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focus

 we are able to train our minds
in many ways
​ this is obvious:
to learn a musical instrument or language
so why not in the most important area?
the area of emotions
the dalai lama and similar authorities are convinced of this 
if our minds KNOW what they are doing...
things might be better
this entails the process of having
...a  clear FOCUS on the question: 
is this thought driven by cortex or amygdala?
then the possibility of emotional storms and hijack 
becomes lessened
this should happen progressively with practice
so you are using a neural network that is watching the other networks
like an overview programme
this doesn't give immunity from emotional hijack 
but it does make it less likely and less powerful
 
at least part of this point is that
while your mind is saying 
'"which area is this thought coming from?"
and then giving it a name, eg emotion
then your mind is occupied
and so it is less likely to be sucked into an emotional cascade
once you have labelled the thought as emotion 
you learn to treat it with with care

the emotion has a message but needs to be treated carefully 
not as a master but as a mentor 
not as a weapon but as a warning
you then look for the message 
eg my daughter is behaving like a monster
because 
she is at the adolescent age 
where emotions are in anarchy
then you realize that 
screaming at her will just
increase her emotional distress
​and escalate the situation


 


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  • introduction
    • emotion : definition >
      • how the mind works
      • why live
      • why be happy
    • DNA >
      • survival
      • artificial intelligence
      • the self
      • reasons for living overlap
      • behind the reasons >
        • dna extended phenotype
        • overcome adversity
      • Meaning, which makes us content
    • who are you
    • DNA the architect of mind​
    • happiness fear and humour
  • the uselessness of mystery
  • invent happiness
    • unhappiness
    • positive emotions
    • negative emotions
    • mechanisms >
      • programmed
  • failures of emotions
    • the master
    • the gap
    • the other side of the gap
    • ignorance
    • binary versus analogue
    • blindness
    • challenges
    • escalation
    • power
    • mental illness is emotions out of control
    • drugs
    • crime
  • solutions
    • simple rules
    • diligence
    • focus
    • equanimity
    • awareness
    • intuitive
    • DNA vs you
  • humour
  • fear
  • depression
  • emotion meter
  • quiz
    • quiz answer
  • religion
  • questions for you
  • Emotions are autonomous
  • moods , feelings
  • the self and beneficial AI
  • you don't know what you are doing
  • emotions as weapons
  • stoicism
  • derivative thinking
  • taming the amygdala
  • criticism
  • philosophy
  • dna directives.
  • philosophers and emotions
  • philosophers
  • dna the designer...proof
  • response to emotions
  • science and emotion
  • social behaviour and emotions
  • emotions and politics
  • conatus
  • science
  • modern socioeconomic happiness
  • free will
  • introduction
  • dopamine and neurotransmitters
  • input process output