The Cost of your Emotions
Your emotions aren’t your friend. This is a belief promoted by people who are slaves to their emotions and have failed to conquer them. Emotions can cloud your ability to reason. Have you ever observed yourself when you're angry? Or when you're hungry? Do you think that state of mind is ideal for quality thoughts? Can you make better decisions in that state? Is there any room for sanity in such a mindset?
People often mistake empathy for emotions. Managing emotions doesn’t mean being cruel or kicking a puppy. Your entire life depends on the choices you make. If you keep eating that cupcake every time it’s offered, those choices will make you fat. If you keep buying the latest iPhone on credit, those choices will make you broke.
Managing emotions requires awareness of the reasons behind your choices. What do you want to do versus what needs to be done? If you are too focused on what you want, you'll miss what is required at that moment and may end up making poor choices. Would it be surprising, then, to find your life in ruins, leaving you miserable?
Our choices and decisions shape our lives. What we choose today will impact us either in the short term or later in life. So, the wise approach is to have a framework for making better choices. Eliminate or manage anything that hinders sound decision-making. Emotions like fear, the need for validation, and temptation can interfere with the mental clarity needed for good choices.
There’s nothing wrong with experiencing emotions occasionally; we are human, after all. But when our well-being depends on making good choices, we need balance. Be more aware of your emotions. Develop an inner voice that warns you when you feel extreme emotions, like anger. If you can’t control your anger, at least make a mental note to avoid major decisions in that state.
Sex traps are one of the most common forms of information exchange in espionage. A woman might be employed to seduce a spy from an enemy nation. Why does it work? Emotions—specifically, temptation. Why would a trained spy, a disciplined officer, risk sharing state secrets in exchange for sex? You can’t call that soldier an idiot, but in that moment, he acted foolishly, overwhelmed by his desire. Even if the soldier couldn’t completely control his temptation, simply being aware that he felt aroused could have helped him realize his judgment was compromised.
If you can’t resolve your emotions, focus on managing them. One of the simplest ways to do this is to be aware of them and their impact on your decision-making abilities.