the title of this post itself has 3 ways of knowing - emotion, which is explicity stated; perception and reasoning which together make up judgement. ones judgement can vary depending on how he or she perceieves a situation and what he can reason from it. perception can vary with emotional changes in humans. hence it is a very obvious connection between ones judgement and the emotion they are experiencing. one can find a number of examples of when emotion clouded ones judgement whether it be history (hitler's unstable, oppressive and violent childhood leading to the way he behaved with the Jews and other innocent people), the current affairs (indians' reactions to the india-australia cricket match at sydney) or within oneself (i will present a case on how emotion clouded my judgement and led me to do what was wrong).
about 10 years ago my immediate family, the family of my aunt and i went to corbet national park to spot some tigers and other animals in action. therefore my parents and aunt decided, that in order to be close to "the action", we were going to stay in teh houses in the middle of the national park. being a jungle, there were a terrifying number and species of reptiles, both of which i had never seen in my life in mumbai. i woke up in the middle of the night around 2 am and saw 3-4 lizards right above me on teh ceiling. it was one of the most terrifying moments of my life...(irrational (?) fear of reptiles). i tried to keep calm for a few minutes watching them constantly (all the while doing exactly as sigmund freud had said abt humans' attraction to the ugly bein as intense as our attraction towards teh beatiful). and then one of them moved. that was the last straw. i created a huge ruckus, woke everyone up and got everyone to transfer us to a comfortable, expensive, lizar-less hotel. i slept the night peacefully.
however, on teh safari early next morning we were told how we had missd tiger activity that had taken place barely a few hundred metres frm where we were initially staying!!! what a waste of labour, money and time!!
although i regret reacting the way i did, my fear and disgust still remains and it is soo strong that if i were put in the same situation, knowing the outcome, i might do the same thing again. this is the power of emotion.
Monday, January 21, 2008
How do Emotions cloud ones Judgment?
Emotions are any strong feelings that not only people but most living things experience. Emotions are the positive or negative reactions to internal or external stimuli. They are evolutionary adaptations that help an organism survive and reproduce. Emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, happiness, disgust and surprise all are associated with and have relatively distinct patterns of subjective experience.
Emotions play a major part in persuasion, social influence and attitude change. They work hand in hand with the way we think about an issue or situation. Predicting emotions is an important part of decision making. How we feel about an outcome may overrule purely cognitive rationality. Emotions are therefore considered to be irrational occurrences that cloud judgment and distort reasoning. For example in school, presentations are due and a peer in your class whom you have been hoping to beat for the last year in your presentation score have not yet been successful, you therefore experience envy or jealousy. His or her presentation as outstanding as it may have been this time as well you may still be convinced that you have done a better job as experiencing what you are u criticize the presentation more than you would have if it was another student presenting it. You may have criticized the presentation in areas where they maybe non existent. This may be a matter of your perception however in the end what is causing you to perceive the presentation in a more negative than positive manner is your emotion of jealousy. Discrete emotions of jealousy anger and hate overpower our initial rationale cognitive.
When we are experiencing a strong emotion whatever we think or do at that time is what appeals to our overall emotional state at that period of time. For example when we are happy or excited we do things on impulse only to regret them later which is the case most of the times. Such as spending all the money your parents gave you (for maybe a job well done in your exams) treating your friends only to realize later you have no money left to spend on what you might have wanted to purchase with the money.)
Emotions such as sadness and depression are also extremely influential and cloud the reasoning of many people. Cases of suicide are examples of clouded irrational thinking evoked by feelings of extreme sadness or depression. People who have fallen in depression due to changes in their external stimuli (subjective from person to person). Suicide is never a planned event, people who have had their cognitive rationale overruled by their stronger dominating emotions are the ones who go forward and harm their lives. In the heat of the sadness which is overwhelming they jump out a balcony or slit their wrists causing damage to their own being. However if they were spoken to or calmed by a pleasant turn in their lives they would realize how unintelligent their decision of ending their life was. They would be thanking their starts that they hadn’t made the wrong decision even though at the time when their overall emotional state saw it best to end their life.
In conclusion emotions are a strong component of our being and are a major influencing factor in most of the decisions we make. These decisions maybe extremely beneficial as emotions are a perfect example of evolutionary adaptation however sometimes they may be a cause for unreasonable thinking and judgment of situations. Certain emotions can make clear paths for us however they some discrete ones may cloud our thoughts and confuse us all together about what is right from wrong therefore altering our cognitive and eventually are judgment..
