Emotions -vs- Rational Thought?

Question

How many of you believe that Emotions are extensions of rational thought, and how many of you out there believe the exact opposite?....And tell me why?
Thank you!

Answer 1

I think I would say that emotions are "not necessarily rational thoughts." Emotions are products of the brain, so they do qualify as thoughts. The question is how much they coincide with the rational thought processes which define us as humans.

Consider, for example, that some people may have an "irrational fear." That being true, it seems that there must be something which would be properly termed "rational fear." And it is rational for us to fear some things to appropriate degrees.

So it seems that you have presented us with a false dilemma. Emotions can be extentions of rational thought, but they can also be irrational--and I suspect that most of the time they lie somewhere between the two extremes.

Answer 2

Rational thought is needed in place of emotions. When emotions come into play serious complications occur. As in death threats, which happened to me many years ago because I let my emotions control the whole situation. But when I let rational thinking take over things work out for the best as when my fiance' passed away and I know why it happened the way it did. Her family were the ones that were hurt as well as me but I finally got over it and moved on.

Answer 3

Not exact opposite but definitely not the same. It all depends on how your emotions are guided by rational thought.

Answer 4

I think that emotions are not extensions of rational thought. Love and hate have made people do very stupid things that they have later regretted. Things that they would have not regretted if they were thinking rationally.

Answer 5

emotions and thought are separate functions in us. The speed of emotions are much greater than thought. That's why you have to be conscious and present to observe emotions in yourself and not be controlled by them. Otherwise they take over and rational thought is lost. Most of our negative emotions are not genuine and are learned through imitation. True emotion is beyond this and pure love.

Answer 6

Emotions are a sort of outcome of the intuitional aspect of a being.

Rational thoughts are a result of logical mind of a being and UNLESS supported by intuitional mind, do not bring out any emotion.

By nature women are more intuitional and therefore more superior to men. But in TRYING to be equal to men, they reduced themselves to being as logical as men, and thus lost the intrinsic beauty of being a WOMAN ! The true emotion expressed out of intuition is so graceful to look at and constitutes the true attractive feature of a woman rather than superficial aspects like skin, face, hair etc. Look at women who occupy very high political positions, they generally lack emotions, and look 'cold, hard, logical ....' a much needed aspect to be successful in politics !
All spiritually oriented people get their emotional grace enhanced due to growth in intuitional orientation. And when men really dedicate to intuitional growth, they even surpass women in grace and emotion !

Answer 7

Emotions are the precursor to rational thought. If you look at the way most people behave in certain situations; people we tend to lead first with our heart, then with our minds after the chaotic turmoil has reached its climax. Subjective thinking is often easier than objective thinking.

Answer 8

because there people cant distinguish between their own concepts and emotions (they don't have any administration over their emotions). There for they imagine of them as basically an same element. Which they're not.