Everyone likes to think that they have control over their lives. Little do they know that something within them is dominating them—their emotions. They make you search for information that supports what you believe rather than listening to facts. Emotions will force you to change direction that will soothe your ego—this prevents various people from reaching their fullest potential. Your emotions will also disconnect you from reality by seeing what your emotions want to see. This leads to making a terrible decision in life that will haunt you for the rest of your life.
It is really difficult to control our emotions, especially if we are in a heated argument or someone offended us. Rationality is the key to controlling our emotions. To think instead of act, to open our minds to what is happening, and to listen carefully. By practicing to control your emotions, you will then see your greatest potential. It will also allow you to indirectly manipulate people to do what you want—especially those who are always in a reactive mode. The leader of Athenian politics, Pericles, is an example of why we should be rational.
In the year 432 BC, Athens received a message from Sparta that if they do not agree to peace, then there will be war. During the assembly in Pnyx Hill, some Athenians say that they should attack Sparta first. While some believe that it is a foolish decision, Sparta is strong in a land battle. Some also say that they should just accept the peace terms, but most saw that as indicating fear. As the debate went on and on, with emotions getting heated and people shouting. There was no satisfying solution to their problem. As Pericles spoke, everyone listened to him, for he was the elder leader of Athenian politics. He said that fighting Sparta in a land battle would be a suicide mission and said that they will use their navy to raid Sparta's coastal town. As time goes on, it will frustrate them by having no battle. Having to feed a massive army, they will run out of money and as they get weaker, they will only start regretting what they had done. In the second year of the war, an unexpected plague strikes them and kills Pericles. With the absence of Pericles, Athenians, then started being emotional again and agreed to conquer Sicily, which was Sparta's ally and source of resources. They send numerous soldiers and ships, hoping they will conquer Sicily. Unfortunately, things did not proceed as they envisioned. Sparta's reinforcement arrives, which turns the table for Athens. A few days later, news spread that it wiped out all Athenian ships and man that was sent to Sicily, and this caused another panic which led to another big mistake of sending another large amount of armies. Finally, Athens suffered its ultimate loss and agreed to Sparta's harsh terms of peace. The man who keeps in check their emotions and greed had been gone from the scene for a long time. His wisdom was long forgotten.
Now, why was Athens such a mess and why did their plans add up to so much chaos? Well, the answer was very simple: all of them were not being rational and what guided them was their emotions, hunger for power, attention, and money. Pericles trained himself to never react in the moment and never decide when he is under the influence of a powerful emotion. Instead, he analyzed his feelings to the root. Usually, when you analyze yourself under the influence of emotion, you will see how they are not justified, and with critical observation, this emotion of yours will lose its grip on you. Understand, like Athens, you think you are being rational when, in fact, you are not. Rationality is a skill that is not born with, but we achieved it through practice and training.
In conclusion, always look at those emotions of yours that are trying to infect your ideas and decisions. Try to question yourself, why this anger? And where does this incessant need for attention or power come from? Again, as mentioned, under critical observation, your emotions will lose their grip on you. You will begin to think for yourself instead of reacting to what others give you. Emotions make us focus on one or two ideas that satisfy our immediate desire for power and attention—ideas that will usually backfire. When people try to drag you into their dramas and petty emotions, you will apply your rationality to think past them. Clear and calm, you will see answers and creative solutions that no one else can envision.
"To trust one's feelings—means to give more obedience to one's grandfather and grandmother and their grandparents than to the gods which are in us: our reason and our experience."
- Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)