Emotions play a major part in persuasion, social influence and attitude change. They work hand in hand with the way we think about an issue or situation. Predicting emotions is an important part of decision making. How we feel about an outcome may overrule purely cognitive rationality. Emotions are therefore considered to be irrational occurrences that cloud judgment and distort reasoning. For example in school, presentations are due and a peer in your class whom you have been hoping to beat for the last year in your presentation score have not yet been successful, you therefore experience envy or jealousy. His or her presentation as outstanding as it may have been this time as well you may still be convinced that you have done a better job as experiencing what you are u criticize the presentation more than you would have if it was another student presenting it. You may have criticized the presentation in areas where they maybe non existent. This may be a matter of your perception however in the end what is causing you to perceive the presentation in a more negative than positive manner is your emotion of jealousy. Discrete emotions of jealousy anger and hate overpower our initial rationale cognitive.
When we are experiencing a strong emotion whatever we think or do at that time is what appeals to our overall emotional state at that period of time. For example when we are happy or excited we do things on impulse only to regret them later which is the case most of the times. Such as spending all the money your parents gave you (for maybe a job well done in your exams) treating your friends only to realize later you have no money left to spend on what you might have wanted to purchase with the money.)
Emotions such as sadness and depression are also extremely influential and cloud the reasoning of many people. Cases of suicide are examples of clouded irrational thinking evoked by feelings of extreme sadness or depression. People who have fallen in depression due to changes in their external stimuli (subjective from person to person). Suicide is never a planned event, people who have had their cognitive rationale overruled by their stronger dominating emotions are the ones who go forward and harm their lives. In the heat of the sadness which is overwhelming they jump out a balcony or slit their wrists causing damage to their own being. However if they were spoken to or calmed by a pleasant turn in their lives they would realize how unintelligent their decision of ending their life was. They would be thanking their starts that they hadn’t made the wrong decision even though at the time when their overall emotional state saw it best to end their life.
In conclusion emotions are a strong component of our being and are a major influencing factor in most of the decisions we make. These decisions maybe extremely beneficial as emotions are a perfect example of evolutionary adaptation however sometimes they may be a cause for unreasonable thinking and judgment of situations. Certain emotions can make clear paths for us however they some discrete ones may cloud our thoughts and confuse us all together about what is right from wrong therefore altering our cognitive and eventually are judgment..
emotion and reason
Emotion and reason
The fact that emotion has had a great deal of influence in humans can be dated back to Archimedes (or even before). On inventing what is now known as Archimedes' principle, Archimedes ran out of his house naked and ran around the town saying, "Eureka, Eureka I got it."
This shows how emotion can influence reasoning. Due to the extreme emotions of happiness and surprise, Archimedes did not care about his actions.
I feel that emotion is an integral part of every human, it affects whatever we do, maybe not always to such a great extent that it over powers reasoning. For example, the very act of talking or eating is affected by emotion, psychologists have proven that we tend to be more social, pay more attention in class or eat more if we are happy or satisfied compared to when we are angry or worried. Like how emotion affects such basic acts, it affects all the interactions we have. If the emotion is positive, then it sort of complements our reasoning, given the fact that it is not so strong that it completely over powers it. Negative emotions have an opposite affect on reasoning.
However when an emotion, whether positive or negative, becomes extremely strong, it "clouds" our reasoning. When this happens, whatever we think or do, first passes through a filter of this emotion and we do only what appeals to us in that present state, whether we are elated or depressed, hence explaining suicide. I feel that when a person makes up his mind to commit suicide because of depression, that decision is made only in the heat of the moment, it is rarely planned. This is because in that moment, everything seems lost, as everything is viewed through a filter of negativity.
When I really want to do something, say go for a rock concert the night before my exams start or something like that, the anticipation of happiness, clouds my reasoning, and my ability to listen to someone else's reasoning. If my mother tells me that it is not something advisable to do, and gives a list of reasons, I will try to refute them anyhow. I simply won't want to listen to anything against what I want to do. Okay I am not that stubborn, just giving a hypothetical example. Anyways, so this may make me angry to and ill stop thinking rationally. This is what happens when people get angry; they often say stuff they do not mean.
