Humans with no emotions

reply to post by randyvs


I think with Manson there what you mean is conscience, big difference.

If you watch the Manson interviews he has a lot of passion for what he says so expressing emotion is something he's fully capable of.

Problem is he just doesn't care, thats where you get the conscience, we're the animal on this planet thats got one too which is kinda strange. Anyway a lot of people, a lot of serial killer types don't seem to have either which is a very dangerous mix.

Originally posted by Hazelnut

Originally posted by Flighty
Having emotions is a great thing. It makes us feel alive.
The problem most of us have is controlling them and thinking before we act.
Its a lifetime challenge especially when a lot of emotions are hormone induced.

I tend to agree with the first part of your statement, that having emotions is a great thing. The problem you mentioned can be taken from the opposite extreme too. There are some people (one in particular that I know personally) who control all of their emotions to point of never expressing any of them. This person thinks of all the possible outcomes and consquently never acts. This person is middle-of-the-road, emotionless, passionless, cold and unfriendly. Why? Because this person decided long ago that letting the emotions flow freely would cause more problems than they were worth. So, this person has consciously decided to control all outward signs of emotion - good and bad. Sort of a mental self-induced Prozak.

That's sad. Being in control of yourself is one thing; staying in a plateau state your whole life is another.

Control should be used to choose whether to express reactive emotions. You can still choose to, but it should be your choice.
Life without emotion would be pretty boring!

reply to post by XXXN3O


Thank you for your concern XXXN3O.

I don't know if it depression, because I don't feel miserable; I just don't feel anything and I have motivation to do things.

When I have joined other people doing fun things such as go-karting, I have never found it fun or enjoyed it.
Also I see many posts on here where people are feeling very paranoid and down; it's been suggested to them that they go out and see some nature and they feel better. I don't understand this either.

Holidays, what is so good about holidays?
I know many people work hard and just live for their holidays, what is so enjoyable about them?

reply to post by Mike_A


I will be skeptical about seeing my GP. Being an unemotional person doesn't bother me, because I really don't know what I'm missing.

My normal state of mind/feeling is nothing just emptiness.
Sometimes perhaps a few times a year I may get a bit stressed and annoyed. Once every 3-5 years I may even lose my temper or cry.

I do have a sense of humour and I can make other people laugh. If I see a funny film such as Monty python or American Pie, then I will laugh.

I have fallen in and out of love and experienced they joy and pain of that,

But my normal day to day / week to week living does not involve emotions. This could be also related to other other things.
When I speak I think of what I am going to say and how to phrase it before opening my mouth, but I think most people don't.
I have heard people talking about doing manual tasks on autopilot, but I have to concentrate on whatever I am doing. Even opening a door I have to think if it push or pull and how to manipulate the handle.
I can't talk to someone and make a cup of instant coffee at the same time.

reply to post by andy1033


that statistic is bs and u probably fall in that category saying such things.

do for "it"; love? u sound like a stranger to it.

[edit on 7-10-2009 by platipus]

Originally posted by oozyism

Now ponder with me, if there was no hate, how would we know love?

?

Love is "self-explanatory", self-introducing, much like happiness - or pain.
(You don't need un-happiness - which is an un-natural feeling anyway, but I digress - to realise you're happy, do you?)

And by the way: the opposite of love is not hatred.
It's indifference.

Originally posted by andy1033
98% of people just have total apathy, so i doubt anyone can say they feel.

Love is aload of bull too, when you think what you people do for it.

That is called reflection (oh, and 87.6% of statistics are made up on the spot). Reflection is when you take your feelings and project them onto the world as a whole to make you feel better about yourself verses try to change your outlook. What you said there is YOU have only apathy and feel unloved therefore you also choose not to love.

Now, about the question if emotions are good...a computer has no emotion, also, a computer is not curious whatsoever. If the webcamera notices a CD laying on your desk, it doesnt ask you what it is...it is just a computer..mindless number cruncher that will not advance unless we monkey with it to make it advance. to our specifications.

Curiousity is mixed with all sorts of emotions, be it sense of accomplishment, discovery, fear, love, self identification, etc. without emotions, there would be no curiousity, no progression, no overcoming obsticles, etc...and as pointed out quite quickly, we would become extinct rather quickly (after a brief time of complete stagnation). Why work when you require only a certain amount of raw calories and nutrients to survive. Why reproduce when there is no joy, care, nor love for yourself, anyone else, or the human race as a whole, why help people in a car crash or hell, why even bother swimming should you find yourself in a pool...its not like you love living or anything.

of course this is extreme cases. but the more moderate (vulcan) approach is pretty redundant also...emotions cause people to strive for excellence. Pride is a big emotional necessity. Progress and peace are emotional concepts (so are wars, but there will always be war, be it resources, religion, or...resources. heh).

Our emotions are a sort of blessing and curse, it makes us want to get up one morning, and want to hide under the covers the next...the desire of life and all the things we like about it are also based in emotions. So, the idea is not to remove emotions, but rather to enhance positive ones and learn from negative ones.

