Controlling one's reactions and emotions in the external world
Dialogues
Human beings are affected and react to what they encounter, see, or hear in the world. This is a natural occurrence for psychologically sound individuals. However, when this reaction exceeds reasonable limits, it can turn into its opposite. Psychological sensitivity and emotional reactivity may evolve into tense states that produce negative effects, undermining psychological balance and potentially causing neuroses that a rational person in today’s turbulent world could well do without.
To mitigate the anticipated harms of excessive sensitivity and emotional reactivity to the external world, and to control personal reactions in this context, a rational person must adhere to the following principles and effective behaviors:
- Calmness of nerves and self-control: A rational person should strive, to the best of their ability, to maintain composure. This can be achieved by exercising strict self-control upon leaving the home. Maintaining calm requires continued deep breathing, careful consideration of personal impressions, and refraining from taking every occurrence arbitrarily or personally. It also involves minimizing interactions with others to only the extent necessary to facilitate daily transactions.
- The external world is chaotic and neutral: A rational person recognizes that they can control certain aspects of their immediate environment, particularly those they are accustomed to within their private personal circle. However, it is impossible to control events in the external world because they do not conform to our assumptions or personal expectations. Almost everything happens arbitrarily at times, without a clear logical cause. The external world is neutral and indifferent to how a person feels when present within it. Since it is a chaotic mix of human behaviors and actions that share nothing in common except that they occur in open spaces, one should not expect specific outcomes unless they control their own behavior while outside.
- The unfamiliar other is psychologically disturbed until proven otherwise: A rational person interacts with unfamiliar others in the external world based on the assumption that they are psychologically and behaviorally disturbed, until evidence proves otherwise. They should exercise caution and withhold trust when matters concern personal security and safety. And God knows best.
A Kuwaiti writer
