左京研討會第八篇
談情緒
你有看過皮克斯的動畫電影
腦筋急轉彎(Inside Out)嗎?
我們擁有許多種情緒幫助我們生存
很多種動物也擁有相似的情緒
尤其是哺乳類例如貓和狗
我們時常養貓狗當寵物
因為他們能與我們建立情感連結
然而
人與動物還是有些許不同
我們擁有理智思考的能力
理智與情緒互相拮抗
共同調節人對外界的反應
但它們倆並不總是平衡的
情緒通常更為強大
因為它是比較原始的機制
被設計用來處理緊急狀況
能夠在當下即時反應
另一方面來說
情緒遠遠不是一套完美的系統
而且在現代社會裡
可能會導致許多問題
有時情緒和慾望甚至被視為罪惡的
深入研究情緒作用的機制
是很迷人的課題
例如人們在面對自己不了解的事物時
會出現憤怒、厭惡以及恐懼等情緒
而我們也應用快樂和痛苦
來決定要繼續待在原地
或是趕快離開
身為一個天生的思考者
我喜歡哲學和心理學
這些學科結合了科學思考
邏輯推演甚至是情感經驗
理性和信仰像是兩個極端
但有時它們也會混雜在一起
例如佛教
你認為佛教是一種宗教
還是一種科學呢?
基於我個人的見解
我認為佛陀是個科學家
他推崇實踐與驗證
並嘗試了多種方法
來探索身體與心靈世界
然而他的實踐結果
目前已與信仰混雜在一起
變成了一種宗教
區分真實與信仰
對人類來說是很困難的
同樣的狀況也出現在哲學、
心理學以及佛學
但同時
研究這些學問也很有趣
我們可以基於科學思考的精神
去進一步探索這些領域
總結來說
情緒是個原始的工具包
可以幫助我們生存
但懂得思考
可以為中長期的人生
帶來更多好處
不要追逐快樂
或是逃避痛苦
它們只是工具
不應該成為人生的目標
尤其是快樂
總是一被追到就很快消退了
如果在人生的某些階段
你的情緒強烈到快要失控
最好的方法是尋求專業的協助
然而如果情緒是在可控範圍內
那表示你已經足夠強壯
可以應對這些情緒
不需要特別處理
因為這是健康而正常的狀況
–English version–
About Emotion
Have you watched the Pixar movie Inside Out? We have many kinds of emotions that help us survive. Many animals share similar emotions, especially mammals like cats and dogs. We often keep them as pets because they can establish emotional connections with us.
However, people are a bit different from other animals. We have reason, which can compete and cooperate with emotion. But reason and emotion are not always balanced. Emotions are usually stronger because they are more natural and designed to handle emergencies immediately. On the other hand, they are far from perfect and can create many problems in modern society; sometimes, emotions or desires are seen as sins.
It’s fascinating to delve into how emotions work. For example, people feel angry, hateful, or scared when they encounter something they don’t understand. Another example is, we use happiness and pain to help us decide whether to stay put or move on.
Although people can live without deep thinking, awareness and reflection always bring significant long-term benefits. Imagine this: if people acted like animals, could we have developed technology and modern society as we know it today?
As a natural thinker, I love philosophy and psychology. They’re fascinating subjects that combine scientific thinking, logical deduction, and emotional experience.
Reason and belief are often seen as opposites, but sometimes they mix together, as in Buddhism. Do you think Buddhism is a religion or a science?
Based on my understanding, I think Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, was like a scientist. He advocated for practice and verification and explored both the mental and physical worlds through various methods. However, the results he achieved have been mixed with belief, turning Buddhism into a religion.
Distinguishing truth from belief is challenging for humans. This same situation occurs in philosophy, psychology, and Buddhism. But it’s interesting that we can try to evolve these fields based on scientific thinking.
In conclusion, emotion is an original toolset that helps us survive, but thinking helps us live better. Don’t chase happiness or fear pain; they’re just tools and shouldn’t be the goals of life. Especially happiness, it always fades quickly once it is chased. If, at certain stages of life, your emotions become so intense that they are nearly out of control, seek professional help. If they are manageable, it means you’re strong enough to handle them, and that’s perfectly fine.