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Single Idea 4863

[filed under theme 18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 3. Emotions / g. Controlling emotions ]

Full Idea

An emotion becomes more under our control, and the mind is less passive in respect to it, in proportion as it is more known to us.

Gist of Idea

An emotion comes more under our control in proportion to how well it is known to us

Source

Baruch de Spinoza (The Ethics [1675], V Pr 03)

Book Ref

Spinoza,Benedict de: 'Ethics, Improvement of Understanding, Letters', ed/tr. Elwes,R [Dover 1955], p.248

A Reaction

This may sound a little optimistic, but it is also obviously true, in the sense that the only proper control we have of our own behaviour is through thought and judgement, which presuppose awareness of what needs controlling.

The 13 ideas with the same theme [limits and ways of controlling emotions]:

23997 Plato saw emotions and appetites as wild horses, in need of taming [Plato, by Goldie]
1651 Plato wanted to somehow control and purify the passions [Vlastos on Plato]
5160 There is a mean of feelings, as in our responses to the good or bad fortune of others [Aristotle]
23913 Nearly all the good and bad states of character are concerned with feelings [Aristotle]
7832 Stoics want to suppress emotions, but Spinoza overcomes them with higher emotions [Spinoza, by Stewart,M]
4863 An emotion comes more under our control in proportion to how well it is known to us [Spinoza]
24009 Moral education must involve learning about various types of feeling towards things [Williams,B]
4909 The only way we can control our emotions is by manipulating the outside world that influences them [Carter,R]
23975 Learning an evaluative property like 'dangerous' is also learning an emotion [Goldie]
23983 We call emotions 'passions' because they are not as controlled as we would like [Goldie]
23999 Emotional control is hard, but we are responsible for our emotions over long time periods [Goldie]
23994 Emotions are not easily changed, as new knowledge makes little difference, and akrasia is possible [Goldie]
23998 Emotional control is less concerned with emotional incidents, and more with emotional tendencies [Goldie]