Feelings: A Great Debate

Well, two debates actually. They both started this afternoon, when I was getting all sad and stuff and heard a particular scripture. On one stage is a debate between secular thought and, of course, the Bible. On another is a debate between Emotional Me and Rational Me.

This is the transcript from debate no. 1:

S: Express your feelings and be true to your heart. Bad things happen when you deny your emotions and hide them.

B: Jeremiah 17:9 - "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Don't trust your feelings, ladies and gentlemen of this glum young man's mind.

S: But isn't emotion driven, at least in part, by needs and desires? What sort of life can a man live if he denies himself of these things?

B: To the contrary; emotion and needs are two mutually exclusive things.

S: Um, not really.
Say, for example, that this sad sack is infatuated with another young man. Now, even though this infatuation is influenced considerably by the exceptional good looks of said young man, there is a rational degree to this feeling; the character traits of this very attractive person have been evaluated. He seems exceptionally bright, he has a great sense of humor, he gets along well with everybody, and he even shares a few common interests with the sad sack. These are all traits that Sadness McGloomypants values. He genuinely desires him. This desire has expressed itself as longing. Longing, another one of those awful feelings. Should he just set this longing aside, ignore it and restrain himself from acting any further on it?

B: Well, no, I suppose not. At the same time, though, he shouldn't let his infatuation get the better of him and turn him into a blubbering, foolish sack of crazy. Also, another thing I would like to stress is that this young man, as well as all other men, should not let their feelings influence the most important decisions that they are required to make in their lives.

S: Well, I suppose that makes some sort of sense, but isn't it said that life can be effected immensely by the littlest things? What I mean to say is, every decision that each person makes in their day-to-day existence is continuously shaping their life, is it not? Therefore, doesn't every decision have the potential to be The Decision of a Lifetime?

B: Perhaps, but...

The debate continues.

Meanwhile, on the stage of debate no. 2:

E: This sucks! I feel so distant from everyone, and not just physically! I am rather depressed at the moment! I want him so much! I just don't feel attractive enough! There's no hope! I give up! I'm going to become a hermit! I feel so alone! I hate rain! I am sad!

R: Good God, would you just shut up? Please? Even for a moment?

E: ANGUISH!

At this point in the debate, Rational Me steps down from the podium and walks off the stage in a huff, leaving Emotional Me to yell and weep uncontrollably to an audience of his very own. Rational Me notices that the first debate is still going, and it draws him in. He takes a seat and observes, paying close attention.

And the debate goes on...