Unreasoning Reasons
July 10, 2010 Leave a comment
There is a joke about an argument between a man and his wife. The man had set his heart on buying a new set of golf clubs, but his wife was against it saying that he didn’t need them. The argument went on and on, with the wife saying that he didn’t need them but merely wanted them.
Finally, in exasperation, he said, “Heck, woman, I don’t need you but I want you. It’s the same thing.”
He got his golf clubs.
This goes only to show how emotional we human beings are. Even when we think we are thinking logically, there is likely an underlying emotional reason.
Consider the formal letter: we must write courteously or the reader will be offended. A slight insult to the boss could eventually result in the offender being among the first to be retrenched when business is poor. Business meetings are usually punctuated with “I feel this, I feel that” or “I feel that the Production Department should improve on their planning”. Remember this song? Feelings, nothing more than feelings… Notice that the word feeling is practically the same as emotion.
If we like something, we will find a reason to acquire it; if we don’t like it, we will come up with a reason to reject it: first the emotion, then the reason, not the other way round.
Many words have emotional content – they are called emotive words. A person can be called a blooming idiot, stupid, dull or a slow learner depending on the attitude of the speaker towards that person. Words such as fantastic, lovely, lousy and yucky are not neutral comments; they are laden with feelings. Thus, a particular choice of words may influence the outcome because the words affect us emotionally.
Part of clouded thinking is a result of the halo effect. If an employer likes a particular employee more than another, what the favoured employee does is viewed in a more positive light, while what the other employee produces is not viewed as favourably. That is why first impressions are important in job interviews.
Many of the world’s problems stem from fuzzy thinking and subjective judgement that seek justification in rationalizing. Many of us are calm and sensible, but we are not always aware that it is our heart that controls our mind and not vice versa, although we like to think it is so.
Let me end my speech with this prose.
Our hearts and minds are like Tom and Jerry.
One works thru thinking.
The other works thru feelings.
That’s why they are not in harmony.
So, let’s strive for peace within us.
Before we can see peace around us.
Thank you