Thoughts of a Mad Man

Emotional Vocabulary.

Whether writing, reading, or living, emotions affect us far more than one might imagine or wish. The difference between two essentially same emotional states can have tremendous impact. Some peoples use one word for sadness, anger, rage and depression: all the sense that a desire is being thwarted, I suppose.





Yet, who can deny the tremendous difference between rage and determination - both urgent drives to action? Rage tends to destroy things and cause pain and suffering even when under restraint. Determination makes a situation interesting, makes the person feel powerful and willing to do what needs to be done - only what needs to be done.





As an aficionado of self-help material, I have often seen the advice to "get angry." Once one decides what one will not accept... etc. Yet I have to suspect Anthony Robbins would not have approved of my helpless rages, would have suggested something more in the area of Determination.





I think it behooves us to increase our emotional vocabulary, that we might better understand what we are doing - and perhaps, what we should do.