As I get older, I realize that most people act based on emotion and the real truths are based on what we feel in our heart, not our brains. It’s emotional truth that guides us in life not intellectual truth.
For a while now, I’ve only been thinking through most of my career and relationship issues and it’s causing me to spin around in my head.
If I stop and listen to my heart, I’ll find the answers.
sorry to break it to you, but you can’t listen to your heart. cuz it won’t say anything to you. it’s just a muscle that pumps blood through your body. it’s your brain that dictates what you do. people who act based on emotion are still acting via their brain. also, real truths are based in your brain not your heart. it’s a nice thought that our hearts can think or feel or drive us to do things. but sadly, it’s not the case. if you replace part of your heart with artificial valves or a heart from another person, you will not change your personality or make different decisions. but if you take out your brain you won’t be able to do anything.
the reason why you are spinning around in your head is not because you are thinking. it’s cuz you’re thinking too much. or rather, not thinking in a way that is conducive to finding your soul. everything resides in your brain, but you have to take care of your brain do things that will help you unclutter the mess that resides there.
try brain respiration.
did i forget to say… DOWN WITH KIM CROW!
When I say heart, I don’t mean the actual muscle, but what it represents- the emotive, emotional and soulful part of ourselves and our psyche.
Just like when you say brain, you don’t mean the mass of neurons and physical brain mass that make up the brain, but the intellectual, logical and rational part of ourselves.
Westerners split the two- the brain and the heart, or the mind and the soul, and have debated the relationship between the two for thousands of years.
In Confucianism, the two were never split. Traditional East Asians think in terms of “heart-mind” or “shim” in Korean. It’s one entity for them and I think they actually locate it where the heart muscle is, not the head.
Anyhoo, you’re right to point out that it’s not necessarily my thinking that’s a problem but the type of thinking I do, which tends to emphasize analysis over soulful reflection. Also, it’s true that I may be just doing too much of it, i.e. thinking.
The key to life is also in less thinking and more ACTION.
to address some of your mumbo jumbo: who cares about confucianism? are you saying you are a confucianist? pahleezzeeee! let’s just assume that whatever confucianist were up to, it didn’t pertain to your original post. and was that some sort of a dig with the distinction about ‘westerners’? or wait, are you trying to BE confucius? “if you stop and listen to your heart (read: ma uhm), you’ll find the answers…”
i think a better way to describe what you are getting at is: less over-intellectualizing your thoughts and more intuitive reasoning. however, isn’t that just an over-simplistic-reactionary -pollyannaish way of being?
since you are so into being korean/confucianist, try practicing ‘chi gam’ training. it is a practice where you intentionally quiet the mind. also, learn about ‘shim sung’. since you are mr. hangulmal.
I didn’t say “As a Confucianist” or “From my practice of Confucianism”. I mentioned Confucianism merely to add another perspective on this.
I think we’re both getting at the same thing here- finding one’s intuition, emotions, soul etc. and being able to distinguish it from over-intellectualization.
perhaps you meant to say “confusionist”? i think our reparte has led to “confusionism”.
Your heart can tell you a lot, but you definitely have to get your brain involved. It is a balance. Everything always is, or at least it seems like it. Your heart can tell you many things that you want but if you follow those instincts you can get burned. Consequently only listening to your brain might prevent you from true happiness. Please consider both major body organs.
You’re right. It’s both.