A day passed and Concordia reassembled in the Desert with Aera's Archers.
"Goodmorning, I hope you are well rested because Today we'll be studying a new aspect of the Aura Of Earth. Specifically, we'll be studying the Emotions associated with each Element" Concordia explained.
"Emotions associated with each Element?" Mimi asked.
"Exactly, just as each Element possesses a Virtue and Vice, each Element also possesses an associated Emotional Characteristic that is mostly predominant in those who align with the Element. The Virtue and Vice behind each Element form Two-Thirds of the Elements' Emotional Characteristic. Two of the Elements' Emotional Characteristics are typically antithetical to each other and are mainly exhibited when a Living Being is not in a Balanced Emotional State. The Third is typically exhibited when the Living Being is in a Balanced Emotional State. The Three States Of Emotion associated with an Element are predominantly referred to as the Heated/Uncontrolled State, the Balanced/Virtuous State and the Cool/Suppressed State. The Heated/Uncontrolled State and the Cool/Suppressed State are extreme expressions of the Balanced/Virtuous State and are thus Imbalanced Emotional States. You could look at it in this way, neither a Perpetual Desert nor a land plunged into a Perpetual Ice Age are conducive environments for a Living Being to thrive. The Heated/Uncontrolled State can be likened to a Perpetual Desert. The Cool/Suppressed State can be likened to a land plunged into a Perpetual Ice Age. The Balanced/Virtuous State on the other hand is like a land experiencing a Perpetual Spring. However that Perpetual Spring is as a result of borrowing aspects of the Heat/Desert and the Cold/Ice Age. Do you understand what I'm getting at?" Concordia asked.
"So far we do understand what you are trying to say" Mimi said.
"Now, I shall speak of each Element and the Three Emotional States associated with each. The First Element is Fire and has Combustion as its Geo Property. Its Balanced/Virtuous State is Fortitude. Fortitude is the Virtue that awakens once a person acknowledges their Fear and seeks to overcome it. It balances Recklessness with Cowardice and is infused with Wisdom. A Courageous person does not go about seeking danger. Neither does he attempt to escape from danger once it confronts him especially if escaping comes at the expense of another's safety. He/She analyzes the situation in depth, calculates the risks involved and decides whether the Venture is worth the risk or not. A Common Trait running through every Virtue is Foresight or the ability to evaluate Future Outcomes from Present Endeavours. A Courageous Person only acts if the Future Outcome is worth the Present Risk. The Heated/Uncontrolled Emotion linked to Fire is Recklessness. Unlike Fortitude, Recklessness is the complete denial of Fear. A Reckless person is insatiably drawn to Danger. He/She does not typically calculate the risks involved before pursuing a Venture. Typically, Recklessness is an end in itself and is not usually motivated by a higher ideal other than to prove that one has no Fear. Cowardice on the other hand is the extreme opposite of Recklessness and is the Cool/Suppressed Emotional State linked to Fire. Cowardice typically involves calculating one's gains in an attempt to completely evade Danger. A Coward typically has Foresight. He/She usually has a Goal in mind and attempts to pursue that Goal. This in itself is not a bad thing. The deplorable thing about Cowardice is that it attempts to achieve its Goal by any means necessary even at the expense of others as long as it means circumventing danger. If the goal involves betraying an ally to achieve it, a Coward will typically consider that a Win Situation.
Now it's time to move on to Wind. The Geo Trait associated with Wind is Flight. Its Balanced/Virtuous Emotional State is Freedom. Freedom is the Virtue that awakens when one acknowledges their innate Dignity as a Human Being as well as their uniqueness and Identity. It begins with oneself and extends to others. In other words, in acknowledging one's own Dignity as a Human Being and one's unique identity, a truly free person extends this Respect to other Human Beings. They realize that there are and should be reasonable limits to their Freedom and that their Freedom ends where another's Freedom begins. Respect for Boundaries is a Trait typical of a Truly Free Individual. A Truly Free Individual does not disregard Boundaries set up by another and will not impose his/her will upon another without their willing consent. The Heated/Uncontrolled Emotional State associated with Wind is Indiscipline. Indiscipline typically acknowledges no friends, instead it sees everyone as a means to an end in other words, as Puppets. Indiscipline typically acknowledges its own Dignity but is unwilling to acknowledge the Dignity of another. The Cooled/Suppressed Emotional State associated with Wind is Enslavement. Unlike Indiscipline, Enslavement acknowledges the Dignity of the other but does not acknowledge the Dignity of the Self. This Form Of Enslavement usually exists within one's Mind. Every action performed by the Enslaved is in servitude to another and they do not typically do this willingly. They do this either in a misguided sense of Duty or by Compulsion. When it is neither of the above, they typically do this unconsciously. The Enslaved typically views himself/herself as the Possession of another" Concordia explained.
"I guess this brings us to the Element Of Earth" Mimi said.
