Myth: "Understanding Emotions Changes Them"
Conclusions
Introspection and self-analysis must not be confused with doing emotional "work".
Processing
In oder to learn about emotions you have to - also - experience emotions, i.e. to feel.
this practice is ...
... little known
... rarely practiced
Depending Notions
Introspection and self-analysis are ...
...
... the only path to emotional maturity
... central to emotional maturity
... a desirable behavior
These notions depend logically on the main thesis. Realizing that the main thesis is flawed - a mistruth - automatically results in a collapse of these notions.
Causes
The relationship between rationality/cognition and emotions ...
Thoughts or arguments that simply contradict
Thoughts can cause, influence, and change emotions under certain conditions:
additional information becomes available about the subject at hand - that has an emotional relevance
e.g., someone who is mourning the loss of a loved one after an earth quake learns about the survival of the person - that will of course change the emotion immediately
... is complicated.
/ needs differentiation
EXAMPLES
I am postulating causes for the existence of the myth:
Dimensions
I have understood something, therefore I am changing it. = By understanding my emotions I am changing them.
even worse
Only if I have understood my emotions I can change them.
usually it does not work that way
I have understood something, therefore I can change it.
I have to understand something in order to change it.
Body-Metaphor:
"I have to understand the exercise in order for it to work, i.e. to have an effect on my body."
= The people who talk a lot about exercise while not doing their pullups.
only sometimes true
Different levels
to make any meaningful conclusion, I have to clarify what precisely I am talking about
Result / Consequence
Action
"Controlling"
related:
"managing"
comparing with "control"
"manage" seems to recognize and shape in a desired way
"control" seems absolute
somewhat softer
yet equially misleading
"controlling emotions"
implies a conscious level, i.e. one's "will"
"control"
is a conditdion / state - it needs to be exerted
so this it not enough
Thoughts
fundamental misunderstanding
2 types of thoughts
contains information
most general concept
"Understanding"
"Understanding" Emotions can mean either:
"I realize/know/understand the reason for a certain emotion, i.e. "Why" I feel in a certain way."
"I can qualify my emotions by assigning names to them."
similar to the "expression" myth, i.e. the assumption that expression of emotions always leads to growth
Definitions
Similar to "talking about"
Talking about emotions will change the way you feel only as much as talking about physical exercise will change your body. Like your body needs to move, emotions need to be experienced - both in the right intensity and environment.
move to quotes
published on Instagram
"Change"
here in the sense of positive development, i.e. the resulting state is more desirable than the starting point
Summary
A predominantly rational/cognitive approach to emotions fails to create significant change. When such a change in the sense of developing, growth or healing is desirable/necessary, a cognitive approach will always be less efficient than work on the emotional level itself.
Quotes
"Emotions do not care what you think about them."-MB
Titles
Subtitles
The idea that talking about emotions would change them is wrong and misleading.
"get something done"
Processing (of Emotions) ...
does not happen by "talking about" emotions.
