This is not just true for the governments that won in whatever wars. It is not just true for political parties, but it also a fact when we talk about our emotions. The prevailing emotion will constantly sway your opinions concerning “emotionally historical” events.
(Truthiness: look it up. Thank you Stephen Colbert)
Contrary to popular opinion hindsight is NOT 20/20. I believe that it is much more true that your emotions create a sort if “revisionist history”. Not only does this become the history that we end up believing but it is the history that we give to others. I have had two divorces, and I say now as I have said many times in the past that I share the blame equally with my Ex’s concerning our reasons for relationships not surviving. In the same breath however I can not help but retain a sliver of “I am right”.
When dealing with an emotional history there are so many more ingredients involved that no one is aware of until WAY after the event if ever. Emotional events are the things that are happening in your life that you don't realize are even affecting you until years later and then in my case after thinking HARD on the subject.
What is it within us that wants so desperately to forget the bad things that we will go to the extremes of lying to ourselves in order to preserve our self image. I am SO MUCH HAPPIER NOW but should I feel guilt for the things I did to get to this point in my life.
Did I win to get to this point or did I survive? Did I get myself here though struggle and perseverance or was this where I was meant to be all along? These are the questions I believe that there is no “factual” answer to, but a variety of truths prevail.
History repeats itself.
It is a “fact” that everything emotional has happened before. It is a fact that there are only a limited amount of emotions. Based on that fact there can only be a limited number of combinations of emotions. That number may be something that we are not able to comprehend but it still a number.The odds are that in the amount of time that human beings have had emotions and the amount of people randomly going through different combinations of emotions your particular combination of emotions has most likely already been felt exactly the way you feel it by someone else. (That’s a mouthful)
We can say that new things happen to human beings everyday but I don't believe we can say that human beings are emotionally responding in new ways. There are an unlimited amount of possibilities when we try to define possible human “actions” but we are limited to a set number (as yet undefined) when we try to gauge emotional “reactions”.
If you list all emotions you know and look at that list I think that you will find that a lot of those words actually have an “understood meaning” that is a combination of the other words. Those words have “understood meanings” of other words, and so on. Following this process I think we can boil down to the one true emotion, what I am going to call “absolute fear”.
Absolute Fear: (as defined by Avatar_of_Normal) the one and only emotion from which all other emotive definitions are measured.
Happy: festive, contented, relaxed, calm, complacent, satisfied, serene, comfortable, peaceful, optimistic, joyous, ecstatic, enthusiastic, inspired, glad, pleased, grateful, cheerful, excited, optimistic, lighthearted, carefree, playful, elated, jubilant, thrilled Sad: depressed, low, dismal, dreary, dull, moody, sulky, defeated, pessimistic, hopeless, melancholy, somber, despairing, miserable Hurt: offended, upset, disappointed, heartbroken, crushed Angry: annoyed, irritated, cross, frustrated, grumpy, angry, provoked, offended, indignant, hostile, irate, furious, fuming, enraged Afraid: fearful, frightened, timid, cautious, concerned, apprehensive, alarmed, nervous, anxious, worried, hesitant, threatened, scared, petrified, terrified Loving: accepting, understanding, sharing, affectionate, close, warm, tender, passionate Interested: eager, enthusiastic, intrigued, absorbed, excited, inquisitive, intent, earnest, fascinated, engrossed Confident: calm, secure, independent, brave, loyal, courageous, strong, respected, empowered Doubtful: uncertain, hesitant, indecisive, wavering, insecure, skeptical, dubious, suspicious, distrustful Shame: uncomfortable, embarrassed, humiliated, dependent, weak puzzled, confused, torn, jealous, envious, distant, evasive, stubborn, impulsive, cruel, preoccupied, bored, powerless, helpless, humble, shocked, uninformed, disregarded…………..
There are so many more, but I have to believe that in everything we feel we can trace back or compare to fear. I would like very much to say or somehow scale this thought in a way that Love is the dominating emotion, but many of the thoughts that come to my mind when I think about love are based on or connected to fear.
(Note: if you can find another base emotion please let me know)
I said earlier in this post that I am SO MUCH HAPPIER NOW. I want to be clear here and say instead I FEAR SO LITTLE NOW. There is still concern in areas but I no longer have the mind altering terror that used to consume me. No longer am I Sad, depressed, low, dismal, dreary, dull, moody, sulky, defeated, pessimistic, hopeless, melancholy, somber, despairing, miserable.If we can create a color coded scale of emotion from light to dark with dark being absolute fear than I believe you would now find me in the much lighter areas.
One day maybe some children with a thirst for the facts will come across books about Native American Indians that was written before as a country we decided to rewrite history. They will of course question what they see in print. They will hopefully search out the facts. It is likely they will not like what they read and some might deny it because it may make them rethink and therefore rebuild their moral system and some core beliefs. It is easier to just forget what you know and fall into the old beliefs.
I can not pinpoint an exact time when I decided that it would be better for me if I rebuilt instead of patching up. Looking back with a clearer perspective I think I avoided it for along time instead of just accepting it. I was sold and continued to sell myself on an image I should strive for. It was the picture I thought would make those around me happy. I feel that in some way we all live in the hopes of our peers acceptance. How many of us have gone to bed at night knowing that something was wrong but not able to put our finger on it. I know for myself that many time I felt that way even when I was “successful”. When standing on the walls we make to protect us it is easy to overlook the foundations on which they were built. It is important to constantly check the foundations of our beliefs for holes
I don't expect anyone else to rebuild or even reexamine. Quite frankly if everyone took the time to do it the world would stop.
