Primitive emotions are often at odds with critical thought.
While we strive to be logical our emotions dictate much of what we do. Emotions do have their place in decision making. While emotions can be an ally in decision making they are more often the saboteur. We need to learn when it’s best to listen to our emotions and when it’s best to use critical thought. To base our behavior on critical thought may require us to control our emotions.
Frequently emotional control is developed through training. The control of emotions is most easily seen in the process of training our dogs. In dog training we can see that dogs learn to control many emotions that lead to what their owners call undesirable behavior. Sometimes it’s also necessary for the owner to learn emotional control to avoid behavior that would be detrimental to the dog. Last week I was reminded of how emotional control affects our daily lives when listening to a friend talk about how he has similar Rules for flying a plane and riding a motorcycle.
One step to developing emotional control, or what we could think of as self control, is to first acknowledge the power of our emotions. It’s also ideal if we can identify what those emotions are. Emotions should be identified and a strategy for dealing with then developed before the emotions are elicited. Once in the moment of emotional fervor it’s more difficult to break free to think and/or plan. It’s hard to retake control and make good decisions when in the grip of neural chemicals.
Often it’s primitive emotions that are at the heart of bad choices.
Dog Days of Summer June 21, 2010
Andrew Ledford