A Case for Super Powers

Love, Fear, and Poetry

Robert Waltz left a comment on my last entry reminding me of the theory that all human emotions are essentially just love and fear. I've heard this theory before...now, granted, the first time I was exposed to it was in a movie (Donnie Darko) which derided the concept, but nevertheless, although I do see the point being made, I'm afraid I have to disagree.

To say that all human emotions are essentially either love or fear is akin to saying that all music can be expressed as nothing more than a series of high-frequency sounds and low-frequency sounds. Or, actually, even more than that, like saying that all flavors are expressions of some combination of either sweet or bitter. While one could certainly find an argument to support this for every flavor imaginable, it seems like a bit of a stretch...which doesn't even matter anyway, because that's not the point. Maybe it's true, maybe it's not, but if I'm enjoying my deliciously salty Chicken Noodle Soup, I don't particularly care if it is some expression of sweet and bitter.

Furthermore, the other problem I have with this theory is that--as a common tool for motivational speakers--it almost always involves a lesson on how one should live/change one's life, which presupposes that one emotion is inherently superior to another. And while human psychology naturally states that love is PREFERABLE to fear, that doesn't mean that it is a more valid emotion.

And even the psychology note is not necessarily true. To be more accurate, one would say that common intuition would assume that love is preferable to fear--in the same sense that common intuition would assume that sweet is preferable to bitter. However, just as alcohol and coffee proves that some people actually prefer bitter flavors, thrill rides and horror movies prove that some people quite enjoy fear.

Every emotion, however unpleasant it may be perceived, is valid and important. What's more, value judgements about emotions are academic at best, anyway. Emotions simply ARE. They just happen the way they happen. You respond to a particular stimulus with a particular emotion. There is no value to draw from the result. It's just a feeling. It is our actions, our physical responses to those emotions, which should draw a judgement value.

The fact is, the love/fear dichotomy fails to satisfactorily explain such emotions as anger. When I am angry, I'm not fearful, or loving. I'm angry. It also doesn't quite account for happiness. Why does one feel happy? What about optimism--those times when one feels happy when there is no logical reason to?

Reducing all human emotion to a dichotomy of love and fear ignores, or at least devalues, a huge range of emotion. What about pride? What about lust? What about the rest of the seven deadly sins (another demonization of emotion that I don't like)?

I believe that we humans have a wide range of emotions for the sake of using them. Experiencing that broad spectrum of emotion is what makes us human, it's what I believe defines "the human condition". If the whole spectrum of human experience can be boiled down to two things...I for one don't think I want to be a part of it. I feel many emotions, and whether or not you can connect them to love or fear, I don't care. I like the way they feel, by themselves. In my opinion, it's just a game, an amusing distraction--Six Degrees of Love or Fear. You can play it if you want. I'll just as soon take it all...the good, the bad, and the ugly (I'll also take a fistful of dollars, and a few dollars more, if you got 'em).

It seems to me that this theory is designed for escapism. We find certain emotions unpleasant, so if we can boil them down to two things, then we can choose the more pleasant one.

"But there are so many better things in the world...like...silly...and sexy...and...brief..."

To me, emotions are like colors...musical notes...words. They are beautiful things. You can use them to create something even more beautiful. A work of art...music...poetry.

There's no way I would ever reduce poetry to "yes" and "no".