Theos-Talk Archives (December 1996 Message tl00359)

At 07:51 PM 12/14/96 +0000, Murray Stentiford <mas.jag@iprolink.co.nz> wrote:

>I wondered why you said that emotion is a source of
>information (if I remember correctly). That seemed a particularly
>mentally-oriented way to define it, and rather off to one side. The only
>information I can see being transmitted is the fact that the person is
>feeling the emotion, plus the impact of the energy. Can you elaborate?

Thought and emotion give different information.  Often, the intellect cannot
determine why certain desires exist.  It might be analogous to an employer
and an employee where the employee has access to different information than
the employer has, but is subject to the employer's decisions.  When they
give conflicting information, it is generally, if not always, better to act
on thought rather than on emotion, which may be lumping thought and
intuition together, since I include common sense and what seems reasonable
as functions of intuition.


>I do not think it's correct to exclude the field of emotion from the state
>of compassion because, in a whole person (meaning all levels functioning,
>with minimal fragmentation between and within them), different sorts of
>feelings would quite naturally arise from the experience, eg various shades
>of love, which could be powerful motivators to action, or anger, to remove
>an injustice.

Compassion is primarily an attitude, not a feeling, although feelings may
result from it, as they do from all attitudes.  I am not clear about whether
attitudes are functions of the intuition or of the spirit.  But I am clear
that they should never be ruled by emotion.


>Most of the women I know exert initiative not only in the traditionally
>feminine ways, but do it darned well in ways that only men used to do.
>Frighteningly well, speaking from a poor little male heart for a moment!
>(Sob - it's such a hard life, surrounded by strong *and* beautiful women.
>Woops - might be getting a bit sexist there. We jokers (a New Zealand term)
>know you can get in the poo real fast, sometimes. Not always why, though .... )

I find strong women attractive, also.  I wouldn't be afraid of being called
sexist, though. Depending on what it means, it is a virtue.