Reason and emotion are a false dichotomy

I observed that emotional is often put as antithesis of rationality,

This is wrong, it doesn’t have to be

You can remain sensitive — while being rational and reasonable

But yes, emotional agitation is typically inversely related to rationality

BUT it’s only a correlation, not causation

 

Likewise intelligent and reasonable are falsely conflated

One can be intelligent and unreasonable

Intelligence helps figuring out solution

Once you see the solution — it typically no longer makes sense to believe anything else. Solution, by definition, is how you solve your problem

But intelligence also helps you RATIONALISE, instead of being rational

 

And indeed the missing link is emotionality

If you can’t deal with your emotions properly — your reason will be slave to those emotions

Emotions will decide what you want to believe and DO and think — BEFORE you had even though anything

And then when you’re thinking — you’re only doing it to rationalise this already made decision

 

Of course you know it’s true

Many times you had known what you should have done — then had done something else

Because you were angry, or scared,

or reluctant, lazy, which are emotions too, not only attitudes or states

 

If you’re this slave of emotions — of course intelligence will be their slave too — and only serve to BETTER rationalise your impulses and biases

And this is why what LOOKS RATIONAL — is not necessarily rational

Because at high intelligence — you can make anything look rational — to those with less perspicacity

Worst of all: you can convince YOURSELF that you’re being rational

 

…AND attempting to be rational, in such case, of course leads to adverse outcome,

Because unless the CAUSE is addressed — which is THE EMOTION — then all the reason and rationality will still result in error and bias — because premises are wrong from the beginning

And THIS is why EMOTION AND REASON are not at odds,

Because what is worse than working through an emotion with reason — is REPRESSING THE EMOTION — and only THEN rationalising

 

Indeed this is why emotion must be dealt with first,

With sincerity and humbleness

It must be probed and explored deeply

Observed, examined,

with though, but also with just pure consciousness, which is pre-thought,

Indeed the whole THOUGH-FEELING, the emotion giving rise to thought, the though giving rise to emotion, must be SCRUTINISED profoundly

and only then, can you return to regular reason, regular work,

 

And the ending is not always emotion-less either

Why would it be?

Emotions are themselves a form of information processing

It’s an instantaneous response to stimuli

It’s an input which, depending on the program, renders certain output

Which results in you being more or less likely to act certain way

It’s not inherently stupid

If anything — it’s inherently wise, in an evolutionary sense. That’s how we survived as a species. It is a code for certain evolutionarily preferable behaviours

We may IMPROVE upon those behaviours, and improve upon those impulses, and we should, but let’s not deny their purpose and their logic, and let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater

Therefore deal with it like with any other idea, information = examine it, take it into consideration, and then decide what to do with it

 

If you have superior emotional hygiene, emotions will only help you

They will AID your reason

For instance: if you condition yourself to LOVE doing the right thing, thinking clearly, figuring stuff out — it will result in positive emotions

satisfaction, engagement, curiosity, sense of relief, etc.

Now you’re on the same side