Can Rejoicing for too Long Hurt You?
Mourn in moderation and rejoice with restraint. Extremities of emotional expression are like a grandfather clock whose pendulum swings too far left and too far right, breaking through the box and grinding to a halt. Wisdom calls for manageable oscillations of your emotions within the zone of healthy living. Master your mind to preserve your body: Refuse to go beyond the edge of suffering and beyond the edge of rejoicing. 
Do you have reasons to rejoice today? Rejoice with all your heart, then get back to full function, building outcomes for future joy. Do you have reasons to mourn today? Then do so fully, letting the pain flow through and away from you, knowing as you suffer, that you will bring it to conclusion very soon. Make a conscious, emotional decision that your life is working out fine, despite perils along the way. Master your thoughts and feelings; stay in the zone; and refuse the temptation of emotional excess.
QUESTIONS: Should human emotions really be muted? What about catharsis and full expression? Is it even healthy to “hold it in” when you feel intense emotions?
Input your thoughts below…
Thank you for your commitment over the years
You are so welcome Terrence! Happy to be of service.
Human emotions need an outlet but, as to whether such emotions should be muted may be a subject for debate. I believe that fully expressed emotions should be governed by an equally fully conscious mind and doing so in a manner that is in keeping with one’s surroundings. Such emotional expression if unnecessarily prolonged can quickly fall out of favor with those around you and may even jeopardise your wellbeing or the wellbeing of others.
Interesting Stephen. You seem to indicate that irrespective of how legitimate the emotional expression, if it goes on for too long, others become weary of it(?)…even when it is a positive emotion of celebration?
I like what you’ve said. I’ve gone through what you’ve explained…literally!
Your mind is your most powerful possession…. use it wisely.
Noted, Henry. You say the mind is most valuable of all; others say it shouldn’t be muted in expression. How do you determine what “use it wisely means?”
How much emotional expression is too much / too muted?
Certainly because extreme emotions lead to mental problems such as one becoming Bipolar. So it is important to show a little emotions here and there not to mute it totally because then you become passive.
Sandra, I agree with the idea of not muting emotions totally. Question: In the case of someone bipolar, does that result from a lack of emotional control or is it more of a chemical/biological dysfunction in the brain and glands?
Alvin,
I think you have said it well rejoice when you must and mourn when you must
Be fully cognisant that in that heightened emotional state you should eschew the temptation to make decisions. There should be a level of consciousness that the exhilirating mountain top experience or the harrowing experience of the valley can only be for a season. You must know that you have to return one day to the plains where the real building of self is executed.
Michael, interesting…if decisions made in a heightened emotional state are suspect, does that suggest that reason and emotions don’t work well together, that they are mutually exclusive?
You are in dangerous territory when emotions and decision making intersect. You might survive but you might not. There is much to be said about proceeding with caution. I think that your decision making skills are less impaired when you are devoid of that heightened state of emotion.
I am in total agreement
I fully concur with you about moderation for any emotions. Just as though the day and the night comes and go so we should exercise a certain balance in our emotions,that can lead us to self destruct!however
I do not believe our emotions should be muted!on the other hand catharsis is a way of purging a certain emotions which works for me!
Mr.Day thanks for this opportunity to contribute to your blog! Every Monday I anticipate the life lessons you have to share
You are welcome Daci-Ann!
I have come to realize that once we have life, we must go on living. There’s no real benefit in being stuck indefinitely in a particular ’emotion zone’. ‘That too will pass’ and the perils we experience help us to build the tenacity to undertake greater challenges. They help us to move to another level’
Well said Delores
Initially I was in disagreement based on this start:”Mourn in moderation and rejoice with restraint.” I wondered to myself “why would Alvin tell us to hold back or bottle-in our emotions?” My initial disagreement was then converted to wholehearted concurrence once I read this section: “Do you have reasons to rejoice today? Rejoice with all your heart, then get back to full function, building outcomes for future joy.”
Your message is in summary “do not prolong rejoicing or mourning but when you do them do them without emotional restraint.” I fully agree with you!
It is so important have context when reading!
Hey George, what I love about you is that you are a great thinker. Be well, my friend.
There is something to be said for living out loud. Thanks for all the years of expressing yourself Alvin!
Cherryl, you are most welcome! And I’m proud of YOU for living out loud as I know you do.
I recently lost my mother… I never experienced a father…so she was all I knew in terms of childhood attachment. After the initial crying when she died I was okay until the day of the funeral.I was totally overcome. I couldn’t speak. Alvin, I dont believe in catharsis, as I could not release her unto or by viewing any other catastrophic event through any medium including art. What I can say now is that after viewing her body and my ‘bawling’ has allowed me to “release” her. I am moving on in life, not with a southward facial expression but with a restful spirit.
Oh, I have been addicted to your Monday morning pills! thanks for this outlet. Keep our minds clicking!
Evadney, I just saw your comment and want to wish you well as you live in a way that would make Mommy proud!
I believe one should strive to have a balanced state of mind at all times. Although life involves hills and valleys we must be mindful of climbing down or up so as to gain strength and experience for the next adventure…….joy or sorrow.