I Don't Care

[Alan V]

This is what I jokingly call Freud's Hydraulic Theory of the Emotions. He often wrote as if emotion was a fluid that builds up and needs to be released from its storage tank. I think this metaphor has become so common that people don't imagine an alternative -- there may be times when the emotion doesn't have to be spewed out all over everybody. 

That was one of Freud's really terrible ideas. In fact, the more one acts on emotions, the more such reactions become habitual.

I think the key issue is not whether one experiences an emotion or not, but whether the emotion is really both proportional and justified. Many emotional reactions are cued by appearances only, and appearances can be and often are incorrect. Thinking through situations takes longer, so our reason is usually playing catch-up with our emotions. That means it's usually better to delay before one responds with emotion. Often the emotion dissipates when it is perceived to be groundless or disproportionate, especially in ambiguous situations.

I remember one guy who worked in the shop at the first company where I was employed. He was constantly having temper tantrums about one thing or another, to the point where people tried to avoid him. If I remember the story correctly, he was shot dead by his son-in-law. So I would guess the expression of many emotions is more harmful than helpful. Again, it depends on the situation.