Are We Driven by Emotions or Instincts?

Let's think of it this way: Emotions are animalistic, instinctual  reactions to outside stimuli. Are you emotional? Of course you are! You’re human. But what if I was to tell you that you aren’t emotional at all, that you’re actually instinctual. Are we thinking about this?

Luckily, we won’t have to think too much, according to Webster’s Lexicon, an emotion is a natural, instinctive state of mind deriving from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others. So, emotions are thoughts that are created by external factors. They are instinctive reactions to those outside forces. For example, we may say we’re going to be happy, and then become happy. While it’s possible to do so, we don’t usually think about it. What usually happens is that something occurs, and then we feel happy. It’s the effect of the cause. It’s an instinctual reaction to a stimulus, perceived as a feeling.

Instincts are Emotions:

If we believe that emotions are instincts, can’t we control our instincts, thus controlling our emotions? Plenty of animals override their instincts in an attempt to carry out an action against their nature.

Let’s take a look at the “hit or run” mechanism we have in our brains . The intense feeling we get when we’re in a threatening situation is actually the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in our head. It’s the same neurotransmitter that’s released when you do cocaine. So, when an animal or a human faces a life-threatening situation, dopamine is squirted into the brain, causing intense focus.

Further, dopamine is a hormone in the hypothalamus, and it increases heart rate and blood pressure. So, in perilous situations, the neurotransmitter  kicks our body into overdrive, resulting in the emotions of stress, fear, anger, and all the things  you feel before a confrontation.

Dopamine makes you physiologically ready to either fight or run in situations of extreme importance. And for lack of a better term, it causes the feeling of instinct. The intense feelings you get when you’re in a life altering situation is the release of dopamine, among other neurotransmitters and hormones.

So back to emotions. The point is that regardless of the control over our instincts, we still feel the instinct. However, animals, humans included, have the ability override their instincts, such as staying when they should run, and vice versa. So, while they still feel the internal response of dopamine, they can control their outward response to that same chemical instinct.

The same goes for emotions. If our instincts are manifested as feelings, we can control them, too. However, we can’t stop feeling our emotions, but we only get better at dealing with them. Our feelings are nothing more than a chemically driven instinctual response to external stimulus.

Emotional Control is wisdom:

As mentioned above, instincts are synonymous with emotions, and since we can control our instincts, we can also control our emotional feelings. But just like instincts, emotions are chemical responses  to outside stimuli and can’t be avoided, only harnessed. So then, the ability to control our emotions isn’t the faculty to be emotionless, but it’s the capability to feel your emotions and control your outward response to them.

But, how do we work to increase our ability to control our response to stimuli? This might seem like an unexpected change,  but  wisdom is the ability to act correctly in specific situations. According to “Webster”, wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement.

The only way to successfully control your emotions is to have enough experience with a specific situation that you understand how to act and react. For example, suppose you worked hard for a raise and then didn’t get it. You feel slighted and underappreciated, and it angers you. You will lose control of your emotions and yell at your boss, thus burning and ruining the relationship with them.

Then, a year later, you find yourself in a similar situation. The same result happens; That is, you don’t get a raise you expected, but instead of losing control of your emotions, you have to  take a moment to calm your nerves. After a few moments, the emotion you feel is resolve. You schedule  a meeting with your boss and talk to them about the reasons that qualify you for the promotion; as a result, your boss is impressed and promises a work plan for a certain time in which you will earn a salary increase.

See, wisdom was gained through reacting negatively in the first situation and positively in the second iteration of the same situation. If you have the ability to control your emotions and your outward response was agreeable, the only way to change your emotional response is to learn from the failure  of the first experience. As far as this situation is concerned, your wisdom increases now.

So, the only way you can gain control over your instinctual reactions_ your emotions_ is to have multiple experiences where you learn and iterate on how to response. Then, as you understand how to operate in specific environments, you become wise in those situations. Your wisdom becomes a framework that teaches you how to act and react until you get the best result when you faced with any situation.

And all of this came about through an understanding that your emotions are instinct, and that the more times you feel an emotion, the greater ability you have to control your response to the feeling.

Conclusion:

Your emotions are physiological responses to outside stimuli. And while you’ll always feel Your emotions, you can still control your outward response to the stimulus. And if you can do that consistently, you are a wise person. And the only phrase that motivate you is: "Get out of this state and allow yourself to have some emotions.”