Emotional Quotient

Emotions, the part of every mortal's existence since birth. You are born and you start expressing your emotions, you cry. After a few weeks, you recognize your mother and show happiness on her arrival, her proximity. A few years go by, all the while people are actually enjoying the show that you put up with your emotions. The way you get angry when your favourite toy is missing, the way you are delighted on seeing a chocolate, the way you are surprised and sometimes irritated when people pull at your cheeks. But as you grow up, you are taught to curb expressing your emotions. Teacher tells you not to hit your class-mate even if he/she has been poking a pencil in your back the whole day. Parents tell you not to cry even if you are not the first ranker in the class and they have already scolded you for getting the second rank. Then, moving on the emotion expression scale keeps showing lower values. You have a crush on that not so talkative, shy girl in the class... and again lots of reasons to not to express..one of them could be a stronger lad in class has already shown interest. Another aspect of this unemotional state could be insensitivity. You get so used to looking at and ignoring the plight of people around, that you become almost heartless(how many of us have not ignored that physically disabled beggar at a railway platform)

The situation is slightly different for females. Conventionally, its ok for a female to show her emotions compared to a male. She can cry.

Then again, all the books, Geeta, Upanishads emphasize on the importance of controlling your emotions, your desires. Arjun had to overcome his emotion of love to lift his bow and arrow. Emotions are evil, they are obstacles in the path of success. Don't waste your time on girlfriends and stuff. Adjust according to the situation, even if you are in a city like Chennai, where you feel like a foreigner almost every other day(thats me). All this stuff about controlling your emotions also appears true to a certain extent.

Maybe its about maintaining a balance. Maybe its being selfish and at the same time not hurting anybody by your selfish actions. At the core, we all are very vulnerable and sensitive. Maybe that sensitivity and vulnerability is what makes us human. And that human touch separates us from the animals and machines.

Maybe I should also curb my emotions now and end this post.