Is our mind confused about reality?  Does it leave us to judge what is real and what is only perceived as real? Answer: it leaves it to us. Reality is a relative concept because each person must determine what is reality for them and what is not. The reality for me is that I love broccoli, while for others, my reality is ridiculous. One person’s reality can also be another’s myth. Our emotions judge whether a remark was a deliberate insult or an attempt at humor as they try to perceive reality. Which is the reality? We decide.  Let’s examine how the emotional mind sees reality.

Perception Is the Standard

Perception is the standard for our judgment of reality. For those who think in stark contrast (black and white), this fact is hard to process.  Of course, it is important to understand clearly, however, that our reality may not be truth.  Our reality can be the biggest falsehood. Hence the need for our minds to be educated with more than our perception of reality. Truth is not something our minds are programed to see. We must learn what is right and wrong, truth or falsehood.  Then we must program it into our value system and our beliefs. Our minds perceive; truth is learned.

Our Emotional Mind Influences Our Perceptions

The formation of a perception is in itself a complex operation. Our experiences, the accumulation of past emotional judgments, and our hopes (which are formed by the expectations of the future) are some of the things that color and shape our perceptions. We are not always conscious of all the elements that mold our thinking, shape our emotions and, therefore, form our perceptions. To this extent we are a product of our environment and in this context ,our environment includes the forces of temperament with which we are hardwired. Our temperament is the basic influence on our decisions and perceptions. For example: The ultra sensitive NF may detect an insult while the practical SP may laugh at the perceived humor of the remark.  Hence, as we perceive things through our temperament’s emotional mind, our temperaments lead us to have different perceptions of the same experiences.

Our Own Perceptions Vary as Influenced by Our Emotional Mind

Our emotions, part of our mental mechanism, are reading reality or perceived reality all the time.

• Did she feel I was rude or does she approve of my boldness?
• Is that the most beautiful sunset I ever saw or are the colors slightly less brilliant and attractive to me than the one I saw yesterday?
• Rob says this is the best chocolate cake ever,.  So, why is it I am not impressed?

How I perceive reality is the issue.

So, let’s ask: Are we responsible for the emotions that arise from our perceptions?

Answer:  Only if we choose to act on them and reaffirm their judgments. Whenever we make or affirm a choice, we become responsible — not whenever we feel something or perceive something.

We Must Rely on Our Rational Intelligence to Aid Our Emotional Mind

Our rational intelligence should be called into play to help us distinguish between insult or attempt at humor, for example. When we rely on emotions alone or on reason alone, we can make serious mistakes in judgment. When we consult both, we are best fitted to make a sound judgment. We were given both and there is a definite design to how we are made. Teaching emotional intelligence is helping us and others to listen to both the wisdom of emotion and the wisdom of reason while our minds are being educated by the facts or the truth.

Intuition’s Influence on Our Emotional Mind

Emotion can also be initiated by intuition, which can be eerily accurate at times. Our emotions, when influenced by intuition, perceive reality and ask for our confirmation of their judgment in the same way as when they are initiated by our environment. The way we are designed to function is again calling for us to make right choices. It constantly pushes us by registering perceptions that we must evaluate. What our mind perceives may be right or wrong. Learn to evaluate it.

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!

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