The Literary Mind

Rivers are not a living thing so they can't be used as an analogy for natural selection, can they? Otherwise interesting article.

thanks for the comment.
You're right that the word "alive" in the first sentence of that paragraph needs to be taken metaphorically. I was thinking of any system of input-and-response that endures through time without the use of emotion.

I hope it allowable for one columnnist to respond to another's column. I think that your's can open up a needed discussion on emotions. Suppose that grief, for example, is bodily preparation to cry. Then the best way of dealing with grief would be to cry, and as soon and as much as needed to resolve all of the bodily preparation.

Enter our modern society, which doesn't much approve of crying, especially in public. As Iris Dement's song goes, there's no time to cry. Then its less a matter of us poor sinners, then its our society that's at fault. I overheard a woman at a party saying that she keeps on antidepressants because she cries when she stops.

Even most experts disapprove of crying, shaking and sweating, laughing etc. In the medical world there are lots of diagnoses against too much emotion, but only one against too little (alexthymia). My 1979 book on catharsis was roundly condemned by the reviewers, who think, wrongly, that catharsis has been disproved.

Does this open up a can of worms, or what?

Thanks a lot for input. I'll accept a can of worms.

One thing I think you're suggesting is that sadness is not as "bad" as we make it out to be in modern times. (Have you read Barbara Ehrenreich's new book BRIGHT-SIDED? I look forward to reading your work on catharsis.) Sadness is natural, you say; what's more, it's downright useful. You stress the value of catharsis.

I also think there's a more directly evolutionary value to sadness, or at least to loneliness, which is related. I do think that loneliness is a valuable social emotion insofar as it drives us from isolated behvior to cooperative social life. If we couldn't feel lonely, we'd probably have lower incentive to pool our knowledge. We'd probably feel less shame during brutal conquer. We'd probably not make art, either. Art is often a salve for the lonely--a way to connect even from a life of relative isolation. Loneliness helps drive society. What thinks you?

So you really think we developped emotions to survive ? I don't really think that way. Even though emotions help us in many ways, but I think emotion is something we already have before times.

I agree that emotions foster a preservation of the self; they can create a buffer from harmful relationships. However, emotions are also responsible for destructive behaviors with relationships. As a therapist, I wish sometimes the issues my clients came to me with were as simple as a broken bone, or an infections. These ailments are easily (relatively) remedied. Mental illness is not so simple a creature. Sure, imbalance in emotions and reason do create problems. But are we only highly developed animals that react to our world through only emotions and reason? I find it difficult to believe that our capacity for empathy, altruism (debatable by some), and compassion are purely outpourings of emotion and reason.

"Mental illness often results from excess emotion."

What? Does mental illness result from excess emotion-- or does mental illness cause excess emotion?

I didn't realize that my comment got posted. I thought I had lost it in the system. So I went ahead and published column of my own.
Its called Enjoying Your Emotions.

Thanks for the posting...

I agree with most of your statements throughout the article but you must understand that the human race is unpredictable and can be reckless. you used a common person as your example which is good but you forgot to include an outlier or someone that is far from the average range. Also you did not include much on the breakdown of a human that just loses their mind. im only thirteen and i found this very helpful for My personal Research Project and i want to go to college for engineering and psychology. this has really peaked my interests. although reason cancels out emotion and vice versa emotions are far stronger and cause someone even to the point of killing. they resemble the expression one hand washes the other and neither can wash themselves. and for my last thought i would to say nice article and keep going off this article there is much more to say. on a personal note i would like to say a piece of advice not geared towards you but a favorite saying of mine. he whi knows all truly knows nothing at all. there are still many people who are unpredictable in the world that are outliers in this area. if you decide the look into this further send me an email and i would be interested.