Emotions
Emotions and sentiments play a very important role in our day to day lives. We are constantly working hard to take care of our own emotions as well as the emotions of our closely related people. In fact many people feel that they are loved only when someone takes care of them emotionally. Those who manage them emotionally are often liked by people; whereas others who truly care for their well being but fail to manage them emotionally are shunned by them. People are so rigid about their emotions that they hardly think whether they are justified. When the decisive power of such individuals is affected by their emotional nature they are called as “emotional fools”. Under any circumstances, decisions taken emotionally certainly fail you. Thus it is paramount to note that ‘emotions’ are an unaffordable luxury as most of the times an individual has to pay a heavy price to even accommodate his emotions.
Sentiments are emotions on the impulse. It is the emotional outburst that comes forth instantaneously when the individual fails to consider the actual facts dispassionately. If a person is sentimental and someone else obliges and behaves according to the former’s whim, then the former becomes indebted to the person who accommodates him emotionally as he often sets aside his rational thinking just to give the person a good vibe. Emotions and sentiments spur from a person’s heart and not from the brain. Hence an emotional person’s decision making power fails him miserably. In the due course of time, the individual comes to know that he was always being manipulated by the people around him (head-ruled people can easily manipulate heart-ruled ones!). Consequently he feels cheated and his confidence level drops. He starts to doubt himself and other around him incessantly. The worst part of it is that his happiness still depends upon his emotions. If he is not accommodated emotionally, he becomes unhappy. On the spiritual path, an individual is supposed to be happy unconditionally. Hence with such a miserable mental condition, wherein the individual depends on others for his own happiness; he fails to progress spiritually.
So the mantra is that a person’s head should always rule his heart; so that his decision making power is not impaired by the weaknesses of his heart and he does not end up being an emotional fool. Conversely his heart should control his head so that he does not end up being a ruthless tyrant. In this way an individual can attain a balance between his head and heart, which will surely help him not only on the spiritual path but also in his worldly life
also see Emotions Reloaded.
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medha | 
October 25, 2009 7:52 pm
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By suvarna kunnur, October 29, 2009 @ 3:43 am
emotions are mostly spontaneous reactions …..related proprtionately to individuals,events liked /disliked…is it wrong to feel gratitude,is it wrong to feel sorry to share in someones sorrows …to be devoid of emotions is difficult and requires practice especially to let the heart be ruled by the head.it is necessary to understand and objectively view in proper perspective and this article teaches us to percieve things people ,etc as they are no matter rather than rush in and get hurt which happens more often than not.thank you guruji