Human beings are rational animals, but we have focused so much on the logical aspects of ourselves that we often seem to forget or want to forget that we are also emotional beings. We can think, we can analyze the events of our lives, make decisions, create, reflect, but also and above all we feel.
Somehow, Our emotions are present at all times in our lives. When we fall in love, we feel something for another person; But also when we smell freshly baked bread we can notice different nuances very vividly or even feel different. Likewise, when we are with friends enjoying a good conversation; or simply sitting on the couch at home with a blanket when it’s cold or raining outside. We feel love, nostalgia, satisfaction, comfort, relaxation, convenience…
We love being able to feel these types of things, they make us value life, enjoy small and big moments, feel present in the here and now and value things. But we do not usually take into account the emotions that are often considered “negative”; just to try to avoid them.
Nobody likes to be scared, or sad, or stressed, sad, or down. Feeling shame, guilt or remorse about something. But, even if we don’t like to feel that way, Nor could we feel pleasant emotions if we are not able to also accept the negative ones.
For example, when we love someone, it is also normal to feel afraid of losing that person, and certainly very normal to be terribly sad if that person disappears from our life. The price of being able to feel the wonderful emotion that is love is being willing to suffer at some point.
But unfortunately, sometimes the fear of our own painful emotions is so great that we spend our lives avoiding feeling them, denying their existence and implying that we are actually “stronger” than we really are, when it is not a It is a question of strength to feel more or less sad about something, but of the ability to give oneself more to a person or not.
In fact, there are people who fear their “negative” emotions so much that they They are incapable of seeking positive emotions. For example, this is what happens when someone prefers not to risk having a job that excites them but that requires a certain responsibility, for fear of failing. Or by not starting a relationship for fear of suffering. And so many examples could be given.
Denying a part of one’s life
The problem with acting in life avoiding feeling negative things is mainly that we distance ourselves from positive experiences. If I am not willing to risk anything, I cannot receive anything or feel anything either
Is it worth living like this? Can we really live like this? Sooner or later, and no matter how much we want to avoid it, we realize that our emotions are part of ourselves, and fighting against them is fighting against ourselves. In some moments the rational part can win the battle but in others it will be the emotions that invade us more the more we try to get away from them.
The importance of reconciling with our emotional side
The good thing about all this is that if we stop fighting, if we are able to understand that there are no good or bad emotions, but that they are all good and adaptive depending on the circumstances in which we find ourselves, we will be able to stop running away from them, accept them, understand them and express them in a way consistent with our needs.
No matter how sad a person is, if they accept their emotion and express it, time can heal their wounds. When instead you prohibit yourself from feeling that pain and lock it inside yourself time cannot cure anything, it only keeps it locked up with great effort and with the disadvantage that it often turns against us later.
Knowing the usefulness of each of our emotions, and adding to the definition of ourselves the fact that we are rational and emotional animals, can help us understand ourselves more, accept ourselves and be able to experience both the good and the bad that happen to us in life. . After all, you also learn from bad things.
