What do we do with our emotions

Many troubling emotions arise within us every day. We get angry, anxious, upset, worried, depressed, sad, or even elated. These feelings bubble up to the surface, and we often act on them without reflection. If we believe someone has wronged us, we become angry and seek retaliation. If we feel sad, we may dwell on it and sink into depression.

Yet emotional reactions to life's events do not always solve the problems we face. Often, they make those problems worse. So, do emotions have a place in our lives, or should we ignore them altogether and examine everything through the lens of reason?

We, as human beings, possess the unique ability to reason. This capacity for rational thought distinguishes us from other animals and enables us to live virtuous lives. The Stoics distinguished between two classes of feelings:

• Pathē ("passions" such as excessive fear, anger, envy, greed, and uncontrolled desire). These emotions are considered harmful because they cloud judgment and lead people away from wisdom and virtue. A person consumed by anger, for instance, may act impulsively and harm others. Likewise, someone driven by greed may sacrifice integrity in pursuit of wealth. Stoics viewed these passions as the result of mistaken beliefs about what is truly valuable.
• Eupatheiai (healthy, integrated emotions such as compassion, friendliness, prudent caution, goodwill toward others, and joy). These emotions are generally considered beneficial. We can experience happiness, love, gratitude, and compassion while maintaining inner stability and self-control.

Emotions are not inherently good or bad. What matters is whether they arise from correct or incorrect judgments about the world. Emotions play an important role in human life, but they should never control a person's actions or character. There is no need to suppress natural emotions such as grief or empathy.

According to Stoic philosophy, negative emotions do not arise from external events themselves but from the judgments we make about those events. For example, losing a job may trigger anxiety, anger, or despair. However, much of the suffering comes from believing that the loss is a catastrophe or that one's worth depends entirely on employment. By changing this judgment and recognizing that external circumstances are often beyond our control, emotional distress can be reduced.

The Stoics recognized that initial emotional reactions are natural and unavoidable. A sudden loud noise may startle us, and the loss of a loved one may bring grief. These immediate responses are part of being human. What matters is the response that follows. A Stoic strives to examine emotions carefully rather than being carried away by them.

In This Issue...

In this issue, our distinguished contributors discuss how they apply these principles to everyday emotional challenges, including grief (Shirley Kwosek Sciacca), sadness (Andi Sciacca), anger (Brandon Tumblin), and lonelines(Karen Duffy).

Psychotherapist Alexander Osterman dispels the common misconception that Stoicism advocates emotional deadness. Glenn Citerony correctly points out that we cannot always avoid emotional storms, but we can learn to recognize them and navigate them more skillfully. Greg Sadler reminds us that we should allow ourselves to feel our emotions, acknowledge their reality within our psyche, and then examine how and why we came to feel them.

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