Philosophy Now Forum

marjoram_blues wrote:Perhaps it depends on passion and priorities...

TSBU wrote:We all know what is to be with no energy when you run a lot or you don't eat enough food. It can also happens when you are under a lot of "mental" (in the end, phisical) stress, and giving a lot of concentration to something. Every human gets tired or bored if he keeps doing the same thing for a while.In that cases, eating, or resting, is good enough.

But "emotional energy" means usually "hope" (in different things) for many people, or "how much can they believe something". You said that you've seen religious arguments with people that doesn't get titred, that's because they don't doubt. But there are people who doubt, in those cases, if you touch their believes and they start an argument, their "emotional energy" is quickly "drained", specially if "how much they believe" depends in "how much do other people believe".

M: I think it interesting how you linked mental stress with lack of physical wellbeing/energy but kept 'emotional energy' separate. I would say that physical wellbeing is also basic to balance the emotions. They are all inter-related, aren't they? Having hope or feeling hopeless is a state of mind; depending on how well the body or brain is working. Or is it more about ingrained personality traits or beliefs...a bit of everything and more...

I guess you are right in that people who have a core belief/philosophy which they are comfortable with don't necessarily have to waste energy thinking or analysing their position. However, that is not to say they don't ever doubt, question or listen to others. And this sometimes requires mental agility. I meant that I have noticed that in PN - perhaps in other places - the greatest passion and energy seems to be expended in a seriously long thread winding - and nobody involved seems to tire of it. So be it. I have assessed that it would be a waste of my time and energy for such threads - however, I observe with interest the interaction.



Cinical people are usually seen like "energy drainers" because they usually show things that people don't want to see, most of people don't like to look at suffering.

M: I don't see this at all. Please explain how any type of energy can be drained by simply viewing something. As for what people like to look at - it rather depends on the image; also, it is more acceptable if offered as an example to illustrate a point rather than for shock value alone.

This world is full of lonely people who want to get a mate, a friend, a brother or sister, a job when they feel like that's "their place"..., so, for some people, talking when they feel that it shouldn't be necesary to talk, makes them feel more "emotionaly tired". Specially cause I'd say (maybe because that's what I do) that many people talk with the rest or... turn on the tv or the radio, to feel like they are with more people, but when a person say something out of what they really want, the lie is evident.
Well, there are many common things. Being the more intelligent, the more beautifull, people die, etc... that are all common things that make people "emotionaly tired". But that's a state of mind based on hope, if you hope for the right things, then you shouldn't be tired (of course, we can't always know things for sure, but being emorionaly tired often, means that you want to believe a lie).

M: What comes first, the emotional 'tiredness' with keeping up with life and its demands/expectations - or the feeling that their talking is useless and not necessary? What do you mean by 'the lie is evident' when people 'say something out of what they really want' ?
Do you mean that people get tired trying to keep up appearances of 'success' or 'being a winner' - and that there would be more energy if they were more authentic to their own desires...
I'm not sure this is the 'emotional energy' I have in mind. It is more a sense of being overwhelmed with pressures ( from self mainly ) to care and do what is right. Sometimes, you can only give so much, before something has to give. And hopefully, not your sanity or sense of humour.

Of course, it can be a malfunction in the brain too. Some people are always sad because their brain doesn't work very well. And, of course, some people have more nerve than other, we are not perfect machines, we can't stop feeling hope in a click. But it's usually usefull to see what make us tired and why.

M: It is mostly always useful to analyse any of our feeling and functions; perhaps it can be overdone and this is what does the brain in ?

Greta wrote:

marjoram_blues wrote:Perhaps it depends on passion and priorities...

Yes, but the difference tends to be less than we think.

M: The difference between others, or the difference between passion and priorities?

