Someone commented to me that they wished there was less emotion displayed by people at a meeting last night. They were frustrated by the continuing display of emotion over an issue.
What struck me as odd, was that I attended the meeting, and felt that the emotion displayed was OK and appropriate within the context of the discussion. During the display of emotion, I saw some honesty and self awareness that I hadn’t seen before.
Putting this specific instance aside, I find it odd to think that our logical (or objective) side can be isolated from our emotional (or subjective) side in their entirety.
Our logic and emotion are cemented deep within us with crazy glue. Some people can control their emotions better than others. Spock is the classic example of having a disproportionate amount of logic showing very little emotion. Others don’t.
We welcome passion for an idea, a project, candidate, or cause. We get frustrated with the minute detail of someone’s outline of a plan that demands that we be as logical as they were in constructing it.
The intensity and gratification in life is when we can endure the emotions that sometimes erupt to see the texture and detail of another person or learn more about the situation we find ourselves in. To understand that their logic (as well as ours) is more flawed and weak because of our emotions and subjectivity.
Embracing emotion to better understand someone is a valuable tool when working with people. All of our relationships depend on a degree of emotion to work. The logic of others never is as attractive as their emotion.
So don’t fight or reject emotion. It resides too deep inside of each of us to be ignored.