Controlling emotions

Right from the day he entered the international cricket, I never liked Dhoni, the cricketer – primarily due to his below par wicket keeping and lately due to the hype and his attempts to hog limelight ignoring the likes of Sachin and Dravid.

Whoever reads this may have a first thought to kill/bash me or rate me a cynic or fool or something else, but I openly supported WI and England in the last two matches and the moment India lost, I was celebrating causing irritation to my roomie and my neighbors.

However, I have to salute the way Dhoni handled the post-match conversation – controlling emotions and speaking with a smile. I like Dhoni the person, as seen on TV during matches and interviews – there are some qualities I would like to learn from him, the above scenario being the one – “Talking without showing any trace of actual state of mind in face or tone”.

Kudos to Dhoni.

If interested, please visit my previous posts on emotions.

The Emotional Dilemma

The world is full of emotions. No person can be an exception to it. Generally, the state of being ‘emotional’ is considered only in negative contexts – when the person bursts into tears easily, when in deep sorrow, when highly or ill-tempered. On some rare occasions, a person who is extremely happy may also be termed as an in ‘high emotions’.

But, for me sadness and happiness don’t complete the set of emotions. An emotion is a feeling we express at a particular instant – it can be love, hatred, joy, pity, passion. It is something that comes naturally, may not be controllable.

Do we need to control our emotions?

The answer depends on the situation.

When I see –

- The never ending sagas on the bulletin boards/blogs/hate communities – North Indian vs. South Indian, Sachin vs Sourav vs Dravid vs Others, Localites vs Non-locals

- A car/bike rider honking on my back in a traffic jam showing his/her (even female riders do) restlessness (this is also an emotion) though he/she knows I can’t move mine even an inch ahead

- A father killing his son, a son killing his family,

- During Shaan’s concert in my company, girls, even oblivious of higher officials and other surroundings, became too emotional and tried to outwit one another to have just a hand touch with their demi-god and similar things,
I laugh myself.

Of course, I am not an exception to emotions –
I become tense when watching close cricket matches,
When somebody constantly nags me or irritates me with his/her behavior.

I don’t control my positive emotions and release them so that I can share them with my dear ones.

I like to control my negative emotions and emit them when I am alone. Sometimes, I share them with my dearest of dear if I think I am not transferring them.

If people can control their negative emotions, the world will be relived from at least half of its problems.