Pondering Human Emotions
Are they a blessing or a curse?
Emotions can overwhelm us, distract us, complicate our days, and prevent us from completing our daily tasks. They can become triggered by outside stimuli and sometimes by nothing more than our hormones and chemical imbalances. We question ourselves, our surroundings, our friends, our loved ones. The pain from the past creeping in when we least expect it. Some prefer to shun emotions in order to protect themselves. Building a wall around their heart, so-to-speak. And then there are those that believe emotions are a weakness and to be avoided.
Emotions are so beautiful yet so painful all at once. One moment we can mourn the loss of a loved one, and the next be crying tears of joy for the moments we spent with them. It can take us from total bliss with our significant other to a complete downward spiral for simple disagreements, especially if we’ve been scarred and damaged by others in our past.
As much as we try to control our emotions, sometimes we simply can’t. Whenever “that time of the month” starts rolling around for me and my emotions start bouncing around, I never seem to notice until I’ve gotten pissy and said something to my partner that leaves him questioning what he did wrong. To be honest, 99.999999% of the time, he’s done absolutely nothing wrong. But by the time I figure out that it’s my hormones going crazy, it’s too late and I’m left picking up the pieces, hoping I can fix or remedy my outburst of ridiculousness and the damage I may have caused him. And God knows I love that man. He is so patient with me.
Some argue that emotions are what make us human. I beg to differ. Humanity is a mix of intelligence, ingenuity, skills, communication abilities, and compassion. I am not sure that emotions are really what define us. After all, have you ever seen a cat go from happily purring to slightly ticked off to ready to claw your eyes out? Oh yes, many animals have emotions, too — we’re just better equipped to process and deliver them.
Can You Define a List of Emotions?
If you were to ask me to list out emotions, I’d probably say happiness, sadness, anger, and fear as the basic ones, and joy, grief, jealousy, and rage as secondary.
Psychology Today makes note of Robert Plutchik’s 1980 diagram of emotions, with 8 basic ones and others derived from them, either directly or by combination. For example, as the linked article mentions, “frustration could amount to anger combined with the belief that ‘nothing can be done’.”
What of the Emotional Future of Humanity?
Would it be better to shut then down completely? What would such a world look like? I’ve read books such as Delirium, in which emotional capability is removed once teens reach adulthood. And while, in the book, some life scenarios are written as easier, less complicated, less critical, it does paint a dreary world where something is obviously missing. But is it only “missing” because we still have them? Would we even care anymore if they didn’t exist? After all, you can’t miss what you never had, right?
It begs the question: are emotions subjective? Does everyone feel them differently? Some emotions that are so basic in nature, such as fear, can also have varying levels based on social conditioning. Even dogs have fear, but a dog conditioned to fear pain each time a bell rings has a different level of “basic fear”.
Is there anything we can do other than try to regulate our emotions and let them escape at appropriate moments? Attempt to shut them down rather than suppress them? Let them flow freely and learn to accept when someone is having a rough day?
My Personal Thoughts
All I know is that I love the positive emotions. The utter bliss and safety from being pressed against my partner’s chest in an embrace. The joy I feel from hearing “I love you” randomly. The happy tears from the silly commercials during the holidays. The pride in hearing my children excited about their grades or some event with friends or family. Those moments I would never replace.
I fear that turning off negative emotions alone is not possible. Oh, how I wish it were. To never feel sad or defeated again when my past emotional wounds come to haunt me. To never feel angry when someone is being a douchebag on the interstate. To never feel disappointed when plans fall through. To never be defensive when my partner’s ex is being a nightmare. To never fear heartbreak again.
What are your thoughts on emotions? Are they something to be controlled? Mitigated? Removed completely? Tolerated? And what would be the downfall of pursuing any option?
If you know someone that would like or benefit from this, please do share. :)