Is love real?

[Spongebob]

@Ahriman Emotions are an ancient part of our brain.  I think you could call them instincts; they send signals that are often urgent and acute, prompting immediate action that could have important implications for survival.  However, in modern life, the majority of the time we don't need such extreme warnings, unless you're about to get mugged or hit by a bus, which is rare.  So emotions tend to be exaggerated and our reaction to them can be out of proportion to the reality they represent.  Controlling one's emotions is not about turning them off and becoming emotionless, it's about acknowledging emotions, understanding what the actual situation is, and taking an appropriate response, if any.  That takes patience and practice and it's an extremely rational approach to dealing with one's environment.

A good example is the story Boru told about a guy getting all bent out of shape because a cashier wouldn't accept a 20 cent coupon.  There's absolutely no reason for someone to explode in anger in such a situation, yet that's what happened and it happens all the time.  We see ding dongs assaulting workers at Walmart for asking them to don a mask.  How is that reasonable?  How does that make their life better in any way?  It could land them in jail with assault charges.  Emotions play an important role in our lives, but too often people allow emotions to lead them around like a dog on a leash.

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I have zero control over my emotions and the notion that emotions can be controlled is extremely annoying to me. You can't control this shit. Not when the emotions are truly real.

Just what I'd expect you to say. How's that bipolar working for you?

I realize Ahri isn't the most intellectual member on this forum, but if he/she truly does suffer from bipolar, it seems cruel to make light of it.