Discovering the New Age, Part 9
Sorting out Mind from Emotion
Risk and Judgment
The emotionally polarized person looks a risk much differently than the mental person. He reacts to risk because of how circumstances creating it makes him feel rather than the actual degree of risk. On the other hand, the mental person will react to risk according to the degree of danger involved.
For example, many emotional people will be against nuclear energy, not because they have studied the current data, but because of associations with the atomic bomb, alarming news stories or unfounded fears gained from watching the movie, The China Syndrome. Once the feeling nature is convinced nuclear energy is bad then the person will not accept any risk attached to it at all, even if the facts tell us the new generation of reactors are the safest source of power on the planet.
The mental person, of course has feelings also, but is not governed by them. He will examine the data, compare alternatives and make his decision on what makes the most sense. If the benefits outweigh the risk then he will accept the risk.
The emotional person is more black and white. If an endeavor poses a risk that negatively impacts his emotions he will often reject it completely. To accept a calculated risk does not enter his mind.
On the other hand, if something involving risk has not negatively impacted his emotions he is likely to ignore it altogether, even if the risk factor is high. Then if eliminating the risk takes time or money away from something he feels good about he will definitely ignore it as if it did not exist.
An example of a very high risk factor that is ignored by the emotionally polarized is the growing national debt. It is a mathematical fact that the current debt expansion cannot be sustained much longer yet because there are no negative repercussions seen in the present there is no fear or concern. He is completely unconcerned about borrowing money to sustain his pet projects that feel good to his emotional nature.
On the other hand, the mentally polarized will look at the numbers and voice grave concerns and seek to get people in office who are financially responsible. They realize that you can only borrow so much before a day of reckoning will come.
As we move into the new consciousness of the Aquarian Age we need to move beyond the emotional approach of either total rejection or acceptance of risk. The Aquarian person will realistically examine the risk involved and compare it to the benefits. He will then go with a certain amount of calculated risk.
People have different value systems so the risk vs. benefits will vary from one individual to another. There may be a risk of getting a concussion from playing football but the player may figure that the glory and the fun achieved are worth the risk.
There may be a small risk to owning a handgun but the owner may think it is worth it because of the extra security he has for himself.
The astronaut knows he is in a risky profession but the thrill of achievement makes it worth it.
We cannot eliminate risk, but we can put it in its right perspective. To do this the mind gathers all known data so he knows as close as possible what the risk is and then he balances that off with possible benefits and makes a judgment. For the Aquarian Age person that judgment will be reasonable.
Copyright 2016 by J J Dewey
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You wrote:
“The emotionally polarized person looks a risk much differently than the mental person. He reacts to risk because of how circumstances creating it makes him feel rather than the actual degree of risk. On the other hand, the mental person will react to risk according to the degree of danger involved.”
This is an interesting perspective and not one I have seen articulated before. It is probably not the easiest thing to go from the emotional to the mental perspective. Perhaps the closer the risk hits home the harder it is. That is it is easier to be mental about things farther removed from oneself! 🙂