"The Element Of Earth has the Geo Traits Of Nutrition, Polarity, Gravity and Magnetism. Its Balanced/Virtuous Emotional State is Hope. Hope is the Virtue that begins with Humility, the ability to acknowledge the Totality of the Self, Strengths and Weaknesses included. A Hopeful Person acknowledges that life is filled with Joys and Sorrows, Happiness and Suffering. This grants them the ability to accept all the facets of Life without Despairing. This ability also allows them to grow more Resilient and Versatile and typically leads to New Discoveries that could not otherwise have been made without the acceptance of all the facets of Life. Thus Hopeful People live their Lives with a Healthy Sense Of Caution. Their most predominant proverb is 'Expect The Unexpected' and as such they typically prepare for all facets of Life, both the Good and the Bad. The Heated/Uncontrolled Emotion associated with Earth is Naivety. Naivety is basically unbridled Optimism. It is the tendency to look only at the Positive Side of every Situation. A Naïve Person is typically unable to acknowledge evil even if it stares them in the face. They lack the reasonable caution associated with the Virtue Of Hope and are easily tricked into situations beyond their control. As such, they tend to be taken advantage of. The Cool/Suppressed State associated with Earth is Despair. Despair is the extreme opposite of Naivety. Unlike Naivety, Despair is an unreasonable degree of Pessimism that surfaces after encountering failure. It is the inability to look to a possibly brighter future and the false assumption that the Present State is Permanent. One who Despairs is typically overly suspicious of every motive behind an action even if there are no malicious intentions behind the action" Concordia explained.
"This brings us to the Element Of Time" Mei said.
"The Element Of Time has the Geo Property Of Order. Its Balanced/Virtuous Emotional State is Forgiveness. Forgiveness is the Virtue that allows one the ability to suppress Chaos by relinquishing their rightful claim to Justice or Vengeance. Typically, one who forgives has a Just Claim to Vengeance in the sense that the wrong inflicted upon them is Undeserved. Forgiveness is the ability to relinquish this Just Claim to Vengeance. In so doing, one can break the Cycle Of Hatred that breeds Chaos. The Heated/Uncontrolled State associated with the Element Of Time is Chaos. Chaos is the imbalance that occurs when there is interference in a System operating in its Ideal State. It is the subsequent degeneration that occurs when a System operating in its Ideal State is compromised. Typically, Chaos leads to more Chaos as the System further degenerates. The greater the Chaos in the System, the more rampant the rate of Degeneration. The Cool/Suppressed Emotion associated with the Element Of Time is Absolute Order. This is the belief that the Ideal Operating State Of The System is the only State the System must operate in. It is the extreme opposite of Chaos and the belief that the System must follow every Rule imposed upon it. The downside to this is that the System in achieving Absolute Order also becomes Absolutely Predictable. As such, a Flaw can easily be introduced into the System by any Party who comprehends the System's Rules" Concordia explained.
"That brings us to the Element Of Water" Mimi pointed out.
"The Geo Properties Of The Element Of Water are Purification and Dissolution. The Balanced/Virtuous Emotional State associated with Water is Conscience. Conscience like Hope is a Virtue rooted in Humility, the acknowledgement of the Totality Of The Individual including Strengths and Weaknesses. Conscience is the Parental Voice within one's Soul that corrects when one strays from the Path Of Virtue. It is a voice that corrects without condemning. Conscience views an evil act as separate from the Identity Of The Individual. It condemns the evil act without condemning the Individual. Basically, to put it in a humorous but proverbial way, it is the ability to smack the demon out of a person without smacking the person himself. The Heated/Uncontrolled Emotional State associated with the Element Of Water is Depravity. Depravity typically begins with the dulling, silencing or killing of the Conscience. It then degenerates to the inability to recognize Good as Good and Evil as Evil. The Depraved typically view Good as Deplorable and Evil as Admirable. As such, they tend to develop an insatiable appetite for Destruction. The Cool/Suppressed Emotional State associated with Water is Decay. Unlike with most of the earlier States associated with the Elements, Depravity and Decay share a relationship in the sense that Decay results from Depravity. Decay is the resulting Chaos that ensues once a System operating in its Ideal State has been compromised, the System in this case being the Conscience. Decay unlike the Conscience typically condemns without correcting. The evil committed by the Individual is exposed but unlike with the Conscience whose purpose is to correct the offender, Decay exposes the evil act committed by the offender in order to condemn them. The purpose of exposing the evil deed committed by an individual in the case of Decay is not to correct but to destroy their Dignity as a Person" Concordia explained.
