Chapter 1: The Cultural Suppression of Joy

When did we start to become so reserved and emotionless?

Today, I witnessed a woman carrying a tray of caffeinated beverages in a hospital's visitor parking area. A man emerged from the hospital building to meet her. As he caught sight of her behind me, his eyes sparkled, and a subtle smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, as if he were trying to contain his excitement for my benefit. They greeted each other with a cheek kiss and embraced warmly behind me as I walked into the building.

This moment made me reflect on his restrained excitement and what it reveals about our society. It seems uncommon to see people display joy or enthusiasm openly. Instead, we often find ourselves unleashing negative emotions—like anger, frustration, or sorrow—much more easily than we do positive ones of the same intensity.

Negative feelings tend to escalate rapidly, overwhelming us with jealousy or rage. How often do we experience such overwhelming excitement or happiness in comparison? Perhaps, similar to the man at the hospital, we feel compelled to stifle our joy due to social norms and expectations. While I don't suggest he should have broken down in tears of happiness, it seems our tendency to explode can stem from repressed joy.

We often deny ourselves the freedom to express profound happiness, leading to a build-up of unexpressed emotions that rot away like milk forgotten in the fridge. Aristotle discussed a concept known as Catharsis, which explains why audiences flock to watch tragic plays. He believed that engaging with tragedies could cleanse and transform viewers' excess emotions into more virtuous ones. This explains why we bring tissues and blankets when watching heart-wrenching films.

Instead of suppressing our feelings, we should feel empowered to express every emotion healthily. From a young age, children are often told to stop crying or to calm down, leading to an adulthood marked by emotional numbness. Tears have a significant role; we should give ourselves the necessary time and space to navigate through our emotions effectively. This applies to anger, grief, and joy alike. These feelings will emerge eventually, so it's wiser to channel them into healthy outlets. Allow yourself to revel in joy when something excites you, shed tears freely, and openly express your frustrations. This way, you can better manage your emotions.

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Section 1.1: The Impact of Emotion on Mental Health

When we ignore our emotions, we risk compromising our mental well-being. Recognizing and expressing feelings can contribute to a healthier mindset and overall happiness.

Chapter 2: Finding Healthy Outlets for Emotions

In the video "How to Control Your Emotions," viewers can learn about the importance of managing emotions in a constructive way. It offers practical tips for recognizing and channeling feelings appropriately.

The second video titled "Willingness: How to Feel your Feelings 6/30 How to Process Emotions" explores methods to process emotions effectively. It emphasizes the significance of feeling emotions fully instead of suppressing them.