An emotion can cross over and become its opposite in an instant. Yes, emotions mutate!  The speed at which love can swing all the way into a bitter hate — like into dislike, anger into respect, and grief into depression  is a marvel to behold. It can happen before we are conscious of it. All we know is that we have become something else. This speed of change is rooted in a sudden change of belief.  And because it is the way we are designed, if the belief is a powerful one, it can result in sudden conversions as often seen in religious transformations. It is the content of the belief and its power, combined with the speed of our emotions, that makes the change so dramatic. Other belief changes can result in a more gradual transformation, but no less powerful.

We Need for Emotions to Mutate

This changing from one emotion to its opposite will come into use when we consider “replacement,” a method for the lasting defeat of unwanted emotions. If your child is exhibiting repeated behavior, it is because he is driven by a firm belief.  And that belief is impregnated with a strong emotion of some sort. It may be good or it may be bad. Focus on changing the belief!  And don’t forget when replacing the new belief to accompany it with a very desirable emotion if you want real change.

Emotions Mutate from Their Parent Feeling

Emotions can mutate into an almost endless variety of feelings that are similar and dissimilar to their parent feeling. These mutations can add variety and challenges to our emotional experiences.  In doing so they provide exercises for our growth and development, becoming our teachers and examiners, driving our development at times down narrow lanes with little flexibility as they keep testing us every day. Mutations are not changes from one species to another (as illustrated in our graphic).  Love does not mutate into hate.  Instead, the changes  are within the emotion’s current classification, such as love changing into commitment or grief mutating into depression. They lighten or deepen, develop a new character, or gradually lose their distinctive emphasis.

Mutating Emotions Provide Quite a “Ride”!

This ability to mutate reminds me of the synergy drive in my car, which chooses any combination of gears for the changing road conditions.  The changes in my car occur endlessly and smoothly. Emotions can change with equal frequency in response to current conditions.  But this doesn’t usually guarantee a smooth ride.

Nor is the ride unexciting. Emotions are always new. Yesterday’s emotions spring up fresh today with ever-changing combinations, altering life’s texture and flavor. If you want to see variety in full throttle mode, watch your emotions change in a fast changing environment. You probably won’t be able to keep up with them.

Emotions Mutate How They Feel by a Change in Intensity

Emotions also have the ability to change their “feel” as they change intensity. Intensity can cause any emotion to alter its very nature simply by increasing or decreasing in power. Like becomes love.  Dislike slides into hate.  And pleasure climbs into ecstatic joy as the emotion’s energy waxes or wanes. But it is even more complex. On the continuum of like to love, the variety of “feels” seem infinite as the emotion gives birth to other emotions and our love becomes complex.  It happens much like a well-made wine whose multiple layers of flavor blend seamlessly into a unique experience for the taste buds.

Karen’s Mutating Emotions

Puzzled, Karen came to me. “What is wrong with me?” she pleaded. “One moment I love this man and another I only like him.  And then I hate him only to love him again?” Her emotions were changing from one emotion to its opposite with intensity changes and mutations thrown in to further confuse her. But the intentions of her emotions were not to confuse.  They were simply and accurately mapping the changes in the way she was responding to her world.

To settle her mind, she would have to pay attention to the way her emotions were signaling her mental shifts.  She must then find the meaning behind these changes. Emotions report and make judgments at the same time. The meaning of our interactions with our world is found in their judgments of ourselves and our world.

Karen examined her emotions.

• When I love him, why is that? What has happened to my feelings?
• When love cools to like, what is happening? What am I feeling?
• Am I feeling a cooling of love or the disturbance of another attraction or distraction?

The exercise helped her find the reasons for the shifts in emotion and her emotions educated her about whether she really loved this man or not. Emotions are excellent teachers.

Emotions Mutate in Children and Confuse Them

The constant changes to their emotions can confuse children easily as well. Help them understand that they need to find a passion and then focus. Passions come and go, but not as fast as emotions.  Passions tend to hold our life’s ship on course for longer.

Emotions “Spice Up” Our Lives

What is emotion? An amazing creation that seldom becomes static, as in a mood.  Emotions  more often fill our life with spice and challenge. Emotions seldom turn life into a boring journey. Mutating emotions are fascinating studies in our reactions to our world.

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.