The Keys To Fulfillment And Well-Being Analysis

Emotions: The Keys to Fulfillment and Well-Being
Helen Keller once said: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” It is a very abstract quote, but one I have no doubt in my mind that she is talking about emotions. It seems, when faced with emotions, people generally have one or two reactions, that they must be restrained and suppressed in some way, or that they should be recognized as a vital aspect to our species. I tend to follow the latter, and by exploring anecdotes from my own life as well as articles from reputed writers and scholars, I hope to confirm what I so have come to suspect is a part of a Higher Truth. Emotions have played a huge role in my past experiences, …show more content…
As they are an abstract concept, the way they can be determined, analyzed, and explored are infinite. However, there seem to be two types of articles that tend to circulate most often. One type being the articles that get into the nitty gritty regarding their purpose in society, work, school, etc. For example, the article by June Gruber entitled: The Myth of Good and Bad Emotions. In this particular article, she does not list any references, but draws on her own experiences as a psychologist as to how our initial thoughts about positive and negative emotions could be mistaken. A key theme throughout the article is that negative emotions have helped us make better choices and ensured our survival. Therefore, they are necessary. She is also quick to point out that while positive emotions make us feel good, they can result in complacency and indulgence. Another article of this type would be The Meaning and Role of Emotions in Adult Learning by John M. Dirkx. In this article, what you see is what you get. The bulk of the article covers extensive research as how emotions manifest and affect adults as well as their peers/teachers. Then, there are those that get into the metaphysical aspects and explore how they help govern the spectrum of awareness, consciousness, etc. An example of this is the TED talk from Mr. Brooks entitled: The Social Animal. He mentions and goes into detail about how certain key …show more content…
However, I have a few disagreements with two of them. Gruber’s article, while I find myself agreeing with her thoughts about how negative emotions have shaped our lives for the better, I do not agree with her thoughts about positive emotions making us complacent. It is true, that sometimes after doing a project that results in great success, that people get a little bit satisfied. But the human nature I’ve found, is never simply satisfied with what it has for long. It always wants more, regardless of reward. Indulgence does not last. The lure of progress is integral to the mentality of mankind and has been responsible for its rapid progress technologically. I have some trouble agreeing with some of Dirkx’s opinions when thinking about it through an aspect he did not explore: The fact that adult learning is often taken up voluntarily. This is an important, as many people I’ve spoken with in adult education are there because they WANT to be. Desire is critical to any venture. For example, the people in my current group have always handled themselves well, despite the daunting issues that some of them deal with, because they have that desire to succeed. Why is this? Because this isn’t mandatory education, and generally, most adults don’t have to deal with newly burgeoning sexuality, and learning just who they are and who they want to be while managing seven to eight different classes a day. They aren’t