Emotions and Fallacies in Communication

Emotions and Fallacies in Communication

The question of the importance of emotions in our lives can be addressed from many perspectives. In my opinion, emotions are just as much a part of oneself as rationality. Negative emotions, such as sadness, pain and grief must exist as an opposite to joy, happiness and love. Each of these emotions shape and develop us as a human. Having known sadness, we can empathize and care. At the end of grief, one learns something new and moves on. Moments of joy and happy memories keep us going in life. Sharing love also brings love to the giver. Some emotions are vital catalysts. Without fear, people would not be able to experience an adrenaline rush, which strengthens the character. Emotions are indicators: they tell us how we feel about the situation and what we would like to change. They also help us communicate with others effectively. Facial expressions and body language, which are a reflection of our emotions, help others respond respectively. For example, crying is an obvious sign of sadness and the natural response is to console him or her. Clenched fists and a frown indicate anger and cause others distancing themselves.

Certain irrational thoughts, or fallacies, may cause debilitative emotions. In my opinion, the most common is the fallacy of approval. One falls prey to this misconception when he believes something to be true because the majority or the immediate circle of people around him approve something or thinks highly of someone. The person that always seeks endorsement from others, and does not have a personal view constantly relies on the opinions of friends, family, media and others. Because his viewpoint is formed by others, he is easily swayed and loses will of his own. On the other hand, a person might be ostracized by the group, such as classmates, and become an “outcast” because of the widespread fallacy of approval.

There are many guidelines for expressing emotions, but one that I believe would most benefit me is recognizing my feelings. Emotions often indicate the need to change things to suit our interests. Many emotions can be very tricky to handle because various issues might be involved or affected by the way emotions are expressed. Recognizing personal feelings help dealing with them and expressing them properly, logically, and responsibly. Therefore, recognition is the vital step in managing own feelings to the benefit of the relationships we have with other people.

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