So as long as the emotion is not extreme, I feel emotion is essential in reasoning, and is omnipresent in everyone's rationale.
The fact that emotion has had a great deal of influence in humans can be dated back to Archimedes (or even before). On inventing what is now known as Archimedes' principle, Archimedes ran out of his house naked and ran around the town saying, "Eureka, Eureka I got it."
This shows how emotion can influence reasoning. Due to the extreme emotions of happiness and surprise, Archimedes did not care about his actions.
I feel that emotion is an integral part of every human, it affects whatever we do, maybe not always to such a great extent that it over powers reasoning. For example, the very act of talking or eating is affected by emotion, psychologists have proven that we tend to be more social, pay more attention in class or eat more if we are happy or satisfied compared to when we are angry or worried. Like how emotion affects such basic acts, it affects all the interactions we have. If the emotion is positive, then it sort of complements our reasoning, given the fact that it is not so strong that it completely over powers it. Negative emotions have an opposite affect on reasoning.
However when an emotion, whether positive or negative, becomes extremely strong, it "clouds" our reasoning. When this happens, whatever we think or do, first passes through a filter of this emotion and we do only what appeals to us in that present state, whether we are elated or depressed, hence explaining suicide. I feel that when a person makes up his mind to commit suicide because of depression, that decision is made only in the heat of the moment, it is rarely planned. This is because in that moment, everything seems lost, as everything is viewed through a filter of negativity.
When I really want to do something, say go for a rock concert the night before my exams start or something like that, the anticipation of happiness, clouds my reasoning, and my ability to listen to someone else's reasoning. If my mother tells me that it is not something advisable to do, and gives a list of reasons, I will try to refute them anyhow. I simply won't want to listen to anything against what I want to do. Okay I am not that stubborn, just giving a hypothetical example. Anyways, so this may make me angry to and ill stop thinking rationally. This is what happens when people get angry; they often say stuff they do not mean.
So as long as the emotion is not extreme, I feel emotion is essential in reasoning, and is omnipresent in everyone's rationale.
Emotion Clouds Reason
Emotion is what a feeling evokes in you. Emotions can be positive or negative. Like happiness, surprise and excitement are positive emotions while anger, sadness, jealousy, and fear are negative emotions.
When you feel a certain emotion you react to it and act in a particular way.
Keeping myself in mind I am an extremely emotional person but like to conceal my emotions and hide the way I feel but I also react in a certain way to the emotion I am feeling.
Like when I am sad or upset I talk very little, snap a lot, and generally stay away from people but when I am happy I am nicer to people, smile a lot and am very talkative and more tolerant towards others.
However when I am angry I tend to get impulsive and irrational. Now emotion is an extremely strong and negative emotion. It governs one's being and actions to a large extent.
Once I had had an arguement with my mother because she had fixed up a certain appointment of mine without checking with me or giving me prior notice. This resulted in me having to leave a friend's house the moment I reached and missing out on all the fun. I told my mother to cancel the appointment and let me stay on but instead of giving into my demand which now seems absurd she yelled at me and called me home immedietely.
When I reached home I was furious and was extremely displeased with my mother. I dealed with this by going into my room, shutting the door, breaking a shampoo bottle, throwing several miniature statues out of the window and a birthday gift given by a dear friend. This was a perfect example of being irrational.
If I was in a normal state of mine or not so angry or emotionally charged I would have never broken so many things or reacted so voilently. Besides when I was feeling calmer I felt bad about doing all of that but at that moment it seemed like the only thing to do. At that moment "emotion" clouded my "reson". Because I was under the spell of such a strong emotion such as anger and fury I completely lost my reason and got carried away with my emotion.
When you feel a certain emotion you react to it and act in a particular way.
Keeping myself in mind I am an extremely emotional person but like to conceal my emotions and hide the way I feel but I also react in a certain way to the emotion I am feeling.
Like when I am sad or upset I talk very little, snap a lot, and generally stay away from people but when I am happy I am nicer to people, smile a lot and am very talkative and more tolerant towards others.
However when I am angry I tend to get impulsive and irrational. Now emotion is an extremely strong and negative emotion. It governs one's being and actions to a large extent.
