Brightest Day, Blackest Night -- The emotional spectrum

[Robb Stark]

I was thinking today about the emotions we go through the most in life and how we connect to them.

I thought a little more about it, and we've had a few pretty deep discussions here over the last few weeks, with everything from free will to miracles to whether or not true love exists, so I thought this might be kind of interesting. I know it's a pretty deep and personal topic, so feel free to make it as serious or as light as you want. Basically, I thought about some of the most primal emotions in life and connected them to things we identify most with them. Will, fear, love, rage, hope, avarice, compassion. What makes you feel those emotions the most strongly? When I was going through them, I found it was kinda easy to think of everyday situations, but digging a bit deeper and really trying to connect with them was tougher than it sounds. Here was my list:

Will: Kind of a deep one, but whenever I think of willpower I always find myself coming back to that famous Angel line: "We live as though the world is as it should be, to show it what it can be." I think that line sums me up pretty good, and I find it pretty inspiring.
Fear: I like to think I'm not afraid of anything. Or, that if I am, I don't ever bow to fear. I think what does frighten me though, is not having any more battles to fight. Not having a goal. Reaching a point when the fighting stops because in all honesty, I wouldn't know what would come next.
Love: This one took a while. The thing I love most, as odd as it may sound, are the characters I've used as a moral compass. I think they've really molded me into the person I am today, and honestly, I don't want to be anything else. So to Buffy, Angel, Bruce and Hal, thanks.
Rage: What do I hate? I don't think anything causes me more rage than having to let go. I think in a way I've always looked at that as failing, and man, that makes me angry. I find it incredibly difficult, so when I'm forced too, it hurts even more. Hate that.
Hope: I have a sister who is just awesome. She's gone off to school for the first time, she's competed in international dance competitions and is years more mature than her age would suggest. I had to think about it a bit, but when I look at her, when I think about her, she fills me with hope. She represents the line under my banner perfectly.
Avarice: What do I want? If I could have anything, free of any restraints or limitations, at my core, I'd want someone special. I'd want someone like Buffy.
Compassion: This one was a bit simpler. Whenever I think of compassion, I think of my Mom. I've always been close to her, and always really felt for her when she's going through something tough.

So there's the list. I know it's kind of a deeper topic, but I hope you guys are into it. Again, it's what you want it to be. It doesn't have to be introspective and personal if that makes you uncomfortable or whatever.

 

[Jodast]

*Thinks hard, mops brow and starts typing...probably badly*

Mark this as a special occasion. I have finished a post of more than one sentence with just one emoticon and not a single smiley! In all seriousness this has turned out way deeper than I originally intended and does expose me to be the emotional mess that I truly am rather than the happy-go-lucky smart-ass that I wish I was and try to portray myself as on here.

Will I am also a huge fan of the line from Angel, but I was living by a similar credo long before Angel was even a twinkle in Joss' eye. Every day before going to school or before I went to a friend's house or indeed anywhere that I would meet other people my Mum woud ask "What are the rules?" "Be nice, be kind, be good and behave" I would dutifully reply. It wasn't until years later that I encountered the Angel line and adopted it as a personal motto.

It isn't always that easy. When properly motivated I can be one stubborn SOB and can achieve my goals. I gave up smoking 5 years ago cold turkey from two packs a day. I stopped drinking just the same. I didn't have a problem with drink but I saw the damage it causes others and decided it wasn't something I need in my life. I have my own emotional demons, I don't need any others weighing me down. I am about to attempt to get a degree for the third time. Before anybody congratulates me, I'm 0 for 2 so far, so it is more in hope than expectation that I can pull my s**t together to do this. Which leads nicely on to...

Fear I am afraid of everything. Not in terms of phobias (although cows and horses freak me the Hell out) but in terms of life. I afraid to fall in love and get hurt again, I am afraid to fall in love and hurt someone again. I am terrified of trying to get this degree and failing again. I think it is quite evident that I am reasonably intelligent and could be doing more for myself and society than my current job, but I am terrified of trying and failing.

Love Love is the most amazing thing! The feeling of loving and being loved unconditionally is the greatest feeling in the world. I am just not emotionally strong enough for the aftermath.

Rage My mother's sister makes me furious but I won't air her dirty laundry on here.

Hope I find that I am becoming more and more cynical as time goes by. However I hope that I can lead by example is actions of morality, honesty, discretion and loyalty. I hope that I can become the best me that I can be. I hope that one day I can look in the mirror and see the man I want to be reflected back at me.

Avarice The last thing I actually wanted, stupid though it seems, was to win VH member of the month on here some day. I guess that way I would feel some sort of validation within a community, like I really fit in somewhere. Thanks guys :heart: Besides that I just want to not mess stuff up.

Compassion I try to be compassionate. I try to help people whene I can and consider myself a good samaritan. I care about others and try to make a difference where I can.

 

[Evil Angelus 95]

Alright, well here goes nothing.

Will: After reading what you guys have posted so far, I'm inclined to agree with you. Willpower is something that 'lives' within each and every one of us, and we can use that power to whatever we put our minds to.

Fear: I'll be the first to admit that I'm one of the most 'bipolar' people when it comes to this emotion. There are days that I can take inspiration from David Crosby's song "Almost Cut My Hair" and it's line "I'm not giving in an inch to fear", and then there are other days that I can't deny that I'm afraid of many things in my life, such as being alone and not having a relationship with someone special, of upsetting and offending people with my unthought out words, of just giving up entirely. So in reality, it depends on how I'm feeling that day.

Love: Again, I'm pretty erratic when it comes to this. There are days I feel like its out there, and then are others where I feel like its merely an illusion. I'm still relatively young, so I may not yet know fully what love is, but I at least know that I want it more than anything in this world. Like many others in this world, I love my family and friends, I love the way I can express myself and my freedom to do so as I please, and more than anything else, I love the characters I've looked up to and embraced in my life.

Hate: There are many things that I hate within my soul. I hate people who can't accept others opinions, I hate people who talk without thinking about the other person's thoughts or feelings, I hate war and its aftermath, I hate people who will gladly betray a people's trust for money.

Avarice : I agree with Always Bangel, I would want someone special if I could have them.

Compassion: I"ll be the first to admit that I'm not perfect in this area, but I always at least try to be nice and helpful to someone in need.

 

[xfivebyfive]

I read the title and thought the thread was going to be about comics. now I have to go read the thread lol

 

[kittenpoker]

First of all, awesome thread! I love this deep sh*t! REALLY!!

Will: Um, all I know about willpower is that I seem to have none. Absolutely none. A prime example of ultimate willpower displayed in the buffy verse is Riley when he cuts his chip out near the end of season 4. And In my real life, I'm surrounded, it seems, by people with strong willpower - but i think that's because I gravitate toward people who have what I lack - I'm very yin/yang in that way.

Fear: I am intimately familiar with this one. I am filled with fear. Pretty much all the time. I believe - for whatever reason - I was born afraid. And again, what attracts me most in others is courage - and by that I mean, a person who feels the fear and is able to walk through it.

Love: um....YES!!!!! I LOVE LOVE! I love it in all of it's shades and forms and varieties. I'm a HUGE fan! GO LOVE! IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY! 🙂

Rage: This is not my go to emotion.... those being fear and sadness, but I have had moments of absolute fury. They seem to be explosive and fleeting.

Hope: I believe that hope is the opposite of fear. And I do feel whispers of hope that are always there, and sometimes I feel them more than others. I like those times.

Avarice: I'm kinda filled with this as well. 🙂

Compassion: I'm still too filled with ego to let compassion live in my heart but I have moments of experiencing it and I can say it feels damn good!!!!