When disappointments occur in our lives it is easy to become discouraged. When our feelings our hurt by someone it is a natural response to defend ourselves or even want to hurt them back. When someone attacks us or someone we love, we often feel justified in retaliating. When we see something we believe to be wrong or someone unfairly treated our tendency is to judge those we believe to be in the wrong.
When disappointments occur in our lives it is easy to become discouraged. When our feelings our hurt by someone it is a natural response to defend ourselves or even want to hurt them back. When someone attacks us, or someone we love, we often feel justified in retaliating. When we are unfairly treated or see some taken advantage of, our tendency is to judge those we believe to be in the wrong. In any of the scenarios mentioned above, we are generally driven by our emotions.
Justice, fairness, and balance are difficult to achieve when the emotions are in control. Although we often seek justice and fairness through an emotional appeal, and rightfully so, there is always the danger that strong emotions can also lead to irrational behavior. Much of the political and religious zeal that we see and hear of today is driven by emotion. Lynch mobs, cultic religious ideologies, and political propaganda are fueled by emotions. While it is good to have, and be able to express our emotions, it is dangerous to have our lives governed by them. It is possible to have a rational passionate plea for something or an irrational passionate plea for something.
In order to be successful in anything in our lives, we must discipline ourselves for the successful management of our emotions and feelings, as well as our intellect, reason, and skill. We know that there are some things that should cause us to have righteous indignation, and in those cases, reason prevails as the judge. However, being governed by our feelings can keep us, or others, stuck in victim mode, and victims are usually helpless. Being disciplined for success means being the boss of your emotions, feelings, and thoughts. Reason dictates that we must do somethings whether we feel like it or not. Successful self-management is having the ability ride and override our feelings.