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Emotions 24 Jan 2019

Emotions express how we feel. They may depend on things which have happened in the past of or just recently ago.

Emotions do affect how we interact with other persons around or how we deal with our life.

Some facial expressions

Emotions are Neutral

An emotion is usually not a sin. Despite how we feel, we still have choice how to respond and therefore I am responsible for my chosen action.

When I feel emotions, typically I exaggerate the importance of things that have happened to me. I assign the event a meaning and a value. Since my experience is exaggerated, I consider a strong response. I want to claim my right or I want to revenge or deny. My responses are stronger when the situation requires that I must change some of my plans or in case I have to give up some of my rights.

Examples

• I am stressed: I resist, come with excuses, postpone.
• I have been insulted: I like to retort.
• I have been accused and it is false: I am indignant, I am angry, I deny.
• I have been accused and it is true: I am ashamed, I sum up excuses, I refuse responsibility.
• I am commanded to do something: I ask why not others should do it, I postpone.
• I have been hurt emotionally: I step out of the relationship for a time.
• I have offended someone else: I think that he/she deserved it, I think I had the right or enough reason to do it.

Ineffective

Usually my responses are immature and ineffective. They do damage to myself and others.

The nothing has meaning exercise

I read about and exercise where we learn to speak out with audible voice: Nothing has meaning. Or more specific My feeling of being offended has no meaning. When saying those things I may feel my emotion.

In many cases I can see that the meaning I assigned to certain events is unrealistic. And I may be able to reassign a more correct meaning to the event. Especially when I am ashamed or afraid, I can come to see that the assumed consequences are not very likely to materialize. I can give up my negative thoughts. And choose a more healthy response.