Emotional Baggage

[nickelfire]

Emotions are fickle, they serve to continually set us back and comprise our greatest weakness as a specie. But there’s no doubt that they are what makes us human, what gives us our humanity; without them, we’d be more practical, but we’d be robotic.
But the scars of emotional baggage are a great weight to bear, sometimes you wish you can just shut off that particular part of your brain and move on with your life.
It’s easy enough to tell yourself “get over it, big baby”, because tears and bad memories get old, but your emotions keep you on the wrong side of the river, they keep that cross on your back.
The worst thing is the self pity, looking futilely at the problem and being indefinitely blind to any solution, emotions are the reason behind that… they take over the mind and body and keep it under fire with destructive feelings. Being in complete control of my emotions would be ideal, but they are such a strong influence, and often wrest control over me, personally, at the worst times…
Why hasn’t mankind evolved to have better control over emotions? Or are we meant to succeed or fail with this particular handicap? Is it a blessing or a curse?

[TarotDragon]

nickelfire said:

Why hasn’t mankind evolved to have better control over emotions? Or are we meant to succeed or fail with this particular handicap? Is it a blessing or a curse?

I think the basic answer to this is as with everything else we do. Its the struggle. Without the struggle you cannot understand the beauty. If we didn't have to fight for happiness we could never appreciate it. Its the conflict, the struggle, the need to know why. Its what life... is.

I think that we're all meant to get to a place of complete love. Where we can feel a deep, true love for every living thing on this planet. Like everyone and everything is our soulmate, not just another person. And there would be no point if everything was all just neatly wrapped and tied with a bow and handed to you. So its the struggle to feel good and rid yourself of the grime that its there and in the end, makes it all worthwhile.

Or so I think, which isn't saying a lot, but there you have it. ;D

[Trivium515]

I like TD's answer.
Without the emotion to feel joy when you see a beautiful flower for instance, life would be pointless. And I believe that all emotions are equally important, and we are not meant to evolve away from them, no matter how unpleasant they may be. Though I do think that some measure of control over them should be exercised in some cases, hehe not sure I'm one to talk though

[TarotDragon]

nickelfire said:

But the scars of emotional baggage are a great weight to bear, sometimes you wish you can just shut off that particular part of your brain and move on with your life.
It’s easy enough to tell yourself “get over it, big baby”, because tears and bad memories get old, but your emotions keep you on the wrong side of the river, they keep that cross on your back.
The worst thing is the self pity, looking futilely at the problem and being indefinitely blind to any solution,

I really get what you're saying here. I mean, I've been there and I'm sure probably everyone has. We're in a situation and it seems like there is no way out and it feels hopeless and you wonder why you should even get out of bed in the morning. It just feels like there is no point. Nothing that can be done. But you finally come to a crossroads one way or another and you've got two choices. One, let it be, let it go on and just suffer. Two, you have a realization and you're like "wtf? Why am I letting myself feel this way? Nobody can make me feel what I'm feeling so what's going on?" And though it can take a long time, you finally pull yourself out of it, realize that you're the only one that can change it and either do or don't. Its your choice. Sometimes, if you're lucky, the cause of your emotional distress will be removed and you'll be given the distance and time to look at the situation from an outsiders point of view. Sometimes not. I've been in both and know they both can be equally as hard.

Yeah I know, time for me to shut my trap. I'm burning the soapbox, really I am. ;D

quicksilver said:

Though I do think that some measure of control over them should be exercised in some cases, hehe not sure I'm one to talk though

I'm with ya, Glacier, in every word and line. ;D

[nickelfire]

strictlyplatonic said:

I think the basic answer to this is as with everything else we do. Its the struggle.

This is certainly the plain (and topic killing!) answer ;D . And on the same point, I do believe that every negative, every obstacle in the path for all of us, is meant and is a test for our specie, it is there because of karma, and to test our existence, to give it meaning, character, and a rich history filled with joy and strife.
But because emotions can be so personally detrimental to social, spiritual, mental, and physical health, I see them as a stallion running free, and I’ve got to lasso him with this tiny rope. Only this stallion is massive, and I’ve never lassoed in my life. It seems likely that I’m fated to be that wild stallion, with emotions rampaging untamed and unchecked. But, with some good fortune, I may wrap the thong around his neck and rein in this particular demon/character-flaw, maybe I prevail.
It’s important to win this rodeo. Everyone needs self control.

[Trivium515]

Well I don't know, I've seem people who hold in everything their thinking and feeling, and whenever your around them you get the feeling that their just going to implode, and then there are those who let it all rip without sensor or restraint, and though this is usually an ugly seen, at least they aren't carrying it around with them. So whats better? I don't know, I guess it depends on the person, and the situation, but either way we all have emotions, and i think only few really have control over them.

