Without Them..

I thought I would look back at the tears and laugh. But, I never thought I would look back at the laughter and cry

--Unknown.

Emotion: Keepin' It Real

Emotion is the enemy of rational arguement

--Adapted from Freakonomics by Steven D Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner

How many times have you had an argument with someone you are heavily emotionally attached to, and been oblivious to how the argument has deviated from absolute rationality?

Emotion clouds the mind and clogs the heart. And for us passionate few, often, every emotion is exaggerated. Joy is ecstatic, sadness is depressing and pain is heart wrenching. Many times I've believed that it's the only way to live. To laugh out loud when you're happy and cry when you're sad.

But life's not a court room drama. It's mundane. It's real. And sure, we like to steal a few moments and dramatize. But for most of it, you gotta keep it real (borrowing Randy Jackson's favourite piece of advice for the American Idol contestants).

Hmm.. keeping it real. Tantamount to rationality? Well that's the obvious insinuation, isn't it? Well assuming so, is it possible to be rational in extremely emotional situations?

The first thought that came to mind when I read the statement was the lack of rationality when a couple is involved in a serious argument. I've always been fascinated by what it takes to make people in close relationships coexist peacefully, and this statement made in Freakonomics introduced a whole new perspective.

Why do couples argue incessantly? Why do close friends argue over the most trivial matters?

In close relationships, the number of emotions and the intensity of those emotions are overwhelming. And that clouds judgement. The result? Endless arguments over trivialities.

What would be the solution to such an issue? Cut out the emotion from all your relationships and live your life isolated and desensitized. 'Cause hell, it'll save you a great number of sleepless nights and angry tears.

Following a similar discussion, I recently asked someone very close to me, what's the point of living then?

Emotion does have its upside. Sure, often it throws rational thought right out the window, but it's no fun to live our lives in absolute rationality, is it?

Well coming back to that little assumption I made earlier, that keeping it real was tantamount to being rational, we have to remember that it was in fact just an assumption. (Note to economics freaks: I'm tellin ya, I'm born to be an economist - make an assumption, build a theory around it and then remind everyone that the assumption is just that, an assumption!)

I like to live by this theory: It's all about balance. And in this case, you have to balance the rationality with the irrationality. And well try to tip the scales in favour of rational thought. For removing irrationality is impossible without removing the best part of close relationships: emotion.

Right?

Ah, just keep it real!