FREE to be Me ...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
HUMAN EMOTION
I am so grateful for emotion!!! That I can smile, that I can laugh, that I can be all sentimental like this. I am even grateful that I can worry myself to tears.
I just finished watching a movie called "Equilibrium." It was recommended to us by a friend, and although I had my doubts at the beginning, I did enjoy it. So I would also recommend it. (Warning, it is rated R - my disclaimer being that we watched the edited version from clean-flicks and would advise you do the same.) I really appreciated the premise and concept of the movie. I will try to explain my new found gratitude without ruining the movie, in case some of you have the desire to go out and rent it.
The theme of the movie was a world where human emotion is illegal, and is labeled a "disease" - that's right... a disease. The conclusion was reached that since human emotions like Hate and Rage are the cause of murder, and ultimately war, that world peace could be established by ridding people of all emotion. This goal is achieved by giving everyone a dose of an anti-feeling drug and it is enforced by an elite group that are trained to detect emotion and get rid of it.
I guess it brought a whole new level of meaning to the reason for living. Why would we simply exist to protect our existence? What would a society be that did not aspire to anything other than living as a society? What would people do that could not feel.
There are so many feelings that we all try to avoid... pain, grief, anger, jealousy, bitterness, guilt... but would we REALLY want to NEVER feel them? No way! They teach us things that we could learn in no other way. And would the absence of all of these so-called negative feelings be worth giving up emotions such as... tenderness, joy, love, friendship, achievement... again, no way!!! Then I ask you this - what if we could selectively eliminate one emotion or another - which would you choose? Remember - The absence of one would decrease your ability to appreciate the others.
Although the explanations given in the movie were limited, they opened a little door in my mind and let my thoughts wander through the purposes of emotion. No spiritual context was discussed in the story line, but to me it implied "Men are that they might have joy."
It really brought out some major realizations and it connected a lot of ideas. They are hard to describe now... I guess that is because they were not seen. They were .... FELT.
Click on this link and leave a comment to tell me what your "FEELINGS" are :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt8Q7Fsa_Vs
I just finished watching a movie called "Equilibrium." It was recommended to us by a friend, and although I had my doubts at the beginning, I did enjoy it. So I would also recommend it. (Warning, it is rated R - my disclaimer being that we watched the edited version from clean-flicks and would advise you do the same.) I really appreciated the premise and concept of the movie. I will try to explain my new found gratitude without ruining the movie, in case some of you have the desire to go out and rent it.
The theme of the movie was a world where human emotion is illegal, and is labeled a "disease" - that's right... a disease. The conclusion was reached that since human emotions like Hate and Rage are the cause of murder, and ultimately war, that world peace could be established by ridding people of all emotion. This goal is achieved by giving everyone a dose of an anti-feeling drug and it is enforced by an elite group that are trained to detect emotion and get rid of it.
I guess it brought a whole new level of meaning to the reason for living. Why would we simply exist to protect our existence? What would a society be that did not aspire to anything other than living as a society? What would people do that could not feel.
There are so many feelings that we all try to avoid... pain, grief, anger, jealousy, bitterness, guilt... but would we REALLY want to NEVER feel them? No way! They teach us things that we could learn in no other way. And would the absence of all of these so-called negative feelings be worth giving up emotions such as... tenderness, joy, love, friendship, achievement... again, no way!!! Then I ask you this - what if we could selectively eliminate one emotion or another - which would you choose? Remember - The absence of one would decrease your ability to appreciate the others.
Although the explanations given in the movie were limited, they opened a little door in my mind and let my thoughts wander through the purposes of emotion. No spiritual context was discussed in the story line, but to me it implied "Men are that they might have joy."
It really brought out some major realizations and it connected a lot of ideas. They are hard to describe now... I guess that is because they were not seen. They were .... FELT.
Click on this link and leave a comment to tell me what your "FEELINGS" are :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt8Q7Fsa_Vs
posted by Jake and RaNette Free at 7:42 PM
2 Comments:
Hi wonderful friend RaNette! I need your address so I can send you a wedding invite. :) Just email it to ambivalentious@yahoo.com
I'm loving this blog. These kinds of posts are my favorite. We watched Equilibrium (edited) too and I loved it. I thought it was so good, especially because it made me think. I totally agree about emotion. I'm so grateful for it. I'm so glad I'm able to feel and experience it all, the good and the bad. Without the bad relief would never be so relieving. Love and joy would never be so deep and real and meaningful. I think it says a lot that the Savior wanted to experience the Atonement in the flesh.
As for which emotion I would choose to eliminate........? I can't choose. So none of them I guess: )
Thanks for the post. Good thoughts!
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