Spock is an illusion
The man who pretends that his view of life is determined by sheer reason is both tiresome and unperceptive.
_Robert Bretall, A Kierkegaard Anthology
I recently heard a physicist describe a mathematical equation as “elegant”.
Elegant!? Really?
When I think of something being elegant, I can assure you, math is not in the equation. But then I’m no physicist. But it did remind me of Spock.
Remember him…the science officer on the starship USS Enterprise?
If you’re not familiar with Star Trek I may lose you here, but Mr. Spock was committed to making all decisions based simply by logic and reason; emotions were anathema to him.
Spock is an illusion—a fictional character; those kinds of people don’t exist in real life.
A part of what makes us human is that we can reason but we are also emotional, and through our feelings must not be allowed to contradict reason, how we feel matters…matters a lot.
Our emotions are sometimes the gas that fuels our actions, and sometimes they are brakes that say, “Whoa! I think I’m moving to fast.”
Why bring this up?
Here’s a couple things that have been on my mind lately…
- Don’t demean other people’s emotions (or yours). The issue is not that people have a right to be emotional, the issue is they are emotional. And that’s okay. Their politics and theology might not be the same as yours and you can reason that out, but don’t expect them to always be logical about it.
- Don’t lose contact with your own emotions. They are there whether you are aware of them or not and they have more to do with what you’re doing than you realize. Your emotions don’t have to have the last say, but they will have their say, better to intentionally listen to them.
So, there you have it, random musing on emotions. Don’t know why, I just felt like I should share these thoughts. And that’s fine, for I’m no Spock.
The ONE THING for today: Most often the most beautiful things of life cannot be reduced to mathematical formulars or scientific theorems, but they are there and they are real. We know this because our heart tells us so. That is why we weep, laugh, love, and live. Don’t be afraid to feel. Your emotions let you know you’re still alive and that there’s something worth living for and sometimes even worth dying for, if necessary.
Photo by Stefan Cosma on Unsplash
