Emotions

The Definition of Emotion

Emotions (i’mōSHens): Natural, instinctive states of mind deriving from circumstances,mood, or relationships.

Although this does present a rather reasonable definition for emotions, they are much more than just ink on paper- they are immaculate yet unpredictable beings, trapped inside the maze of our mind. Most of the time, we smother them to attempt to appear brave or unshakeable, but nobody is free from the clutches of Emotion. She can become a monster if hidden, but if she is allowed to show her true colors, Emotion shines with gracious beauty.

Emotion is the headquarters of our brain, bustling with many complex employees: Anger, Fear, Envy, Joy, and Confusion are just a few of them. Anger is a hideous demon- he cannot control himself and his actions. If something displeases him, he’ll be sure to let us know. Fear is a sickly girl, always shying away from anything that may seem uncertain to her. She even avoids healthy risks. Envy is never gone, although she may seem as if she is. Envy is always lurking around, waiting for just the right moment to insert exactly what she is best at: causing jealousy and chaos. Consequently, Joy cannot be deterred- even if she has been bullied, she returns in full bliss. Confusion brings mayhem upon us whenever he visits, and it pleases him to see his abhorred work in action.

Because so many characters dwell inside her continuously bustling nerve center, Emotion is always alive with the light of activity. The many feelings inside her never rest due to excess energy, and they must find a way to discard this energy. Therefore, they heap it upon us, tearing our hearts apart either for the bliss of the good or the terror of the unrighteous. But these feelings evolve us into something else, something deep: a true human. Without emotion, what would we be? We’d be flat, depthless beings with no heart- robots. 

When we shove our emotions deep inside of us, never to be discovered, we are almost asking to become something simple, something basic. We are begging to have the gifts we have been bestowed with stripped away. But when we unleash these feelings, we are accepting our true selves. Although not all of our emotions are desirable, they are necessary to life.

In our society today, we are pressured to be the perfect person who never seems confused or afraid. We are asked to ‘put on a play’ to disguise our true selves, pressed into a mold to transform our entire thought process. In this ever-changing, cruel world, we must not be afraid to show our emotions. We cannot fear speaking with others about them. Because no matter how blemished they force us to feel, emotions make us human.