Emoti-Cons
Emotions. If you show too much of them, you are loud. If you show too little, you are a robot. There is no pleasing the people around, and I have experienced that first hand.
My parents have always worried about me. They tell me that I “over-express” myself. I am outgoing, loud, over-sharer, over-reactor, and in general a person with very extreme reactions. I know they only care for me and just want me to be prepared for the outside world, where not everyone is going to be nice about my emotional outbursts.
Now, what I want to know is — how do I know that my reaction is apt, and not just an outburst? Is there a scale where I can measure the right amount of emotions to express? Why am I the loud and over-reacting one in most situations? Why can it not be that the others are just not reacting enough?
Emotions are like a taboo in this world. Showing too much is an issue, just as is showing too little. Because of such extreme reactions to expression, people do not prefer to willingly talk about the problems and complexes they are facing within themselves. Oftentimes the person suffering tries to convince himself that he is just being a little sensitive to the situation. That it is nothing serious and he would get over it in a while.
Worse is when the person fears to share his emotions with anyone around for the immense terror of being judged and not understood. Each person feels like an alien in masses at least once in their life. And if we let that feeling of alienation and isolation help us be more empathetic to the others around, rather than let it drive us further apart from one another, it would go on to make a huge difference in everyone’s life.
One of the first behaviours we need to practice for any of the above to happen is something I am sure we all lack in this fast moving world, but a skill we must all practice more often than we realise — Patience. We are really short with people who are not running at the same speed as us; forget people who are not even a part of the same race. Such can be the people with disabilities or just people who are taking their time through life and enjoying each moment as it comes. We feel like if we slow down for anyone, we might be left behind. But where is it that we wish to reach so fast? What is so important at the end of the line that we do not hesitate once before stepping over and abandoning the loved ones around?
I know that Rome was not built in a day, and neither can a healthy, cohesive world. We need to keep at it, day by day, to make it a place that is safe enough for anyone and everyone to be true and honest about who they are. A place where people are not required to hide in shadows or live a lie, but somewhere they can spread their wings and soar high.
We need to learn to embrace ourselves and our differences with the others to feel at peace and not be worried about every single step we take, or every single word we speak. I realise it is easier said than done, but trying has never done anyone harm. Just each of us trying our best to be a warm and reliable person for our friends and family is the best anyone can do, to be honest. Each of us doing our bit can help transform the world as a whole.
So the next time someone is being honest about their emotions, do not just shut them out. Listen to what they have to say because just doing that can be a great help to them. We all just want to be heard in this world, so do not let anyone feel like a lonely whale crying at a different frequency than the others around. Reach out whenever you see someone feeling down, as it might just lift you up in return instead. There are no cons to showing emotions if we all accept that we are emotional beings and that is what makes us human. And that is okay.
By: The Lazy Soul
