I have gradually recognized the difference between a healthy mind and mental complexity since I started living rationally. One example is how to prevent emotional suppression. Let’s discuss it.
How do mentally healthy people think?
Sometimes, we want to understand how mentally healthy people process emotional stirring.
We often can do nothing but suppress our emotions, especially when we have a mental complex. Although it makes us forget the emotions, stress continues to build up within us.
On the other hand, those without a mental complex can solve their negative emotions without suppressing them. What mental processing is different between mentally healthy people and us?
The key factor that makes the difference is a rational perspective. It makes emotional suppression unnecessary. Today, I will explain the mental process. This overview may show you how to solve emotional problems.
Multiple criteria of judgment
Judging things based on multiple criteria makes emotional suppression unnecessary. In other words, add rationality to your judgment, as I have suggested repeatedly over the past year.
- When we judge solely based on emotions, we have no choice but to suppress the ones we cannot accept. Since we cannot relieve that stress, the frustration accumulates within us. That makes past negative experiences unforgettable, which causes flashbacks and other mental troubles.
- When we judge based on both emotions and rationality, we can accept the event rationally, even if it is emotionally discouraging. That makes emotional suppression unnecessary. Recognizing that things have aspects beyond emotions tells us, ‘That emotional criterion is not everything.’ That helps us stay calm.
The number of evaluation criteria creates the difference. The former is only one. That makes us want to turn negative events into positive ones. We judge based solely on emotional fulfillment.
On the other hand, the latter—rational perspective—makes it difficult to judge whether the emotionally negative event will truly worsen our lives in the long term. That calms us and helps us accept the emotions honestly.
An example of discouragement
To make it easier to understand, let’s look at an example.
Suppose someone told us, ‘You are a worthless person!’
If we judge it only emotionally, we cannot help but be negative. We don’t want to make others unhappy, so we discourage and blame ourselves. Our desire not to be inferior triggers various reactions, such as trying to be excellent, being indifferent to others, and being offensive. No matter the reaction we choose, our emotions control us.
On the other hand, if we add rational recognition simultaneously, we can evaluate the event from a perspective separate from our emotions. We expect that the event might change something in others or ourselves. Rationally speaking, people eventually tend to stop doing unreasonable things. That can improve the future for the other person and us. Rationality tells us we cannot immediately judge whether the event will be good or bad.
That realization eliminates the need to hide or fake our emotions. We accept the discouragement and can cry honestly. Since there is always another criterion, we will no longer have feelings that we cannot accept. We understand that there is no need to be positive or pretend to be strong.
Looking at things from two perspectives
It is as if looking at things from two perspectives.
Something may appear like a demon—it frightens us.
However, rationality shines a light on it from a different angle. It reveals that the demon has human legs. That lets us know that it was a person wearing a costume. People sometimes make themselves appear scary to control others. Rationality shows another aspect.
In this situation, we can honestly accept our fearful emotions. There is no need to be positive or pretend to be strong. We accept that it was scary, and then we can decide how to handle the disguised person based on an objective perspective and rationality.
That is the state where we don’t suppress our emotions.
Conclusion
That is the key factor that makes emotional suppression unnecessary: adding a rational perspective.
When we judge based on both emotions and rationality, we can accept the event honestly, even if it is emotionally discouraging.
That enables us to accept our emotions.
This overview may show you how to solve emotional problems.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope to see you in the next one.
