Rational and Emotional Ways of Thinking#
The way we think determines how we perceive the world. It is also the tool we use to understand and comprehend the world. Superficially, thinking can be divided into two types: rational and emotional.
The concepts of "rational" and "emotional" are also dialectically related, as they both conflict with and depend on each other. Most people possess both ways of thinking, but they do not consciously differentiate between them when thinking about problems.
Rational Thinking#
Since the division of arts and sciences during our school years, students have been educated to think rationally in science subjects and emotionally in humanities subjects. As students in science and engineering fields, we heavily rely on rational thinking to understand and comprehend the world. This is why Western movies and TV shows often associate mathematical geniuses and bookworms with each other.
We generally advocate for rational thinking, which involves reasoning, logic, and detailed analysis. Compared to our innate ability for emotional thinking, rational thinking is a powerful method we acquire later in life to analyze problems and understand the world. Every scientific discipline and every great mind is born out of rational thinking. Our education equips us with the powerful tool of rational thinking, although the extent to which individuals master it varies.
Rational thinking helps analyze emotional experiences, such as psychological analysis in psychology. However, I believe that this approach often leads to no significant results. Many people also believe that rational thinking can solve all problems, although this belief itself is emotional.
Rational thinking is known for its logic and objectivity, and anyone who is reasonable and logical is proficient in rational thinking.
Emotional Thinking#
Different from the acquired tool of rational thinking, emotional thinking can also be referred to as emotional experience. Similar to a child's desire for ice cream, it is a purely subjective feeling without any reason or method.
When we are hungry, we want to eat; when we see something beautiful, we appreciate it; when we see something terrifying, we feel scared. All these undeniable emotional experiences stem from our instinctual nature.
While rational thinking is powerful, it cannot completely replace our emotional experiences. When we ride a roller coaster, for example, we are fully aware of our safety and the fact that it is just for entertainment. However, when we experience the actual drop, we still feel the terrifying sensation of weightlessness. No matter how clear our rational thinking is, it cannot eliminate this fear. I would call this emotional experience brought about by fear "emotional thinking."
Some may argue that it is inappropriate to refer to emotional experiences as a form of "thinking" because, in common understanding, thinking is logical and limited to rationality. However, whether it is logical thinking or emotional experience, the ultimate conclusion or feeling is the result of brain activity. Emotional thinking often corresponds to human intuition, where subjective feelings arise directly without logical deduction. In the process of intuition, the subconscious mind completes the corresponding brain activity, which is simply an unconscious thinking process.
Simultaneous Occurrence of Emotional and Rational Thinking#
As mentioned earlier, emotional thinking and rational thinking are not independent of each other. Behind a person's emotional experience, there is often a rational logic (otherwise, there would not be a field like psychoanalysis). Rational thinking does not suppress a person's emotional experiences.
Typical examples of rational characters in movies and TV shows, such as Spock in "Star Trek" and Sheldon in "The Big Bang Theory," often portray the conflict between rationality and emotional experiences. In the character development of these rational characters, there is often a theme of "even such a rational person cannot abandon their emotional experiences," which represents the "human nature" or "human side."
Specifically, Spock's anger after the destruction of his home and his irrational behavior in love are still explained by his rational thinking tools. Sheldon's tantrums, seen by the audience as a childish side, are also explained by his rational thinking process, which is often humorous.
Therefore, the distinction made earlier between rational thinking and emotional thinking aims to clarify their differences rather than categorize them as opposing thinking processes. Generally, when thinking about complex problems, it is impossible to think purely in terms of rationality or emotion.
The Issue of Rational and Emotional Thinking#
Just as there are different ways of thinking, there are also rational and emotional aspects to problems.
Rational problems are the most common, such as all the mathematical and scientific problems encountered during our school years. Objective and logical rational thinking provides us with answers to these problems, and the ability to solve such problems depends on our proficiency in rational thinking.
Gradually, we apply rational thinking to other complex aspects of our understanding of the world, such as thinking about what makes a good person, how much money is enough, and what we want. Through rational thinking, we can ultimately arrive at an answer that seems plausible but cannot be definitively determined. We define these answers as differences between individuals, and we hastily conclude the discussion of these problems.