[Kwan Yu]

Learn to control emotion
Soon no emotion.

[nickelfire]

quicksilver said:

Well I don't know, I've seem people who hold in everything their thinking and feeling, and whenever your around them you get the feeling that their just going to implode...

kwanyu said:

Learn to control emotion
Soon no emotion.

Well I don't mean you should never show emotion, I'm just talking about control over emotions, not letting them get out of hand too often. To just be healthy in that area is all that I'm referring to.
It's usually not much fun to be in the presence of someone free of all restraint, a little disciplining of unnecessary outbursts and irrational arguments can only be a dignified and beneficial way to live. I'll admit that if you take it too far you just may implode or be emotionless as Kuan stated, but to know when to et go and hold it in… that would be so nice. What does everyone else think?

[soulatom]

Ah emotion....great highs and great lows. I have experienced such shameful outbursts in my life, uncontrolled infantile emotion, blech, yuk. But then again really high emotion feelings of love and joy. I think all the things stated on this thread are true of emotion and we all have experienced them at one time or another.
I like what KwanYu says. Life is a play you can watch and experience without becoming the actors if you don't want to.

Emotion: stemming from the word emote or move put into motion, just imagine life without it.

[Trivium515]

kwanyu said:

Learn to control emotion
Soon no emotion.

So a balance is key? Or is the key simply tolerance? I personally find it very difficult to deal with a person who has more fiery emotions, but then I've never met someone who is truly apathetic...

[Kwan Yu]

quicksilver said:

I personally find it very difficult to deal with a person who has more fiery emotions,

No need to deal
just watch

Fiery women
better in bed than cold woman
especially in winter

[nickelfire]

kwanyu said:

No need to deal
just watch

Fiery women
better in bed than cold woman
especially in winter

Ahem, he likes ‘em spicy and full of life!
But seriously (I know it's getting 'seriously' boring), emotions can be toxic! One can't just let the harsh words and tears flow out of control, and the same goes for sensations such as joy and euphoria… you might as well be high. I'm not trying to sensor human spirit but that spirit can get obnoxious! (I'm speaking of myself as well of course.)
With all that being said, I do see your point, better a raging stallion than a cold-blooded crocodile… I’ll have to think on it.

[johnb1]

So I suggest let's Walk and talk for a while and View the Nice Scenery of the Ocean Sea Shore or on a Botanical Garden Park. let's Roll and Stroll ;D

youtube.com/watch?v=4FVqiwdMQOY

youtube.com/watch?v=Jek6iP6AuAQ

It's not time to make a change,
Just relax, take it easy.
You're still young, that's your fault,
There's so much you have to know.
Find a girl, settle down,
If you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy.

I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy,
To be calm when you've found something going on.
But take your time, think a lot,
Why, think of everything you've got.
For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.

Son
How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again.
It's always been the same, same old story.
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.
[Father & Son lyrics on http://www.metrolyrics.com]

Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.

Father
It's not time to make a change,
Just sit down, take it slowly.
You're still young, that's your fault,
There's so much you have to go through.
Find a girl, settle down,
if you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy.

Son
All the times that I cried, keeping all the things I knew inside,
It's hard, but it's harder to ignore it.
If they were right, I'd agree, but it's them they know, not me.
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.

[MagnetMan]

Nice post Johnb1.

[TarotDragon]

nickelfire said:

Well I don't mean you should never show emotion, I'm just talking about control over emotions, not letting them get out of hand too often. To just be healthy in that area is all that I'm referring to.
It's usually not much fun to be in the presence of someone free of all restraint, a little disciplining of unnecessary outbursts and irrational arguments can only be a dignified and beneficial way to live. I'll admit that if you take it too far you just may implode or be emotionless as Kuan stated, but to know when to et go and hold it in… that would be so nice. What does everyone else think?

I myself don't like constantly loud, noisy people. Drives me crazy. But people who hold everything in tend to have random, violent outbursts (speaking of myself here). I think everything comes back to finding the reason for the emotion. Its not just there without a reason; something is causing it. Finding the root cause doesn't just make it go away. That's another battle altogether.
But what I like to do with my negative emotion/energy is channel it into something creative. Usually I write, just vent it all on the computer, clacking angrily at the keyboard til its gone. Then I erase it the next day, when everything is out of my system, and just like that, the problem is gone. Sometimes I read it before I erase it, but not usually because its so infantile that I feel embarrassed and by hitting that "delete" button, everything is gone.
Sometimes I write a story, take my dark emotion and try to make it into something hopeful or beautifully tragic if I can't find that spark of positiveness.

I dunno, just things I've found that have helped me through the years when I've wanted to scream and rant or throttle somebody.