Reason Free From Passion

There are times in life when you have to let things go. Then there are times in life when you have to stand up for yourself and what's right. Knowing when to do each of these things is key talent to acquire in life. Encounter a problematic situation, I will first vent about the issue, often ascending my proverbial soapbox to decry the injustice and demand improvement. Then, I want to take action swiftly to fix/change the problem so that I can move on with my life. However, what I have learned through some experiences (which I unfortunately cannot divulge on this blog) lately is that it's not always the best policy to directly and dramatically demand change.

Tact and strategy are sometimes more important and more likely to lead to success than a mere "bull in a china closet" approach (when I was little, my mom used to call me '"a bull in a china closet" due to my notorious rambunctiousness and less-than-graceful mannerisms). In becoming an adult I have learned the importance of taking the emotion and drama out of the situation and apply more reason (not always successful from my end).

As Aristotle and Elle Woods point out, "law is reason free from passion." In a legal setting, one accepts and follows a set of rules that, hopefully, will see justice served. In my own life, I want to try to apply this rational line of thought used to obtain more positive results with my problem-solving. I don't want to completely suppress my emotion, but if I think more critically with certain interactions, I may be able to solve them more quickly and with less emotional stress. How people reaction to problems intrigues me, which I think can depend on the nature and degree of the problem. How do you react when faced with a tough situation?

Image found here.