Bow and arrow

We mostly lay a lot of stress on reason and look upon emotions as dangerous things, things that play topsy-turvy in an ordered world and makes us do things we regret later. I think we need to pay a lot more respect to emotion if we are to benefit by it. 

There are two areas where emotion plays the driver's role - in our memories, and in our strength of action. 

 What is it that we remember? We remember those incidents that are emotionally charged. Even when we remember facts, apparently dry facts, it is because of a background 'fear' of what may happen or what inconveniences we may face if we forget those facts. We remember more 'things to do' related to our loved ones than to our colleagues. Some memories make us happy; they are massaging our ego and loving ourselves. Some memories cause regret; they revive the feelings of fear, guilt, distaste. To an acute or to a mild degree, it is these feelings related to the events that drive our memory. We would hardly remember something purely 'reasonable'. So many thoughts keep crowding our mind. If we want relief from a particular thought, we have to understand the emotion that is tying that thought to us. Freedom follows. 

 Similarly, our actions are 90% driven by feeling. When we say we 'feel' like doing it, it is perfectly true and not an abberation. This feeling, the love for that particular action in anticipation of events that will follow, is what drives the action. The trick, however, is to feel like doing the 'reasonably correct' thing. If I say I am a principled person, I mean I love the execution of principles and love that version of me that encourages principles. This love drives me. If we allow ourselves to love the right qualities, then our actions will always be good. 

 Reason is the arrow. Feeling is the bow.