August 22nd
Shakespeare, emotion hero
Hear my soul speak:
The very instant that I saw you, did
My heart fly to your service.
(The Tempest, 3.1.60-3)
August 22nd, 2008, a Monday
After careful thought, I have concluded that emotion makes the world go round. The other day a girlfriend of mine told me about a study that actually concluded that the male sex organ really makes the world go round since men seem to base so many of their decisions on its mood. And obviously men rule the world. But, even allowing for the possible veracity of her statement, let's still consider the organ's mood an emotion and leave it at that. Eeeewwww.
What is really hilarious is observing all the left brainers, who have an overwhelming need to categorize and scientifically account for everything, try to push and force and mash emotion into charts and graphs and easily understood explanations for the one thing we have been given in our DNA that cannot actually be categorized or explained in such ways. How silly that the most unemotional people dare to take on the task of scientizing emotion. That's something better left to artists such as Shakespeare and other standouts of the right brain community. For heaven's sake, go look at a painting, see a play, go to the movies, or read a masterpiece. It's all there. When a DNA test matches physical evidence to a rapist, it doesn't tell us what that person is like, or what experiences he has had, or how he could do such a thing. It just tells us he was there.
The problem is that as I said before, emotions make the world go round. And to be honest, we are all subject to the enormous impact of emotion. Whether we like it or not, or whether we understand it. Doesn't matter. I would guess that some who are really motivated can train themselves to avoid experiencing emotion completely, but that doesn't mean that emotion does not come up or is not present. It just means it gets stuck somewhere between your brain, your heart and realizing the expression of that feeling.
Just for fun, I have provided for you below a chart with basic emotions, basic opposites and then the cool equations which involve addition problems to further explain "advanced" emotion. If you believe that fear is the basic opposite of anger, and vice versa, then this chart's for you.
| Basic emotion | Basic opposite |
|---|---|
| Joy | Sadness |
| Acceptance | Disgust |
| Fear | Anger |
| Surprise | Anticipation |
| Sadness | Joy |
| Disgust | Acceptance |
| Anger | Fear |
| Anticipation | Surprise |
| Advanced emotion | Composed of... | Advanced opposite |
|---|---|---|
| Optimism | Anticipation + Joy | Disappointment |
| Love | Joy + Acceptance | Remorse |
| Submission | Acceptance + Fear | Contempt |
| Awe | Fear + Surprise | Aggressiveness |
| Disappointment | Surprise + Sadness | Optimism |
| Remorse | Sadness + Disgust | Love |
| Contempt | Disgust + Anger | Submission |
| Aggressiveness | Anger + Anticipation | Awe |
In our society, stoicism is a valued male trait, believed to be beneficial in leadership and dependability and strength of character. The stoic emotion chart defines most everything as an "irrational" something. Distress is an irrational contraction that something bad is present. Lust is an irrational desire. Delight is an irrational swelling that something good is present. I swear! If you are standing in your corn field in Iowa and you see a funnel cloud headed your way, I doubt that the distress you would feel as to the safety of your crops and your family and your home would be all that irrational. Geez.
To make my point, the Dutchman's father was a wonderful physician and dealt with the life and death nature of his job in a very stoic, appropriately professional way. Heck, he sewed up Fluffy, best childhood friend of the littlest Dutch Boy, when Fluffy's head was about to fall off. He treated Fluffy with great care, respect and dignity even though she was a stuffed rabbit (don't tell the littlest Dutch Boy I said that, whatever you do). The very act of a surgeon operating on a rabbit was less than stoical even though he showed Fluffy the respect of seriousness to the task. Doc felt a lot of emotion, I know that, but he didn't let on so much. But when he was in his 90's and got to feeling poorly himself, he changed. He held people's hands and expressed his love for them and was scared. I always loved him but he was especially lovable when he became more emotional. His real sweetness came out and it was a joy. How wonderful that he let us see it and feel it before he went.
You may have guessed by now that I am a very emotional bear. And proud of it. In fact, I may start a club or society or something to celebrate and honor the art of emotion. I know that sometimes it can get away from you and if emotion rules your life, that can be bad. Too much of anything can be a bad thing. Then you have to go to a doctor who gives you a pill to scientifically change or even eliminate your emotions. There they go again. The left brainers think they know everything.
GR
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