Originally posted by oozyism
Is having emotions a good thing or a bad thing. When we get angry, sometimes too angry, then later we regret the actions we take part in.

But then again we have love, where we would sacrifice ourselves for another human soul.

Emotions, they have positive and negative affects on humans...

Here is the interesting part: How would we perceive the world without emotions.

Now ponder with me, if there was no hate, how would we know love? If there was no sadness, how would we know happiness? It would all be the same for us..

So are humans merely robots without emotions?

oozy

Having emotions is just a thing, neither good nor bad, it is just part of the human experience. If you pay attention to yourself you will find your thoughts instigate your emotions. So emotions are responses to stimulus.

So many people have held onto guilt for their anger and create illnesses within themselves. So guilt is an emotion, and so was begun with a thought of our own.

Anger scares most people, most are scared of what they feel when angry, that power within that can wreak havoc on others. So most people avoid anger even though they hold so much of it in. Guilt.

Yet that powerful thing we feel when enraged is not the problem, what we do can be the problem. So it must come down to what you choose to do. Although anyone who has ever felt enraged will know it feels like you are out of control with anger.

I discovered something after years of practicing pacifism unless absolutely provoked. When that anger rises up inside you just close your eyes and breathe, block out the stimulus and just focus on your breathing. Within seconds you will notice a change, you still feel all that power inside but it didn't drive you to actions you would feel guilty for (React), so then you can choose what action you take. You become master of yourself and therefore your actions. So no need for Guilt.

Try it. Counting while angry does not work, you only count angry

Well, there are people without emotions. They tend to be "in the world, but not a part of it." A good example of a person lacking emotion is a sociopath. They have to mimic the emotions of those around them, but as far as having any of their own, nothing.

Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.


Shallow Emotions
When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.

Sociopaths

if humans did not have emotions, would they really be human? i say not at all, i mean even monkeys have emotions. if we were pure knowledge without emotion , whats the initiative? survival? procreation? without emotions and having knowledge, you would want neither, you would feel hollow, never satisfied.

reply to post by clever024


Animals do seem to have emotions.

Dogs wag their tails when happy, cats swish theirs when they angry.
Cats and dogs also appear to sulk if told off.

There is something which I cannot understand.

If empathy goes along with emotions, why are people so nasty to one another.

Why say a spiteful lie when it hurt someones feelings?
Why attack someone when it will physically hurt someone?
Why steal from someone when they will feel loss?
Why cheat in business or love when it will upset someone else?
Why do we have sexism and racism?
Why can people treat family members different to strangers?

Why doesn't empathy stop all of this?

Or is empathy just another human lie; no one really feels it, they just pretend?

reply to post by ItsallCrazy


I was going to say the exact same thing. That movie sums most of it up. There would be no sense of remorse for killings, so death would be probably more common. It would be like killing people in GTA, except in GTA you’re having fun.

reply to post by XXXN3O

A lot of people lack emotion these days, thats the worry I have.

People lack emotion because they are detached from reality, via the internet, cell phone texting, isolation, video games, TV, confusion

The prince of the power of the air.who has deceived the whole world?

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers,disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

When you have forgotten how to love.

Take a pill

I do not think that "no emotions" humanity would be any good. Just as "no logic" one. We are what we are, we have our tools to communicate with environment and to control our-self. Emotions are very important in this. It has its difficulties. Too strong emotions are a big problem, not bigger then too weak ones though. And pure crystalized logic is just as inhumane as total lack of any logic at all.
In my opinion society that uses balanced combination of logical and emotional approach is the ideal one. Humanity without emotions will be just bunch of dysfunctional biological computers without any real purpose.

I don't think there is such a thing as a human without emotion. Repressed emotions yes, but not without emotions.

Originally posted by lightchild
Perhaps I can help?

My emotions are broken and I have very little empathy.
Any questions?

Yes I do

How do you perceive war? Do you usually concern yourself with the bigger objective of war? The lives at risk? The lives sacrificed? The greater good? ...

Thanks for your time...

reply to post by Stormdancer777

People lack emotion because they are detached from reality, via the internet, cell phone texting, isolation, video games, TV, confusion

I have to agree with this one, I think we have lost a whole lot of emotion through these mediums. But then again how can one lose emotions? Chemistry, Biology, or Metaphysics?

reply to post by Vanitas

the opposite of love is not hatred.

If you loved everyone you wouldn't care whether it exists or not... Get it? So once again how can we know love without the presence of hate? Or other emotions..

[edit on 7-10-2009 by oozyism]

What is School. Oh, thought this was jeopardy.

Emotions are an interesting thing though, overall good but the constant sympathetic nervous system innervation can have some horrible effect on health. Stress increases free radicals which contributes to cancer ect. I think ideally in the future we'd have a bit more control over our beastial impulses or reflexes, which can cause us trouble. In animals they are stressed when needed, but their brains are so small they forget after the danger passes and go back to normal. Humans have a bigger brain and memory, which can cause issues.