The Problem With Emotions January 8, 2009
Posted by Chris in Blogged, Youth Work.Tags: 2009, emotions, God, life, me
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God does some weird things. Well, I mean, they seem pretty weird when you’re in the middle of them. I guess they shouldn’t really, as I do believe in a God that raises people from the dead, walks on water and created some pretty spectacular special effects. A few mind games isn’t too much for him. Let me explain…
I’ve been thinking for a while about emotions. I’m a very conceptual person, and I love to think I ‘understand’ something, so I can put it in a box on a shelf and leave it, and so I try and do that with everything, and everyone. It drives my wife potty!
Emotions don’t work that way though, and so you can’t pigeon-hole them, or the people within whom they reside. This rather scuppers my nice filing system for people, and I keep meaning to get around to ‘understanding’ emotions. Which would be fine, except I don’t think that’s going to be possible. Emotions have this nasty habit of not staying in the holes I put them in. I guess that’s why I ignore them as much as possible.
So last night, round someone’s house with some friends from church we were discussing our hopes and plans for 2009. Without too much thinking, I put down on the paper I was writing on, ‘developing emotional realities to attach to logical concepts I already understand’. Sceptics may say I was just thinking it, but I think God’s in it, because it links so well with many areas of my life currently.
And that brings me to my point. I finally got around to opening a Christian youth work magazine I’ve been carting around for the last week, only to find the main article was on realising we are emotional beings, and working that out. I wasn’t sure whether to be happy, excited or just plain annoyed at God for being right, just when I wanted a bit more time off to mope and be lazy. Either way, finding the article left me frustrated, and I ran from one end of the apartment I live in several times in frustration, and much to the confusion of my wife. (Actually, I don’t think she was that concerned, she carried on watching a DVD and didn’t even look up, so perhaps she’s got used to my unusual ways). I must start studying and get to know how to express these emotions more ‘normally’…
Actually I was concerned but you had given me permission to watch my DVD so I thought you were sulking or something! Especially as you were getting wound up about the bit about youth work!
I’ve decided you’re either Autistic or Vulcan – I think the second might be easier to deal with! (Maybe we need a blood test to rule out the second?!?)
Since when did it become an apartment rather than a flat? lol I like it! Sounds more classy or something!
Erm yeah,
I am with your wife on this one either Autistic or Vulcan, at least if your Autistic she is used to dealing with Autistic people (wella t least one!) other than you so should manage to work it out! I am rather intrigues by what you decided to write down as your ‘goal’ for the year:
‘developing emotional realities to attach to logical concepts I already understand’
I think this really illustrates the need for understanding on what emotion is! You certainly CAN’T attach emotion to logical concepts of any sort, if you could I would have been ‘cured’ of depression by now!!!! and how much easier would that make life for everyone.
Just forgo the pigeon holes, take them down the tidy tip or, if you must, frecycle them, but they are well and truly out of date and need to be consigned to the history books! You will certainly NEVER manage to pigeon hole me, as you will have realised by now!
Never mind you will get there one day, one way or another, you have no choice just look at who you married no chance that you will ever escape emotions in your place
What I mean by that aim is that I already have a neat logical understanding of, say, the theory of groupwork, but I don’t really have much of an idea about the emotions felt by those in the group. So, whilst, I can never ‘understand’ emotions logically, I do want to be able to empathise with those experiencing them, and I think there probably is some correlation between certain ‘logical’ experiences and particular emotions. For example, in a group I may experience joy at achievement or teamwork, anger at another member or isolation and lonliness by being left out. Obviously this is a limited range, and for everyone experiences are different, but this is just a brief example of some possible reactions and emotions inextricably linked with logical concepts of groupwork.
I agree, certainaly no escaping from emotions with The Wife around!