How do you feel about feeling?

[Melkor]

Satya, one important question.

How to distinguish between thoughts and feelings in terms of brain chemistry?

I shall be honest and say this, a feeling only seems like an externally focused thought encouraged by the senses alone.

A less intelligent, more instinctive thought.

Aren't feelings composed of thoughts?

 

[driro]

At this point and time I simply just try to push them aside to the best of my ability, and determine what is warranted and unwarented.

How do you push them asides? Share some TIPS.

Aren't feelings composed of thoughts?

Yes, they are. They are your thoughts which get in the way of logical reasoning and decision making if not kept under control!

 

[Trifoilum]

To.....make things more complicated;
Weren't thoughts composed by feelings?

Maybe meta-feeling is intuition. Maybe it is wisdom. They say wisdom is knowing what is truly important. It's the ability to distinguish between the changeable and the unchangeable. What is worth investing emotional energy into and what is worth letting go. So many possibilities.

Very possible.
In a way, I think meta-thinking is thinking about something -- then thinking about that thought...as a whole, analyzing it, before reaching more and more...

I also realized I don't know much about metacognitive, so.......yeaaaah. I need to learn more about this.

 

[TinyBubbles]

a feeling about a feeling wouldn't really be a feeling but a thought, converted into a feeling.
eg. you're happy (feeling)
and then you think maybe you shouldn't be happy (thought)
this translates into guilt (feeling)
it's not feeling -> feeling but feeling->thought->feeling

of course this might just apply to me and not to everyone else, and in that case just ignore the above

in any case, how I FEEL (which is really how I think) about feelings, is that they have their place in life. humans at heart are probably more emotional than instinctive, or thoughtful.

 

[Trifoilum]

...what differs a feeling and a thought in a first place, then?

absense of an emotion is an emotion too. o_o;

 

[Satya]

Satya, one important question.

How to distinguish between thoughts and feelings in terms of brain chemistry?

I shall be honest and say this, a feeling only seems like an externally focused thought encouraged by the senses alone.

A less intelligent, more instinctive thought.

Aren't feelings composed of thoughts?

From a neurological standpoint, feelings are aroused states of the brain. When you have a feeling, your brain lights up, particularly the limbic and reptilian parts of the brain, whereas thoughts occur in primarily the frontal cortex. They are fundamentally different in both parts of the brain they affect and the amount of neural activity.

 

[Satya]

Yes, they are. They are your thoughts which get in the way of logical reasoning and decision making if not kept under control!

Not quite. They are mental states not mental cognition.

 

[Satya]

To.....make things more complicated;
Weren't thoughts composed by feelings?

Thoughts can be motivated by feelings, but they aren't composed of them. Rumination is an example of feeling motivated thoughts.

Very possible.
In a way, I think meta-thinking is thinking about something -- then thinking about that thought...as a whole, analyzing it, before reaching more and more...

I also realized I don't know much about metacognitive, so.......yeaaaah. I need to learn more about this.

Oh, meta cognition is fascinating! Especially if you have any interest in the concepts of free will, persuasion, memetics, and propaganda.

 

[Ria]

My usual state of being is actually fairly neutral. It takes an instance or a situation to cause me to feel something in response. Usually I won't get an instant gut reaction about how to feel about something, and I need to analyze a situation until all aspects dawn on me and I am able to understand the experience. I guess I do more analyzing my feelings though, rather that feel a certain way about them. But I dislike my feelings generally, as they usually debilitate me from responding to things. They cause me stress and this annoys me greatly. Also they can make things worse for others around me and myself, so I keep them inside, or for my blog where they can make sense and help me make sense of myself when I'm unsure.

 

[sassafras]

While I am pretty good at identifying at what other people are feeling, most of the time, I can't seem to achieve the same sort of clarity where my own emotions are concerned. I often resort to cerebrally breaking down what it is that I'm experiencing based on the situation and what I know about anger, sadness, anxiety, etc. Come to think of it, it's actually negative emotions that I have the most trouble identifying. I have this fear of overreacting emotionally, so I actually tend to stifle or play down whatever it is I'm feeling and it's become so automatic, that this is probably why I have so much trouble with emotional self-expression in the first place.

I see my own emotions as something to be controlled, which is strange, because I don't pass judgment on other people for emotional displays. It's like other people are allowed to be human, while I need to be constantly vigilant and impartial. Messiah-complex much? I think so.

Either way, I harbor an extreme dislike for my emotions; especially those that make me feel out of control. Or worse yet, those that inspire benevolence despite an awareness that I would not be offered the same consideration from the person (or persons) to which I'm offering it. I feel like I should be more selfish, and I suppose I blame my sentimentality (my emotions) for being otherwise. The ironic part is, it brings me further and further out of touch with myself and more aware and forgiving to other people. Maybe if I were more concerned with what I am feeling, I wouldn't concern myself with the feelings of others...

Just thinking aloud.

 

[IndigoSensor]

While I am pretty good at identifying at what other people are feeling, most of the time, I can't seem to achieve the same sort of clarity where my own emotions are concerned. I often resort to cerebrally breaking down what it is that I'm experiencing based on the situation and what I know about anger, sadness, anxiety, etc. Come to think of it, it's actually negative emotions that I have the most trouble identifying. I have this fear of overreacting emotionally, so I actually tend to stifle or play down whatever it is I'm feeling and it's become so automatic, that this is probably why I have so much trouble with emotional self-expression in the first place.