Once I had had an arguement with my mother because she had fixed up a certain appointment of mine without checking with me or giving me prior notice. This resulted in me having to leave a friend's house the moment I reached and missing out on all the fun. I told my mother to cancel the appointment and let me stay on but instead of giving into my demand which now seems absurd she yelled at me and called me home immedietely.
When I reached home I was furious and was extremely displeased with my mother. I dealed with this by going into my room, shutting the door, breaking a shampoo bottle, throwing several miniature statues out of the window and a birthday gift given by a dear friend. This was a perfect example of being irrational.
If I was in a normal state of mine or not so angry or emotionally charged I would have never broken so many things or reacted so voilently. Besides when I was feeling calmer I felt bad about doing all of that but at that moment it seemed like the only thing to do. At that moment "emotion" clouded my "reson". Because I was under the spell of such a strong emotion such as anger and fury I completely lost my reason and got carried away with my emotion.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
How Emotion Can Cloud Judgment
‘Emotion’ is defined by the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary as ‘a strong feeling such as love, fear or anger; the part of a person’s character that consists of feeling’. We, as people, experience a range of emotions and find ourselves in several emotional states, almost all of which can be distinctly categorized as ‘negative’ emotions including anger, fear, depression, jealousy, etc. and ‘positive’ emotions like love, happiness, contentment, excitement, etc.
That emotion can and does cloud judgment is an irrefutable fact – almost everyone has made judgments or taken decisions, whether right or wrong, in ‘the heat of their passion’. However, the way we RESPOND to the emotional state we are going through, and how and to what extent we let it affect our sense of judgment differs from person to person, and there are several factors that affect this as well, such as upbringing, the environment in which the person lives, the mental and emotional strength of the person itself etc.
For example, let us take person A and person B as two people, both suffering from depression – while person A might decide to end his life, because his depression has led him to believe that life isn’t worth living anymore, person B might fight against the depression and emerge as a much stronger person.
Let’s take another example, the famous quote ‘love is blind’ – love is all about accepting a person with his or her faults, however, sometimes love leads people into IGNORING the faults of the person they love, and creating their own illusion of the person they live - this can, at times, prove to be extremely dangerous.
Lastly, I would like to take the example of Pakistani former president, Benazir Bhutto, who was recently assassinated – it was a fatal gunshot to the head that killed her, as she leant out of her car, through the sunroof, waving out to her supporters during a Rawalpindi rally. Now, everyone opines that it was very stupid of her to have leant out of the car and waved out to her supporters – however, if she had not been assassinated then, everyone would have admired and lauded her for her bravery. The decision that Bhutto made to lean out of the car, was, in my opinion, an emotional decision that she made – in THAT moment, Bhutto was enjoying the attention so much, and was so determined about reaching out to the masses and winning the forthcoming elections, that she threw caution to the winds, and leant out of the car, a decision that cost her her life.
That emotion can and does cloud judgment is an irrefutable fact – almost everyone has made judgments or taken decisions, whether right or wrong, in ‘the heat of their passion’. However, the way we RESPOND to the emotional state we are going through, and how and to what extent we let it affect our sense of judgment differs from person to person, and there are several factors that affect this as well, such as upbringing, the environment in which the person lives, the mental and emotional strength of the person itself etc.
For example, let us take person A and person B as two people, both suffering from depression – while person A might decide to end his life, because his depression has led him to believe that life isn’t worth living anymore, person B might fight against the depression and emerge as a much stronger person.
Let’s take another example, the famous quote ‘love is blind’ – love is all about accepting a person with his or her faults, however, sometimes love leads people into IGNORING the faults of the person they love, and creating their own illusion of the person they live - this can, at times, prove to be extremely dangerous.
Lastly, I would like to take the example of Pakistani former president, Benazir Bhutto, who was recently assassinated – it was a fatal gunshot to the head that killed her, as she leant out of her car, through the sunroof, waving out to her supporters during a Rawalpindi rally. Now, everyone opines that it was very stupid of her to have leant out of the car and waved out to her supporters – however, if she had not been assassinated then, everyone would have admired and lauded her for her bravery. The decision that Bhutto made to lean out of the car, was, in my opinion, an emotional decision that she made – in THAT moment, Bhutto was enjoying the attention so much, and was so determined about reaching out to the masses and winning the forthcoming elections, that she threw caution to the winds, and leant out of the car, a decision that cost her her life.
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