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John did let you down, but he didn't make you feel let down. You can blame John for letting you down, but you can't blame John for you feeling let down. You ar
by karpierz 6y ago
John did let you down, but he didn't make you feel let down. You can blame John for letting you down, but you can't blame John for you feeling let down.
You are responsible for your own emotions. Recognizing that doesn't make you a zen robot. You can still feel. But don't put those feelings on other people and make them responsible for making you feel the way you want to feel.
You can recognize patterns for your emotions, like "I get sad when people make fun of me", but that doesn't mean that you have to be sad when people make fun of you. Recognizing the distinction is what gives power to change.
And sure, there are limits. The feelings that arise when tortured for example are rooted in physiology and near unavoidable. But I suspect that John didn't let you down by waterboarding you.
- mkr-hn 6y agoEven Vulcans can't quite manage this level of emotional control. Complete personal responsibility for one's own emotions is a nice ideal, but humans are not stoic robots. People are responsible for their behavior and its effects.