feelings are your servants
not your tyrannical masters
dictating true / false / right /
wrong no matter the rational
objection nor evidence to the
contrary...which necessarily
follows from the argument that -
strictly speaking - they are YOUR
feelings and therefore YOUR truth...
others may disagree but that is THEIR
truth - not yours - because that is how
YOU feel and that's all that matters...
others must respect that...accept you
as you are...in fact...celebrate your
truth...and, if they don't...they're simply
'haters' / 'bigots' since they can't tell
you what is true for you...only you can...
because...who are they to judge?.. and
of course...all truth is relative which is
absolutely true!...or...is it?...step back...
examine your past decisions...actions...
feelings. whether it's about identity...
relationships...morality...politics..
career...finances...big or little things...
have you ever changed your mind about
an important matter? or felt impelled to
do something which felt 'right' even
though it might be 'risky' and then later
regretted it? or... gotten angry at someone
for what they said / wrote because you
thought they meant one thing when they
really didn't mean that at all?... feelings
change...truth / objective reality does not...
but just because someone feels something
is true does not just 'make it true'...
many factors can influence your
feelings such as making assumptions...
mood swings....alcohol / drugs...
not enough sleep...stress from work /
relationships.....incorrect information....
jumping to conclusions...lies from
someone's agenda...the reality is that
feelings provide data to our intellects which
then need to be discerned / examined /
evaluated by our reason to put them
into the proper perspective - many times
with the help of others who can provide
us with other facts / data that perhaps we
haven't considered / known / realized - so
we can finally make a decision with our
wills...feelings change...truth does not...
you may have a red cape and no fear of
heights but 'feeling like you can fly'?....
hmmm...let's see...no....better postpone
your test flight for now....at least until
you take some lessons!...again...you may
feel like...not studying for your finals /
skipping your scheduled court appearance
for a moving violation...not...paying your
rent / car payment / taxes or that somehow
were born in the wrong body and you
need to start treatments to change your
body to 'look how you feel' and then
everything will be 'right' but then
what about all those who 'de-transition'?...
feelings / emotions need to be put
into their proper place in our lives...
put to the test...they are an important part
of our human nature but are not what sets
us apart from other creatures...our
intellect and will - the ability to reason
and freely choose are our highest faculties -
our greatest dignity - feelings / emotions
change / can be fickle...influenced by a
plethora of factors ...open to the lies of
the evil one...the unbelieving world or even
our own illusions... so do not build your life
around them...carefully examine them to
determine their source...why do I feel this
way?...is what I feel true 'objectively' not
just 'subjectively'? what are the 'facts'
behind my feelings?....when did they start?
what was going on then?...what is really
going on now?...and don't be afraid to get
help from someone who will not just 'tell you
what you want to hear' but who is wise and
will be honest with you and who isn't just
being 'politically correct'...feelings play an
important role in our lives but do not make
them 'gods' which command you to obey at
all costs...let truth be your guide...truth that
doesn't depend on how you feel today...
make more measured - rational - responses
rather than emotional - irrational - reactions...
more in-control than out-of-control...
servants...not masters....
Dictionary Definitions:
-'Reason': verb- to think or argue in a logical manner: to form conclusions, judgments or inferences
from facts or premises.
-'Irrational': not in accordance with reason; utterly illogical
-'Emotion': an affective state of consciousness in which joy, sorrow, fear, hate or the like is
experienced, as distinguished from cognitive and volitional states of consciousness
-'Obsess': to dominate one's thoughts or feelings or desires: haunt persistently or abnormally
-'Discern': to perceive by the sight or some other sense or by the intellect
-'Logic': the system or principles of reasoning applicable to any branch of knowledge or study
-'Data': individual facts, statistics, or items of information
-'Fact': something that actually exists, reality, truth
-True': being in accordance with the actual state or conditions, conforming to reality or fact, not false
-'False': not true or correct, erroneous
-'Illusion': something that deceives by producing a false or misleading of reality
-'Real': true, not merely ostensible, nominal or apparent: being an actual thing, having objective
existence not imaginary
-'Objective': adjective- not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations or prejudices: based on
facts external to the mind rather than thoughts or feelings.
-'Subjective': adjective- existing in the mind, belong to the thinking subject rather than object of thought
-'Relative': existing or having its specific nature only in relation to something else
-'Absolute': free from restriction or limitation; not limited in any way
Reflection / Discussion:
-What is 'the tyranny'?
-What does "feelings are our servants...not our masters" mean
-Why do people have different feelings about an objective fact?
-Why do 'feelings' change?
-If you feel something is true, can it still be objectively false? Why / not?
-What is the proper place of 'feelings' in making decisions?
-What determines if your feelings about something are "true or false"?
-What determines if your feelings about something are "true or false"?
-How would you teach young children the art of making a decision?
-Give a simple example where danger / attraction are factors.
