@aidan,
DAVID wrote:Can there possibly be such a thing as a false emotion?
Is that possible??
I can miscalculate when crunching numbers
or when organizing strategy, but not in knowing that
I 'm experiencing love, fear, hate, etc.
Is it POSSIBLE for a man to reach the conclusion that:
"O, I thought that I was afraid of yadda, yadda, yadda"
but I 've discovered that I really was not afraid"?????
or the same thing as applied to hate?????
If u believe that it is,
I 'd be grateful for your explaining how that can be.
aidan wrote:It IS possible to be confused about what emotion one is experiencing - for instance you might think you're experiencing fear, but it might really be hate. I used to think I hated cats because I was afraid of them, but then I discovered I'm really not afraid of them, I just don't trust them. I find them unpredictable (as compared to dogs). So actually, I don't fear OR hate them, I just don't enjoy being in their presence.
Within the last few days, someone posted the concept
that it is human nature to believe (in
error) that others,
because thay r also human, share our belief systems,
so that what is obvious to one is clear to
ALL.
That has not proven to be the case; if it
were,
then obama 'd never even have been elected to his state legislature
and all citizens in America'd be in close possession of abundant,
fine defensive emergency equipment and children in the earliest
years of school 'd be studying defensive gunnery tactics
along with history, math and fonetic spelling.
I assume that because I experience thirst, hunger, love n hate,
that
ALL my fellow humen do (unless thay r defective).
My personal experience of love, hate and fear have been clear
beyond the slightest doubt, the same as if I accidentally get burned,
I become aware very swiftly of extant pain in the affected area.
I need not speculate, as I might wonder qua whether I 'm getting
a dental cavity. To
ME, emotions have
always been
super-clear
beyond any doubt whatsoever. I 've deemed almost weird when
I 've heard it said (or sung): "I think I might love him or her."
Loving is a function of the conscious mind, like calculating your tax strategy.
It is an
oxymoronic contradiction in terms to love or hate without
KNOWing it.
Is that
different in my fellow citizens?????
I find that hard to believe, but then I never thawt that
anyone in his right mind 'd vote for obama, either.
aidan wrote:What's also confusing to me is that sometimes you can really dislike all that you know about a person, but still really enjoy their company. I've discovered that phenomena since working at the prison.
I mean, I'll be sitting there with a drug dealer who has ruined countless lives, or someone who has murdered his wife, or someone who would steal my purse the minute my back was turned and I will be aware of all this - the fact that they're basically selfish, immoral and dishonest people- but the other side of my brain will be thinking, this guy seems nice and funny.
Yeah, well u had a pleasant time at dinner a few times with me and
I am basicly selfish.
I try to cultivate selfishness.
Anyway, I 've thru that too. I 'm not an anarchist, but damn close to it,
in my libertarianism and my support of
laissez faire capitalism.
In any case, I had a German born uncle who supported nazism
in the Second World War, with whom I genuinely enjoyed debating
and I enjoyed his company, tho I 'm
passionate in my lust for liberty.
There was also a woman named Eve, who is very, very left, with whom
I 've debated ideology and who I 've found magneticly attractive, despite her opinions.
I had a good friend for several years; I also had a
Gold ring with a
Ruby and diamonds.
It disappeared. There remains a question of where it went.
I don 't know whether he stole it or not, but if he did,
his positive contributions exceeded the ring such that if he
returned from death, I 'd be glad to re-instate our friendship.
(If he did not steal it, his positive contributions were worth more
than the missing ring, anyway!) Accordingly, I understand your point
about liking a person despite his deeds or beliefs.
aidan wrote:Of course, I would never let down my guard knowing that he would steal from me
just like he'd steal from a stranger if I gave him the chance,
but I do often wonder about that phenomena.
It means that u r able to make a distinction in your mind.
If u meet someone whose deeds u detest, u r
not necessarily called upon
to be rude, if u don 't wanna be. A lot of my friends don't agree with my ideology.
Many people who
AGREE with my ideology r not my friends.
I hang around with them long enuf to co-ordinate strategy and that 's all.
aidan wrote:Maybe it's just a coping mechanism - what I have to be able to do to do my job.
I mean if I was judging and hating every person who did something wrong in my eyes,
or even in society's eyes, I wouldn't be able to stay in the room and teach him to read, would I?
That depends on U.
Some people work with folks that thay despise.
U might as well enjoy the job and have a pleasant time with it.
aidan wrote:But it is very confusing. Because I think I can forgive this stuff more easily in strangers than I'd be able to forgive it in people I know. Say my son was an immoral, dishonest, horrible criminal person - I don't think I'd ever be able to push all that aside and smile at him as I helped him with his homework.
See what I mean- it's very confusing to me.
Well, u have it within your discretion to choose how to respond to those social phenomena.
U can
select your emotions, if u wanna.
In
MY mind, emotions have always been extremely clear,
the same as I can tell the difference between
red and
blue.
I thawt that it was that way for
EVERY American. Maybe I was rong.
David
