Back in my early undergraduate days, I was doing research on Plato’s view of the mind/soul and its relevance to contemporary psychology.
You see, I wanted to find the wisdom common to ancient philosophy and modern science…
And I came across a really interesting and powerful discovery highlighted by Plato and modern psychology.
It is about how we feel the way we think.
Or, in modern terms, cognitive modifications of emotions.
You see, Plato suggests and modern psychology asserts that negative emotions such as fear, anger, and anxiety tend to promote a narrow focus on attention and thinking…
By contrast, positive emotions such as joy, excitement, and gratitude tend to promote creative and open-minded thinking.
When I discovered this psychological tendency, I realized how important it is to take care of one’s feelings as part of taking care of oneself and living a happy life.
To make sure to develop positivity with the right mindsets and practices
And to make sure you take care of yourself when negative people take over.
Because I realized that when negative emotions take over and reinforce problems, they can lead us to focus only on how bad the problems are. This can get in the way of work and make us feel even worse. This, in turn, makes us focus on how bad things are.
By contrast, I realized that when we take action with positive feelings that promote creativity and openness, we can unlock wonderful new possibilities that make us feel better. This, in turn, opens up even more amazing possibilities
In short, I had double visions, namely:
Negative emotions can often create negative cycles and spirals that make your life (and feel) worse and worse.
And the…
Positive emotions can unleash positive virtuous cycles or spirals that make your life (and feel) better and better.
Given this, you must be mindful and careful not to let your negative emotions such as fear and anger lead you into such spirals.
Don’t suppress your feelings. Feel what you feel
But be careful not to slip into vicious, debilitating/broken spirals.
Likewise, you should take care to cultivate a positive attitude, the kind of attitude that leads to feeling positive emotions such as joy and excitement in the things around you.
By doing so, you will be more likely to enter virtuous spirals that can take you ever higher!
I hope this helps you live a happier and more meaningful life!