However, ultimately, these problems contain emotional elements that rational thinking cannot analyze or perceive. It is these emotional elements that make the answers to these problems subjective.
Emotional Problems#
If readers still believe that the previous problems can be easily solved through thinking and have not experienced what I call "emotional elements," then the following two questions that I often use as examples are purely emotional problems in my view. "What is the meaning of life? Or what kind of life should we live?" and "What is love?"
In my eyes, the nature of these two questions is similar. First and foremost, the biggest difference between these questions and rational problems is that there is never a definitive answer. Each person may have a different answer to these questions, which is why countless people have provided their own interpretations throughout history.
However, regardless of the answers, the meaning of life is based on the emotional factors of "I am alive" and "I want to continue living." People do not exist in the world only after thinking about the meaning of life rationally. Therefore, I am more inclined towards existentialism and positive nihilism (the belief that life has no inherent meaning and that we give it meaning as individuals).
The question of what love is becomes even more emotional. Love is often just a feeling that cannot be defined from a rational perspective. Some people may analyze this feeling as a result of hormonal changes, while others may analyze it as inseparable from materialism. But ultimately, love is a subjective feeling, a pure emotional experience.
Using the Correct Tools in Problem Solving#
For example, when thinking about romantic relationships, many people excessively use rational thinking to analyze emotional problems, leading to incorrect conclusions. Many people in relationships ask each other a mysterious question, "Why do you love me?" This question is considered mysterious because love, as a subjective experience, cannot be fully explained by rationality. If we can truly find a correct, logical, and objective reason for love, then it has nothing to do with this emotion.
Similarly, when contemplating the meaning of life, no matter which logical philosophical thinking we adopt, we are easily trapped in nihilism, believing that life has no meaning. This is because the answers provided by rational thinking are often definitive, singular, and objective. However, the meaning of life is ultimately a highly subjective matter. As long as I believe it has meaning and continue to pursue life, it holds extraordinary significance for me. Therefore, only by introducing emotional thinking can we determine a "correct answer" that we personally accept for this question.
Perhaps emotional problems never have definitive answers, but it is precisely because of their emotional nature that one of the answers we believe in becomes the correct answer for us as individuals. Therefore, in such problems, we can greatly exercise our free will and subjective feelings as human beings, rather than always seeking a rational thinking result.
Furthermore, there is often a saying in male-female relationships that "don't argue with women using logic." This essentially represents the conflict between rational thinking and emotional thinking. People who are good at rational thinking are often good at problem-solving but do not understand why they solve problems. Ultimately, all human actions are motivated by certain emotional factors. For example, resolving conflicts in a relationship is to better promote the relationship, and promoting the relationship is to better enjoy love. Therefore, when dealing with "problem-solving" situations, blindly emphasizing rationality and presenting facts goes against the emotional factors involved.
Therefore, when arguing with a partner, in addition to focusing on the logic and reasoning of the situation, it is also worth considering the emotional experiences and needs that arise from the conflict. After all, the ultimate goal of problem-solving is emotional.
In reality, it is difficult for me to explain to someone who has never been in a romantic relationship why people should fall in love or invest in intimate relationships. Perhaps it is because such questions are often filled with emotional factors that cannot be fully answered through rational thinking. Even if I have a strong desire to be with someone, it has nothing to do with the "why" and "how." From a realistic and objective perspective, I cannot provide a definitive answer using rational thinking.
Conclusion#
Therefore, when contemplating emotional problems, it is essential to follow our own inner feelings and seek our subjective experiences. If we are not good at recognizing our subjective experiences, we can try meditation to observe our inner selves or visit art galleries to enhance our ability to discern subjective experiences.
As someone who has always been influenced by the supremacy of rationalism, I used to completely overlook my emotional experiences and needs, resulting in a sense of confusion when facing many problems. The first time I read Zhu Guangqian's "On Beauty," I felt the emotional thinking that can lead to insights without logical reasoning. Since then, I have realized how important the humanities are to our suppressed inner selves.
Please do not neglect the emotional factors in rational thinking. A person's ultimate happiness and fulfillment come from within, not the objective world.