I see my own emotions as something to be controlled, which is strange, because I don't pass judgment on other people for emotional displays. It's like other people are allowed to be human, while I need to be constantly vigilant and impartial. Messiah-complex much? I think so.

Either way, I harbor an extreme dislike for my emotions; especially those that make me feel out of control. Or worse yet, those that inspire benevolence despite an awareness that I would not be offered the same consideration from the person (or persons) to which I'm offering it. I feel like I should be more selfish, and I suppose I blame my sentimentality (my emotions) for being otherwise. The ironic part is, it brings me further and further out of touch with myself and more aware and forgiving to other people. Maybe if I were more concerned with what I am feeling, I wouldn't concern myself with the feelings of others...

Just thinking aloud.

I could have written this myself, I am exactly the same way.

 

[DoveAlexa]

Growing up I use to resent having emotions because I felt persecuted just for feeling. You weren't suppose to react unless it was a happy reaction.

Now I feel like having feelings is a giant "F U" to everyone who tried to tell me feelings were bad. I use my feelings to create and love and nurture and it really does get some people bent out of shape, I love it.

 

[sassafras]

Now I feel like having feelings is a giant "F U" to everyone who tried to tell me feelings were bad. I use my feelings to create and love and nurture and it really does get some people bent out of shape, I love it.

What changed your perspective?

 

[DoveAlexa]

What changed your perspective?

I realized that a lot of people around me hated just the fact that I felt, they didn't like my caring, empathy and compassion, and that they were pretty damn nasty people. it annoyed them that I was "good". Whenever I expressed (reluctantly or accidentally) a caring feeling, they'd throw a tantrum and try to destroy me.

Also secondly, a series of progressively better and much more supportive romantic relationships. Showed me how my way was indeed the better way to live. I was happy, those evil people were unhappy about other's happiness and were constantly miserable, as they tried not to feel anything but "haha you're a loser, nyah nyah" etc.

 

[Ria]

While I am pretty good at identifying at what other people are feeling, most of the time, I can't seem to achieve the same sort of clarity where my own emotions are concerned. I often resort to cerebrally breaking down what it is that I'm experiencing based on the situation and what I know about anger, sadness, anxiety, etc. Come to think of it, it's actually negative emotions that I have the most trouble identifying. I have this fear of overreacting emotionally, so I actually tend to stifle or play down whatever it is I'm feeling and it's become so automatic, that this is probably why I have so much trouble with emotional self-expression in the first place.

I see my own emotions as something to be controlled, which is strange, because I don't pass judgment on other people for emotional displays. It's like other people are allowed to be human, while I need to be constantly vigilant and impartial. Messiah-complex much? I think so.

Either way, I harbor an extreme dislike for my emotions; especially those that make me feel out of control. Or worse yet, those that inspire benevolence despite an awareness that I would not be offered the same consideration from the person (or persons) to which I'm offering it. I feel like I should be more selfish, and I suppose I blame my sentimentality (my emotions) for being otherwise. The ironic part is, it brings me further and further out of touch with myself and more aware and forgiving to other people. Maybe if I were more concerned with what I am feeling, I wouldn't concern myself with the feelings of others...

Just thinking aloud.

Very well said. You stated what I left out and in part, what I tried to say.

 

[Flavus Aquila]

My feelings about my feelings are mediated by my thoughts about my emotions.

When some stimulus provokes an emotion in me (I won't go into the whole affect/emotion distinction) the way this emotion provokes consequent emotions seems first to require my awareness of them. Some consequent emotions, such as satisfaction at being happy are more immediate - but most follow upon my intellectual awareness of my emotions.

eg. If I am angry, I'll reflect on the fact that I'm angry and what its causes are. If someone else has provoked me, I'll feel a kind of indignant anger at the fact that someone has provoked me to anger.

 

[Matariki]

My feelings confuse me and frustrate me. I have trouble explaining and making sense out of them. Its like looking at a tangled mess, trying to find the ends of the string.
I have a habit of burying my feelings and emotions.

 

[Ecton]

Sometimes I have felt empathy for myself, if that makes any sense...

 

[Inquisitive]

I most definitely have feelings about my feelings, and I would agree with the pattern described by others in this thread. (Stimuli provoke emotions and intellectual awareness of emotions can lead to other emotions...)

I very much believe that thoughts and emotions are meant to work together.

My feelings, every single one of them, are priceless to me. For me, it has everything to do with being honest with myself, and honesty with myself is the only true place I can grow from.

 

[Trifoilum]

My feelings about my feelings are mediated by my thoughts about my emotions.

When some stimulus provokes an emotion in me (I won't go into the whole affect/emotion distinction) the way this emotion provokes consequent emotions seems first to require my awareness of them. Some consequent emotions, such as satisfaction at being happy are more immediate - but most follow upon my intellectual awareness of my emotions.

eg. If I am angry, I'll reflect on the fact that I'm angry and what its causes are. If someone else has provoked me, I'll feel a kind of indignant anger at the fact that someone has provoked me to anger.

I most definitely have feelings about my feelings, and I would agree with the pattern described by others in this thread. (Stimuli provoke emotions and intellectual awareness of emotions can lead to other emotions...)

I very much believe that thoughts and emotions are meant to work together.

My feelings, every single one of them, are priceless to me. For me, it has everything to do with being honest with myself, and honesty with myself is the only true place I can grow from.

I very much agreed. You both said it better than I could

For the sake of definition, is this metacognitive? (uh, or is it meta-emotion? Or...aaaargh)