What if we didn’t have any emotions?
To put it more accurately, what if we can turn it on and off?
For the past week, I didn’t have ‘much’ to do compared to prior weeks so I decided to just read, read, read, read, and read.
Although I found myself locking in for hours at a time, my mind would wander every now and then almost as if it had a pre-scheduled rendezvous with my heart to discuss how to deal with the emotions residing within me juxtaposed to just aiding my brain hone in more precisely on the tasks I have my sights on.
So I began to think… What if I can turn off my emotions for stretches of the day, say from 8am to 10pm, so I can accomplish everything that my brain covets and deal with the inconsequential matters by the end of the day?
Among some of the topics I dove into this week, searching for answers, I found the most compelling to be one of the Hellenestic Philosophies, fixating on Stoicism—which encompassed four cardinal virtues of Greek Philosophy: Phronêsis, Dikaiosunê, Sôphrosunê, and Andreia—as it forced me to think, tinker with my current lifestyle, and tweak a few of my pre-existing notions and beliefs.
Although I already knew, obviously, that we can’t turn our emotions off, we can work towards decreasing its effects through the four virtues, which are:
Phronêsis, or wisdom, by definition is “the ability which by itself is productive of human happiness; the knowledge of what is good and bad; the knowledge that produces happiness; the disposition by which we judge what is to be done and what is not to be done”. To put it succinctly, it focuses on our abilities to distinguish what is good, what is bad, and what will make us happy. This, of course, is very subjective because what is good for one might be bad for another and what might make one happy might not recoup the same with another. It’s truly the antithesis of ignorance. From what I read, the best description is “knowing what would be “appropriate action” under different circumstances”.
Dikaiosunê, or morality, by definition is “the unanimity of the soul with itself, and the good discipline of the parts of the soul with respect to each other and concerning each other; the state that distributes to each person according to what is deserved; the state on account of which its possessor chooses what appears to him to be just; the state underlying a law-abiding way of life; social equality; the state of obedience to the laws”. In a way, it’s similar to wisdom due to its subjectiveness, as it encompasses our individual moral dealings, in a very broad manner that is, as it includes goodwill and benevolence. From an individual’s perspective, their actions might make them righteous whereas someone might view the same actions as vile and evil. From my understanding, morality is one that can be measured via a utilitarian approach by deciding whether the action benefits the greater good or if it’s a selfish act under the guise of kindness.
Sôphrosunê, or temperance, by definition is “moderation of the soul concerning the desires and pleasures that normally occur in it; harmony and good discipline in the soul in respect of normal pleasures and pains; concord of the soul in respect of ruling and being ruled; normal personal independence; good discipline in the soul; rational agreement within the soul about what is admirable and contemptible; the state by which its possessor chooses and is cautious about what he should”. Unlike the first two virtues, I like to think that this is the first that lean towards objectivity more than it does to subjectivity. Temperance is the moderation or self-discipline and/or self-control but also having the ability of being self-aware. In a way, it reminded me of Christianity’s seven deadly sins: pride, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, sloth, and wrath. The seven deadly sins, when boiled down to it, are all impulses—though sometimes confused with desires—that oftentimes can’t be controlled. With temperance, one should know when to go, stop, and to not do anything anymore. Again, it’s subjective as the limit for one to stop might just be a signal for another to keep going.
Andreia, or fortitude, by definition is “the state of the soul which is unmoved by fear; military confidence; knowledge of the facts of warfare; self-restraint in the soul about what is fearful and terrible; boldness in obedience to wisdom; being intrepid in the face of death; the state which stands on guard over correct thinking in dangerous situations; force which counterbalances danger; force of fortitude in respect of virtue; calm in the soul about what correct thinking takes to be frightening or encouraging things; the preservation of fearless beliefs about the terrors and experiences of warfare; the state which cleaves to the law’. Colloquially, as I like to say, it’s finding solace with whichever scenario unfolds because of the confidence that you have in your foundation, your core, and yourself. Paired with moderation, andreia is knowing if more should be done, if nothing else can’t be done, and when to stand pat. Of the four virtues, fortitude may be the hardest one to get a firm grasp on as we tend to always think of hypotheticals as human beings.
