Our understanding of how we function must constantly adjust to new data as science expands its knowledge of us and our self-understanding increases. Also, there is much that experience can teach us — information gathered from simply living our lives (like information we gather about a car when we drive it) and much knowledge which temperament psychology and other academic disciplines have amassed, all adding to our insights. So what have we learned about the emotional mind? Let’s take a closer look.
Have You Found Your Mind?
What the mind is and where it is (if that really matters or can be known with any certainty) are subjects of much dispute. The theory that our minds (thoughts and feelings) are robotic and controlled by the physical operations of the brain does not do justice to the facts of how we live our lives. Nor is it conclusive from brain research. But life is not concerned with such academic interests. We make our choices as though we are in control. So, we will explore the control the mind has over the emotions and vice versa. We are concerned with how we can live better lives.
Love, music, passion, intrigue, heroism — these are the things that make life worthwhile.
~ Stendhal
Are WE in Control of Our Emotions? Or Is It Our Brain?
We will speak of the mind as if it can be influenced by processes in the brain. But it can also be the instigator of our thoughts and feelings, giving us this sense of control over what we think and feel. When we have control over what we think and feel, we can be responsible for our lives and become the master of our own destinies. We are at the wheel — not our brain.
At times we may feel out of control, directed by forces we can’t manage. But we always know that, somehow, self-control is the norm we must return to. There is an inner urge to be the masters of our destiny.
The Emotional Mind of an SJ
Control is a drive seared into the core of the SJ temperament.
Tony felt its power that day as he sat, serious and defeated, in my study. But something had gone wrong. His wife had left him. And although he fought to show it had not incapacitated him, inside he was crushed. Strangely, he thought to himself, it wasn’t so much the loss of his wonderful wife that worried him most. It was his admission to himself that he had failed to control (there’s that word again) an important area of his life. His self-esteem had taken a serious blow with his wife’s departure. But as with events, both negative and positive, a chain reaction in our emotions often takes place. He had also lost his sense of who he was and where he and his life were going. He had lost his direction and his destiny. Everything collapses when this happens.
We Have the Power to React as We Choose
However, Tony was still at the wheel. He could make decisions and gain his direction again, maybe even retrieve more than he had lost of his dream. His relationship mistakes were to be admitted. But his sense of self-mastery had not vanished because he still had the power to react in anyway he chose. All he needed was to recover his strengths and his understanding of how to use them effectively. This ability of the human mind to take control after loss and failure gives us our resilience and describes the non-robotic nature of human life.
The Importance of Understanding the Emotional Mind
Each reader will take away something different from this topic because we read it through our own temperaments. Please note: If you are an NF or have an F in your profile, the knowledge this topic contains will help you, in particular, to function with greater understanding, release, and confidence. For parents, you will find help in understanding not only how we all are made but how we are all made to function. And this will help you in the difficult task of raising that most complicated organism in the universe, your child.
My hope is that this book will lead you, as its content has led many others, to be intelligently emotional. If it helps you to develop the intelligent use of your emotions and a rewarding lifestyle, my labor will not have been in vain. You can access it HERE. If you are subscribed to our weekly updates, our next issue will provide a link to purchase it with a 15% discount and free shipping.
DISCOVER THE TRUTH OF WHO YOU ARE!
Lean into the whole truth. Discover the truth of who YOU are — the “Real You” — and who your children truly are. Discover how to best engage your children in finding the whole truth. INNERKINETICS, Your Blueprint to Excellence and Happiness, is a great resource.
Our team at InnerKinetics is ready to provide that help, too. If you’d like some assistance, you can request a consultation. An InnerKinetics consultant will call you to answer questions and schedule your meeting. Schedule an Initial Consultation. If you are more independent and want to cut to the chase, you need not wait for a call back because you can get answers to your questions and schedule your session HERE.