The task of feelings
Feelings are a part of the functioning and understanding of humans.
Here are some of the useful sides of feelings:
Sorrow is a way to handle a loss, to get adabted. (Find out new things upon which you can build your life in those respects.)
Joy tells that something is a good way to do things.
Love concerns things that we need.
Beauty tells of the natural goals of humans, especially about what comes to the level of understanding and skill in our picture of the world, at least.
Hate is a way of protecting life against getting harmed by the hated things.
Our social instincts and common sense make us form bonds with other persons. Each human relation is different, also changing as the time passes and the persons themselves change and their situations of life change. Varied like the nature, never twice the same. There are several types of bonds; figure out: 1. which things bind you together, 2. in which things are you each trustworthy and 3. in which are you not. These areas include at least: honesty, well-functioning, theory, practise, emotions, customs etc.
Depression means that one doesn't know how to function in such a situation.
To like means to feel at ease or even enjoy (= function better at) something.
Feelings take care that we stay in a well-functioning shape.
Sexual attraction toward someone is often aiming at some better position at life: learning a new skill (admiring someone), learning a better way of living (feeling attraction also physically) or (being handsome enough=) in an unusually strong social position when one is next to the other person.
Forming a bond (being soulmates): sharing the same values and largely the same picture of the world and the same way of life aimed at.
The fact that social relationships are emotionally important to humans, reflects the fact that they are functionally important.
Thinking cannot replace feelings. But if one goes naturally with feelings, it often brings such a clear thorough perception about those things that feelings concern, and about their importance in life, that it is much better understanding than by any unemotional thinking.
Hannele Tervola, Finland, Europe
Email: KaisaHanneleTervola@webinfo.fi