Paradoxically, it’s impossible to become a stoic if you don’t find yourself making decisions confined in the gray area, if you don’t face temptations, if you have no desires or impulses to control, and most importantly, fears to overcome. It’s impossible to gain a deep understanding of each virtue without experiencing each in various forms numerous times.
Personally, I love finding myself in situations where a desirable decision cannot be easily identified. I love temptations as it forces me to weigh if this may be the time I should perhaps yield or resist. I love acknowledging my fears because it makes them real and forces me to put myself in a position to generate as many possible ideas that can prevent that fear from arising, mitigate if prevention fails, and eliminate it once I have no other choice but to tackle it head on.
Desires and pleasures, on the other hand, is one aspect that I’m working on to exert more self-control in, imposing my brain’s willpower to evict the emotions that are currently serving as the driving force behind all of it.
Having written three pages on stoicism, it’s definitely a philosophy I’m interested in learning more about in order to continue incorporating its entirety in my life.
We can’t turn off our emotions, obviously; however, we can minimize its impact in order to maximize our lives and reach and keep pushing our peak productivity. If there’s a way to go, it’s stoicism regardless of if you take it for its entirety or just a portion of it. I think mastering even just one of the four virtues will acquaint you with the others.
It’s tough to live a life with conflicting values.
A tale as old as time. Philosophy as old as rhyme.
Marcus Aurelius said it best with “it’s unfortunate that this has happened. No. It’s fortunate that this has happened and I’ve remained unharmed”
Now, if you made it this far, you’ve earned a little background as to what inspired me to do some research on how to best control emotions.
Thus far, I have a high conviction on my life’s principles and philosophies. I love where I am at this point in time, much of which can be credited to the aforementioned principles and philosophies I live my life by.
I’ve categorized my life into four aspects. In those four aspects, I hold one, let’s say A4, to a standard unlike the other three because I think it’s special and deserves its own set of principles and philosophies that may or may not align with the principles and philosophies I apply to the other three.
Now, before I dive in deeper, I just want to disclose that with the way things are, I don’t really let my emotions control or dictate what I’m going to do… yet they still linger. I know that I have a great sense of control over my emotions but, as this article implies, I also know it can get a lot better.
I can carry myself in the way I always do even when there’s something bothering me, something that surprises plenty of people whom I’ve interacted with and deemed trustworthy enough to self-disclose. Much like a theatrical production, what you’re seeing might be great but what you’re not seeing might astound you.
I’m very much in touch with my emotions. I acknowledge them. I write about them. I share them with a few certain people. I find it fascinating how I can continue to ascend even with one aspect stagnating. It’s a conundrum concocted by my ego to keep my feet on the ground, ‘choosing’ to ‘struggle’ with one aspect since the other three are doing great.
I’m also fascinated how I could pull myself out of whatever situation I’m in and have the ability to look at it objectively. I think it’s a double edged sword. It’s great because I can make better decisions but it doesn’t feel so great because I can take myself out and not fully experience what I’m supposed to.
As a human being, I’m guilty of not always using logic to make decisions. As mentioned before, I’m having troubles controlling my desires and pleasures. There are things I want that I had and want more of because I think there’s more to be had.
If I apply the same principles and philosophies I do with A1, A2, and A3, I’m afraid that A4 will be uniformed just like the aspects that came before it. It will lose its one of a kind luster. I don’t know if that’s a good idea since A1 – A3 are more logic-concentrated.
As I was writing that, I just realized that my A1, A2, and A3 are all amazing. If I apply the same principles and philosophies, maybe A4 will also be as, if not even more, amazing. I’d prefer to keep it on a different level if I could, however.
Desires and pleasures. Desires and pleasures. Desires and pleasures.
“Maybe what I had is all I was supposed to have.”
With where my head is at, I think that’s a sentence that screams self-control.