Interesting question. I assume you're talking about pain here, as I'm sure no one would object to feeling exorbitant amounts of pleasure. But I'm sure this answer is "a lot".
This is a great question Ryan. I feel like even if we say we don't we do censor a lot of what we experience by limiting the feelings that we feel. I think society has taught us to hide our feelings from a very young age. For example, it was never okay to cry in my household. It was seen as a sign of weakness. It is only in the last few years, that I have realized that though sometimes me crying does mean I am at a weak point, it by no means makes me a weak person. So I say...we should all work everyday to feel every ounce of emotion we can feel, and never censor the experience that comes from it. Here's hoping??
That is a great point, that in the moment, we are allowing ourselves to be vulnerable when we cry. I like that, we feel a whole range of emotion and sometimes there can be swings of mood. It's human.
We should try our best to feel genuine emotions, or else we suppress; then what we should be feeling now may pop-up later, stronger, maybe at the wrong time.
Also, our emotions will tell us the truth about what's going on in our world. It's good to listen to them. Helps you make better decisions.
I knew a lady once who told me a person will always censor their emotions. A mind won't let a person feel something they aren't able to handle; it's a survival mechanism. But, our experiences stay in our memories and we will feel the whole range of emotions that come with an experience sometime in our lives, after our mind is strong enough or wise enough to be able to handle the emotions we blocked out before.
I know from experience that the range of emotions a person is able to feel is always equally distant from neutral, above and below. You cannot censor negative feeling without censoring the positive ones. If you aren't emotionally well enough, and you are censoring your emotions, you will not be able to experience positive emotions that are any stronger than the negative emotions you're able to handle.
Some people censor emotions subconsciously, but I know of a lot of people who do it intentionally, with or without understanding that limiting bad feelings will also limit good. I also know people who intentionally limit good feelings because they do understand that for every good experience they have now, they will feel equally awful later, and those negative feelings can be avoided by not allowing themselves to feel happy now.
I fully agree with the lady I mentioned at first, not just that we will feel everything we've experienced, either now or later, but that it should be a goal that we work toward. We should consciously try to become emotionally well, then sort through our memories and see which ones we are ready to revisit. We will be rewarded with a greater ability to feel joy.
I've talked to Charee about this before, and we both came to the same conclusion: Smart people really are happier (and sadder) than the ignorant. Now that I'm older, I believe this is why.
Interesting question. I assume you're talking about pain here, as I'm sure no one would object to feeling exorbitant amounts of pleasure.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm sure this answer is "a lot".
This is a great question Ryan. I feel like even if we say we don't we do censor a lot of what we experience by limiting the feelings that we feel. I think society has taught us to hide our feelings from a very young age. For example, it was never okay to cry in my household. It was seen as a sign of weakness. It is only in the last few years, that I have realized that though sometimes me crying does mean I am at a weak point, it by no means makes me a weak person. So I say...we should all work everyday to feel every ounce of emotion we can feel, and never censor the experience that comes from it.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping??
Yeah Metric Lyric,
ReplyDeleteThat is a great point, that in the moment, we are allowing ourselves to be vulnerable when we cry. I like that, we feel a whole range of emotion and sometimes there can be swings of mood. It's human.
We should try our best to feel genuine emotions, or else we suppress; then what we should be feeling now may pop-up later, stronger, maybe at the wrong time.
Also, our emotions will tell us the truth about what's going on in our world. It's good to listen to them. Helps you make better decisions.
Audrey,
ReplyDeletePeople censor their pleasure I think. They are very sad, and don't think they deserve it.
Ryan...
ReplyDeleteYou are so Wise...
Kelliana
I'm right now picking my nose
ReplyDeleteI knew a lady once who told me a person will always censor their emotions. A mind won't let a person feel something they aren't able to handle; it's a survival mechanism. But, our experiences stay in our memories and we will feel the whole range of emotions that come with an experience sometime in our lives, after our mind is strong enough or wise enough to be able to handle the emotions we blocked out before.
ReplyDeleteI know from experience that the range of emotions a person is able to feel is always equally distant from neutral, above and below. You cannot censor negative feeling without censoring the positive ones. If you aren't emotionally well enough, and you are censoring your emotions, you will not be able to experience positive emotions that are any stronger than the negative emotions you're able to handle.
Some people censor emotions subconsciously, but I know of a lot of people who do it intentionally, with or without understanding that limiting bad feelings will also limit good. I also know people who intentionally limit good feelings because they do understand that for every good experience they have now, they will feel equally awful later, and those negative feelings can be avoided by not allowing themselves to feel happy now.
I fully agree with the lady I mentioned at first, not just that we will feel everything we've experienced, either now or later, but that it should be a goal that we work toward. We should consciously try to become emotionally well, then sort through our memories and see which ones we are ready to revisit. We will be rewarded with a greater ability to feel joy.
I've talked to Charee about this before, and we both came to the same conclusion: Smart people really are happier (and sadder) than the ignorant. Now that I'm older, I believe this is why.