All Actions are Emotional

By: jwilder, 1/21/2022

Everything we do is based on emotion. When I learned this it blew my mind. Everything?

"Everything you and I do, we do out of our need to avoid pain or desire to gain pleasure." -Tony Robbins

I began to think of everything important to me and asked: what emotion is tied to this?

On occasion I fall into the trap of trying to divorce my emotions from some experiences. Emotions at times get in the way. Something may upset me. Logically I know this is not an issue, let’s move on. However, my emotions do not obey. They might calm down a bit, but the chemicals that were pumped into my body don’t just disappear. It takes a while to process everything physically, while the brain can move on instantly after making a decision. Being aware of this is powerful. For some, one small issue can ruin their entire day.

At times I am tempted to be Spock, and all things are logical. Indeed! All things can be logical, but I’m still James Tiberius Kirk. I’ve got emotions. And I have to deal with them. Fascinating.

I love cars. I like the way some look. When I look at a car it triggers a certain emotion which I enjoy. To add to the experience, cars can give you visceral experiences such as fast acceleration or hard cornering. These experiences trigger emotions. If you like those emotions you want more of them. So that’s why some people like cars. Now, can a Dodge Charger give you the same feelings as a Lamborghini Huracan? Yes, and no. There’s also the feeling of pride in a brand. Maybe you love the idea of Italian design. So only an Italian car will do.

How enlightening it is to take the things we love and hate, and trace it to an emotion. Knowledge, understanding, and wisdom; they come from deeply looking at why we do what we do. Why we want what we want.

Wisdom is minimizing the effect of emotions that do not serve us. The skill and practice of introspection is supremely valuable to the mind of success. Usually emotions are the root of the problems (good and bad) we are trying to solve.

"I can see that pleasures are to be avoided if greater pains be the consequence, and pains to be coveted that will terminate the greater pleasures." -Michel de Montaigne

To your success!

James Wilder

I write about success principles and practices that help you take action and live your dreams!

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