Emotional Thrust, Mindful Vector.

The resounding theme thus far in "The Genius of the Beast" by Howard Bloom is that our economy, to this point, has been driven by emotion. This is not likely to change, unless there is a profound change in human tendencies in the future. That isn't to sound fatalistic, but up until this moment, mankind has been shaped by emotion more than any other sentient function. We are not doomed by emotion, however. As a matter of fact, we are very much at the wheel of our own emotions and therefore we can actually shape our lives.

I will provide an example: you are a well regarded and powerful citizen residing in a city which has just increased the millage rate for the services it provides to the public. Many people do not like having new changes (especially financially sapping ones) imposed upon them without consent, and so you have arrived at a conclusion about this issue: anger. If this emotion is not held in check and re-evaluated, it may not be long before you are engaging your colleagues in long, grating tirades about the dubious nature of this tax increase. Inevitably you will strike the chords of some colleagues and then they, too, may share your disdain for the situation. Do you see where this leads? A single-mindedness of a collective people, for one. That is a shame, considering we are all reared into existence with the necessary tools to think for ourselves.

When you apply the above scenario over the course of months and years, the implications can become tumultuous. In baseball, once a minor league prospect is branded with the title of "poor work ethic, bad attitude" it tends to linger around for a very long time. Once this powerful emotion has been broadcast about that respective player's work ethic and attitude, it can be a difficult stigma to shake. It is unsurprising to me that this has occurred even within the objectified realm of economics and in particular, the stock market. The stock market rises and falls with the collective confidence and timidity of the buying masses - a financial and objective realm conquered by the slippery nature of emotion.

Emotion has also lead us into some very high country, however. Consider landing on the moon's surface, or the construction of vast, elaborate monuments. These are ventures which were fueled by positive emotion.

As stated, we are not powerless versus the forces of emotion. We have within us the very powerful ability of regulating and tempering our reactions. Though much of this plays into ego (another post for another day), we can at any time live as the person we fancy ourselves to be in an idealistic sense. This is very hopeful, because if you can maintain the frame of reference of this 'idealized you' in every moment then there will be virtually no difference between you and that person! We are truly the gate keepers of our emotions and therefore all of the ensuing actions following that initial, visceral emotional response. In order to gain lucidity within the emotional universe we must realize that we control the emotional thrust of our engines with some form of vector. For those who are truly focused and in the zone, it may be that we have achieved a heightened sense of mindful vector. In this state, we can calmly and collectively guide our emotional responses and seek truth and understanding before committing to a particular action. But if our vector is impulsive, it will not be very long before the initial, visceral emotional response is manifest as a powerful and communicative action.

Below is Plutchik's wheel of emotion. Robert Plutchik created this wheel in 1980 which consists of 8 basic emotions and 8 advanced emotions (each composed of two basic emotions). I believe when this chart is viewed with the context of emotional thrust, mindful vector in mind, it is easy to see how a manageable situation can spiral out of control, almost innocently.

Plutchik Wheel

A large amount of vigilance is required to maintain control of our emotional reactions. I do not implore that we become emotionless robots - far from it. I believe we can achieve a greater sense of balance and happiness by employing deliberation and neutrality when considering our emotions on a matter. Some of the very best creations forged by human hands were a result of the rapid application of emotion into reality. It is also true that some of our best artistic, literary and musical efforts have been achieved through a very careful application of emotion.

This can be a retroactive application as well. When considering your emotional responses to various matters, look at your emotional responses in years past: have you changed as a person since then? Do you feel the same about certain topics as you did 10 years ago? If you do feel the same, is this a good thing, or a bad thing, or both? (Or neither?!) This form of evaluation is helpful, so long as the present moment is not abandoned.

From this day forward things can be different: on a personal level and on a very large scale. Emotions create actions which create awareness which creates a movement which ultimately creates relative triumph or victory. Our emotions and the careful application of them can guide the collective human race and the planet it inhabits into better times - though I believe we must act sooner rather than later, and that is not just my emotions speaking.