"This brings us to the Element Of Lightning. The Element Of Lightning possesses the Geo Traits of Conductivity and Coordination. Its Balanced/Virtuous Emotional State is Goodness/Zeal. Goodness is the Spirit Of Watchfulness that fights against diabolic conspiracies by acting in the face of evil and in places in need of Comfort and Love. Zeal on the other hand is a Strong Love or Passion directed towards an Object or Goal. The Geo Trait Of Coordination exhibited by the Element Of Lightning manifests itself in Zeal through the coordination of effort and the directing of Energy towards the accomplishment of a Goal or towards the Object of One's Affections. A Predominant Trait that manifests in those that align with the Element Of Lightning is Leadership. However, the Leadership born of Zeal is manifested and sustained through Love or the Passion one feels for the Object Of One's Affections. Having said that, the Heated/Uncontrolled Emotional State exhibited by the Element Of Lightning is Tyranny. Tyranny very much like Indiscipline acknowledges one's Dignity without acknowledging the Dignity of others. It sees everyone as a means to an end and exerts its will over others in an attempt to control them and drive them towards achieving this end. To the Tyrant, dissension within the Ranks is not an Option. Very much like Cowardice as well, Tyranny's Goals are not necessarily short sighted to put it in Mortal/Temporal Terms. The Goal of the Tyrant can be schemed over the course of years and in some cases can be extended past the end of their Mortal Lives. The Tyrant just like the Coward does not typically care how his Goals will be accomplished as long as they reach fruition in the end. The method by which his goals reach fruition is irrelevant to the Tyrant. The Cool/Suppressed Emotional State associated with the Element Of Lightning is Indifference/Apathy. Whereas Zeal is the Virtuous Love for a person or object and Tyranny is the inordinate desire to accomplish one's goals, Indifference on the other hand is the total lack of love or desire for an object. One neither loves the object nor hates it. In fact, the object's existence or non-existence does not affect the Indifferent in any way. Indifference can be considered a state of being that is not oriented towards anyone, anything or any Goal. It is a disoriented state, a state without direction. Indifference in the truest sense of the word lacks foresight and has no desire to accomplish any future goal. The State Of Indifference is an end in itself to the Indifferent" Concordia explained.
"It's left with the Final Element. The Element Of Light" Mei said.
"The Element Of Light possesses the Geo Trait Of Vision. Its Balanced/Virtuous Emotional State is Truth. Truth as I explained earlier in the simplest sense can be defined as 'All That Is'. Everything that exists is a Component Of Truth. Everything that exists when considered in its Totality is Truth itself. Knowledge is derived from Truth. Knowledge is the ability to rightfully acknowledge the identity and traits of a person, object or event as well as to distinguish one thing from another. Wisdom on the other hand is the ability to comprehend the essence and purposes behind All That Exists. Knowledge and Wisdom derive their essence from Truth. The Heated/Uncontrolled Emotional State derived from the Element Of Light is Ignorance. Ignorance unlike Truth, Knowledge and Wisdom is the inability to acknowledge the Identity and Traits of an Object. It is a state of a Complete Veiling or Partial Revelation of the Identity and essence of an Object. One predominant Trait of the ignorant is Rumour Mongering, the disclosure of information regardless of whether the information is True, Partially True or Completely False. Ignorance is also the inability to distinguish one thing from another and the inability to comprehend the essence and purpose behind phenomena. The Cool/Suppressed Emotional State associated with the Element Of Light is Deception/Delusion. Unlike Ignorance, Deception is not necessarily the inability to recognize and distinguish the Essence and Traits Of Objects and Phenomena. The Deceiver typically isn't ignorant and he is no moron though the very act of Deception is Foolish by its very nature. Deception is the willful attempt to conceal or warp the Truth. Unlike the Ignorant the Deceiver is well aware of what the Truth is. He just refuses to acknowledge it and seeks to corrupt its essence and in so doing, transform it into a lie. A Deception typically attempts to mirror the Truth. Viewing a Deception is typically like observing one's reflection in a Mirror. One's reflection is typically an accurate representation of the viewer standing before the Mirror however upon close inspection one would note a lateral inversion in the Reflection of the Object it portrays which is why when you move your left hand or foot, though it may appear that your reflection imitates you flawlessly, your reflection actually moves its right hand or foot in response and vice versa. That is typically how a Deception works. It is an almost perfect imitation of the object save for a flaw or two that may go completely unnoticed. There is always a slight inversion of the Truth if one observes the Deception closely" Concordia explained.
"But why are some Emotional States considered Heated and others considered Cool?" Mei asked.
"The Heated Emotional States are typically unrestrained or inordinate expressions of the Balanced/Virtuous State. Recklessness for instance is Unrestrained Fortitude, Indiscipline is Unrestrained Freedom, Naivety is Unrestrained Optimism/Hope, Chaos and Depravity on the other hand are considered Heated more as a result of their consequences. Tyranny is Unrestrained Zeal and Ignorance is Unrestrained Truth, that is, the disclosure of information regardless of whether it is accurate or not. The Cool/Suppressed Emotional States on the other hand are considered as such because they are due to an over suppression of the Balanced/Virtuous State. Cowardice for instance is Suppressed Fortitude, Enslavement is Suppressed Freedom, Despair is Suppressed Hope, Order is Suppressed Forgiveness due to a strict adherence to Law/Rules, Decay is Suppressed Conscience and typically leads to Low Self Esteem. Indifference is Suppressed Zeal and Deception is caused by a Suppression of the Truth" Concordia explained.
"Thanks a lot Concordia" Mimi and Mei said gratefully.
"This was quite a long lecture. Let me give you some time to mull this over" Concordia said.
With that the lesson for the day came to an end.