Energy is something we take for granted until it's absent. Consider when you were the sickest you have ever been in your life. You would have had nothing to give, and even lifting an arm might have been intolerably difficult. We animals have this remarkable energetic system to play with and it's shocking when it doesn't work. Most of the time it works either brilliantly when we are well and motivated and moderately when we are tired and bored, more shades of grey rather than black-and-white. It's the human consequences of the pernickety, judgemental post-apes we interact with that amplify those differences in our minds.

M: Ah, OK - the differences you talked of earlier - between perceptions of strength ? Seeing yourself, and others, as being either strong or weak, depending on how much you, or others, are willing to play along with any mental games...?

With age I have found that humans are prolific makers of mountains from molehills, especially when it comes to pressuring other humans to do their bidding. There's much manipulation going on, designed to make us feel inadequate so that we try ever harder - to become better citizens, more effective cogs in the machine. The lazy amongst us are not as lazy as we tend to think, especially when compared with laziness of some groups and societies in history; we in the industrious industrialised world have largely been conditioned to expect busyness with "reasonable" (ie. miserly) breaks.

M: Yes, I can do this manipulation thing all by myself; mountains out of molehills - overthinking past, present and future actions. The word 'lazy' is a kind of trigger - with negative connotations - people who have always had a strong work ethic call themselves 'lazy' when the reality is, they are physically weak. Some give themselves a really hard time, never mind other people !

So, whatever level of energy you feel like expending, on one level it is always appropriate. Since that's what you have to give at that time, you may as well feel okay about it

M: I like what you say about 'on one level' but, of course as you suggest - there are other ways or times - when it is not appropriate or helpful to 'give in'. Or draw a line beyond which you imagine you will succumb if driven too far...sometimes, we need to overcome that sense of the 'quickly emptying tank' - and know that there are reserves...

marjoram_blues wrote:M: I think it interesting how you linked mental stress with lack of physical wellbeing/energy but kept 'emotional energy' separate. I would say that physical wellbeing is also basic to balance the emotions. They are all inter-related, aren't they? Having hope or feeling hopeless is a state of mind; depending on how well the body or brain is working. Or is it more about ingrained personality traits or beliefs...a bit of everything and more...

I guess you are right in that people who have a core belief/philosophy which they are comfortable with don't necessarily have to waste energy thinking or analysing their position. However, that is not to say they don't ever doubt, question or listen to others. And this sometimes requires mental agility. I meant that I have noticed that in PN - perhaps in other places - the greatest passion and energy seems to be expended in a seriously long thread winding - and nobody involved seems to tire of it. So be it. I have assessed that it would be a waste of my time and energy for such threads - however, I observe with interest the interaction.

Cinical people are usually seen like "energy drainers" because they usually show things that people don't want to see, most of people don't like to look at suffering.

M: I don't see this at all. Please explain how any type of energy can be drained by simply viewing something. As for what people like to look at - it rather depends on the image; also, it is more acceptable if offered as an example to illustrate a point rather than for shock value alone.

What comes first, the emotional 'tiredness' with keeping up with life and its demands/expectations - or the feeling that their talking is useless and not necessary?

What do you mean by 'the lie is evident' when people 'say something out of what they really want' ?

Do you mean that people get tired trying to keep up appearances of 'success' or 'being a winner' - and that there would be more energy if they were more authentic to their own desires...

I'm not sure this is the 'emotional energy' I have in mind. It is more a sense of being overwhelmed with pressures ( from self mainly ) to care and do what is right. Sometimes, you can only give so much, before something has to give. And hopefully, not your sanity or sense of humour.

It is mostly always useful to analyse any of our feeling and functions; perhaps it can be overdone and this is what does the brain in ?

marjoram_blues wrote:G: So, whatever level of energy you feel like expending, on one level it is always appropriate. Since that's what you have to give at that time, you may as well feel okay about it

M: I like what you say about 'on one level' but, of course as you suggest - there are other ways or times - when it is not appropriate or helpful to 'give in'. Or draw a line beyond which you imagine you will succumb if driven too far...sometimes, we need to overcome that sense of the 'quickly emptying tank' - and know that there are reserves...