a fist fight. See how you react when a fist comes into contact with your jaw. Were you able to think clearly afterwards?

The more you observe your emotions and become familiar with them the easier it will be to identify them in a hostile situation. Once you are keenly aware of your emotions it is much easier to observe them with something close to objectivity. Once you can observe the emotions with something close to objectivity it will be much harder for them to completely take over your mind and become blinded by them.
"Soon all of us will have special names" — Professor Brian O'Blivion

"Now's not the time to get silly, so wear your big boots and jump on the garbage clowns." — Bob Dylan?

"Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)" — Walt Whitman

The Good Reverend Roger

#1
April 04, 2014, 01:07:29 AM
I dunno.  I've had an interesting life letting my emotions drag me around.
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

POFP

#2
April 04, 2014, 01:16:12 AM
This is actually something I've been thinking about and working on a lot within the past few months.

It's made me wonder if certain emotions I've felt were sincere. But for the most part, the most success I've had with improving self-control during emotional events has been working on how I react to those emotions, as you described. Achieving conscious recognition that I'm feeling something almost immediately eliminates/reduces the effects of the emotion on my perception (Or so I think, I guess it would take experimentation to determine this for sure). Linguistically attributing the emotion to its correct mental construct, either out-loud or in my head, finishes off the effects. Though, There are times, even after I've went through those steps, when I'll just decide that I don't care if it's affecting me and the emotion continues. This usually takes place exclusively when the emotion is intense anger. This is the most difficult piece I've tried to overcome.
This Certified Pope™ reserves the Right to, on occasion, "be a complete dumbass", and otherwise ponder "idiotic" and/or "useless" ideas and other such "tomfoolery." [Aforementioned] are only responsible for the results of these actions and tendencies when they have had their addictive substance of choice for that day.

Being a Product of their Environment's Collective Order and Disorder, [Aforementioned] also reserves the Right to have their ideas, technologies, and otherwise all Intellectual Property stolen, re-purposed, and re-attributed at Will ONLY by other Certified Popes. Corporations, LLC's, and otherwise Capitalist-based organizations are NOT capable of being Certified Popes.

Battering Rams not included.

The Good Reverend Roger

#3
April 04, 2014, 01:18:38 AM
I think you're over-analyzing.

If you feel it, it's by definition sincere.  If you don't, it isn't an emotion.
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

POFP

#4
April 04, 2014, 01:22:07 AM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on April 04, 2014, 01:18:38 AM
I think you're over-analyzing.

If you feel it, it's by definition sincere.  If you don't, it isn't an emotion.

You're probably right. Sometimes, it just seems like I'm going through the motions. Not sure why, though.
This Certified Pope™ reserves the Right to, on occasion, "be a complete dumbass", and otherwise ponder "idiotic" and/or "useless" ideas and other such "tomfoolery." [Aforementioned] are only responsible for the results of these actions and tendencies when they have had their addictive substance of choice for that day.

Being a Product of their Environment's Collective Order and Disorder, [Aforementioned] also reserves the Right to have their ideas, technologies, and otherwise all Intellectual Property stolen, re-purposed, and re-attributed at Will ONLY by other Certified Popes. Corporations, LLC's, and otherwise Capitalist-based organizations are NOT capable of being Certified Popes.

Battering Rams not included.

hooplala

#5
April 04, 2014, 02:30:31 AM
Wait until you have in-laws... then you'll really know the definition of going through the motions.
"Soon all of us will have special names" — Professor Brian O'Blivion

"Now's not the time to get silly, so wear your big boots and jump on the garbage clowns." — Bob Dylan?

"Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)" — Walt Whitman

The Good Reverend Roger

#6
April 04, 2014, 02:46:55 AM
Quote from: Hoopla on April 04, 2014, 02:30:31 AM
Wait until you have in-laws... then you'll really know the definition of going through the motions.

:lulz:
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

POFP

#7
April 04, 2014, 02:48:38 AM
Quote from: Hoopla on April 04, 2014, 02:30:31 AM
Wait until you have in-laws... then you'll really know the definition of going through the motions.

:jumper:  :lulz: Can't imagine.
This Certified Pope™ reserves the Right to, on occasion, "be a complete dumbass", and otherwise ponder "idiotic" and/or "useless" ideas and other such "tomfoolery." [Aforementioned] are only responsible for the results of these actions and tendencies when they have had their addictive substance of choice for that day.

Being a Product of their Environment's Collective Order and Disorder, [Aforementioned] also reserves the Right to have their ideas, technologies, and otherwise all Intellectual Property stolen, re-purposed, and re-attributed at Will ONLY by other Certified Popes. Corporations, LLC's, and otherwise Capitalist-based organizations are NOT capable of being Certified Popes.

Battering Rams not included.
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