Generally, I believe that there are 2 things that affect a person's emotions at a basic level. The way a person reacts to themselves and their thoughts as well as the way a person reacts to the events that take place in their environment. That would make sense, I mean how else could something influence your emotions?
I've been thinking though. Thinking about thinking. Since human beings have the power of intelligence, we have a tendency to over think everything. We believe that we are creatures greater than anything created in the universe. At the same time though, we still do everything all the "lower" forms of life do. We still eat, digest, take a crap, and reproduce. What's so profound about that?
One thing that I have a habit of doing is analyzing why I feel a certain way. Why am I happy right now? Why am I sad right now? Why do I feel like punching that kid in the face even though he didn't say anything offensive to me? What happens a lot of times is that this leads no where. Why? I mean, if you follow the rule that emotions are either affected by a person's thoughts or environmental influence, there should be a reason. But often there isn't.
Then I realize. There's a third thing that affects a person's emotions. What happens in their body that they're not even aware of. Teenagers are known for often having mood swings because of their raging hormones. Girls get PMS. It's beyond our control.
Even though our minds are so strong, we are still at the will of our basic animal habits. Instead of our mind guiding our bodies, our bodies guide our mind, and they don't have the common sense that the mind does.
People can say they're sad and they feel as if they have to drag themselves through everyday. Are they sad, or are their bodies just becoming weak from deprivation of sleep? A girl says that she's ugly because she can't seem to attract guys. Does she have low self esteem, or is this just the brain's reaction to insatiable hormones?
Sometimes I think the emotions we feel are false.
Thinking about this makes me unsettled. If we can't control our minds, our minds are worth nothing. Without minds, we are nothing. Are we all just creatures of nothing? I suppose the only thing that makes us different from animals is that we have minds to torture us.
Ugh everything about this post is so true I'm feeling unsettled.
ReplyDelete"Since human beings have the power of intelligence, we have a tendency to over think everything" That sentence pretty much sums up my life!
Our species is so egotistical in some senses, thinking we are better than anything else on this planet, yet our minds are so sensitive to everything around us, the tiniest thing sometimes making the greatest reaction.
"We still eat, digest, take a crap, and reproduce. What's so profound about that?"
ReplyDeleteloved that, found it both funny and true. There is nothing profound about humans it's all a misplaced sense of "proper" , whatever "proper" is.
You bring a very good point.
ReplyDeleteIf you follow logic, anything that cannot be justified by a reason is false. Therefore, emotions that are not justified by the mind can be considered false.
However, you raise the idea that feelings don't NEED to be justified. They just happen because, well, they do. And they're just like any other feelings a person can have.
Which is right? That's something I'll be deliberating for a while.
um. Couple o things.
ReplyDelete- "If we can't control our minds, our minds are worth nothing. Without minds, we are nothing." I don't like controlling my mind. I usually lose if my mind really disagrees. If you spend your life controlling your mind, you will probably die trying. I really believe that it's best to work with it, than to control it.
- "Are we all just creatures of nothing?" I love this. It's so profound on so many levels. When Socrates' pupil asked him "Socrates, who is the wisest man in Greece?" He replied with "I know that I know nothing." However you want to interpret that, go ahead.
- "I suppose the only thing that makes us different from animals is that we have minds to torture us." It annoys me to hear people say anything like "It's what separates us from the animals!" I understand what you mean, but I disagree.. because humans are animals. And. Anyway. Ellen. It's okay to eat fish cause they don't have any feelings. ANYWAY. Our minds torture us when we think they torture us. I don't know if you've ever heard "Life is hard when you think it's hard." It's very very true.
Lots of thinking about thinking going around on your blog. There's a word for that that I forgot. I like it. Keep going