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[Korbac]

This is normal?

Wow. I had hoped I was a weird freak and that other people actually felt *genuine* emotions. One point to the Robot Theory, I guess.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

These are genuine emotions. If you want emotions that you don't have to think about, I'd suggest a frontal lobotomy.

[Korbac]

Sometimes I do have genuine, reflexive emotions if I'm in a certain mood. I.e. if a friend has something bad happen to them, I will instinctively feel sad without thinking about it.

Other times I need to think about the emotion I should be experiencing before I experience it.

I class the first case as genuine and the second case as manufactured.

[Descan]

Can someone in that position get to the point where it's second nature? Don't have to think about it, does it automatically? Or will it always be a conscious effort? o-o

How much do you have to consciously think about riding a bike?

I don't have a bike.

[Vector]

Er... try driving a car, walking, adding numbers below 10, cooking an egg, washing your hands, any of those sorts of things.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Sometimes I do have genuine, reflexive emotions if I'm in a certain mood. I.e. if a friend has something bad happen to them, I will instinctively feel sad without thinking about it.

Other times I need to think about the emotion I should be experiencing before I experience it.

I class the first case as genuine and the second case as manufactured.

Your distinction is an arbitrary one. Emotions arise from thought. Certain situations just do not require much thought for the emotional response to occur. If you witness your friend having something bad happen to them, you will feel bad with very little thought about it because you were there. Even if you hear it second hand, you've already decided you like this person, and will still require little thought for an emotional response.

If you think about something that you are sad about, you'll start feeling sad because your thoughts have dredged it up.

[Korbac]

What if I have can have the two different responses in pretty much identical circumstances? 

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Brain is weird like that. Delayed emotional response is a thing.

[Korbac]

Also, moods. Weird things them.

This topic has made me realize I am more normal than I previously thought, which is simultaneously a relief and also a bit aggravating. XD

[Pnx]

There are times when I feel disturbed by how much I seem to be a construct that imitates emotions as deemed appropriate for the situation. Then of course I find myself wondering if I'm really feeling disturbed, or if my mind is just telling me by habit, this is what I should be feeling, and these are my emotional thoughts. And by habit I think them and feel them.

I might be less concerned were it not for the fact that it feels very easy to just shut it down (though of course from experience I know it's never quite that easy, if it is just a learned habit it's a very well ingrained habit).

There's also times I wonder if this is just how everyone in the world is, only they hide it or aren't aware of it, or have made themselves unaware of it, or just pretend like so many others I've met do.

I think this is just going to be one of those things I'm never really going to be quite comfortable with... unless I can learn that habit. Though I'm not sure I'd want to if I could.

[King DZA]

Well fuck, now I'm a tad worried. For me, strong emotions can arise and shift seemingly at a whim, and actually tend to have such great impact on the way I think and behave that it is almost as if I have several different personalities. Something to look further into, perhaps...

[Whatsifsowhatsit]

MetalSlimeHunt, I will agree that of course people tend to reflect on their emotions anyway, but I don't think that's necessarily in the same class as the thing the OP and several other posters in this thread have been talking about. That said, I suppose the two might be confused at times (I've seen some things that I would consider examples of that in this thread as well), so it's still good to point out.

This topic has made me realize I am more normal than I previously thought, which is simultaneously a relief and also a bit aggravating. XD

I see what you mean. But it might just be a matter of the demographics attending these forums. I'm not saying I definitely think it is, it's just something to keep in mind there.

Well fuck, now I'm a tad worried. For me, strong emotions can arise and shift seemingly at a whim, and actually tend to have such great impact on the way I think and behave that it is almost as if I have several different personalities. Something to look further into, perhaps...

I wouldn't worry about it too much, although I suppose it would depend on the specifics. But in principle, you might just be kind of toward the other side of the spectrum of emotion-feeliness, or whatever you want to call it. Which by itself seems totally fine to me... but again, it depends on the specifics.

[Solifuge]

Soli, what you are describing is a form of metacognition: thinking about your thoughts. It's a normal thing and is attributed as to how we are capable of acting against our emotional drive.

Academic terms are good. They help me know what to look up. Apparently, Metacognitive control of emotions can be linked to a form of coping mechanisms related to anxiety.

In other news, once again I start thinking I've stumbled on a new discovery, only to have someone already have a name for it, and a thesis all about it.

I need to stop getting excited over reinventing wheels. :I

[Korbac]

Soli, what you are describing is a form of metacognition: thinking about your thoughts. It's a normal thing and is attributed as to how we are capable of acting against our emotional drive.

Academic terms are good. They help me know what to look up. Apparently, Metacognitive control of emotions can be linked to a form of coping mechanisms related to anxiety.

In other news, once again I start thinking I've stumbled on a new discovery, only to have someone already have a name for it, and a thesis all about it.

I need to stop getting excited over reinventing wheels. :I

We can always make a rounder wheel!

[GlyphGryph]

But Solifuge, can you really just STOP yourself from getting excited over such things?

But more seriously, do you have the same sort of control over the more lizard-brained emotions, fear and anger?