Whether it’s Stoicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, or Taoism… every one of them talks about how important it is to control our emotions, be aware of them, and not react based on our emotions.
Great philosophers and modern doctors agree with the above teaching and also spread that self-awareness and emotional control are of utmost importance for our wellbeing and our relationships.
But, it’s easier said than done.
To be able to respond and not react, we need to first detach ourselves from the emotion itself. Which is as difficult as detaching ourselves from our Ego.
To detach from our Ego or emotions, first, we need to be aware of the Ego self. Which might be possible when we are calm and relaxed. But to do the same when we are stressed or already emotional is not an easy task. It takes a lot of patience and practice over the years.
When we are angry, enraged with emotion, someone has hurt us, wronged us, or blamed us for something we haven’t done, we take it as a direct attack on us, we don’t think that they are referring to the Ego and not our true self. Because the mind is what thinking and as long as the mind is involved we can’t separate ourselves from our Ego. The mind can’t control itself by itself or question its actions.
The mind is what tells us we are being attacked and it’s time to jump into defense or in the worst case start an offense. How can it conflict with itself and become calm and start telling you that it’s okay to let it go?
Save as Image
Save as PDF
