Written by: Zachary Hoffman, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
We Aren’t Who We Think We Are: Human Emotion is Ageless
As I observe our society today and the current issues that are taking place all over the world I have grown to understand that we as adults have been giving ourselves way too much credit. We are taught that with age comes maturity and the ability to make rational decisions. However, when you observe our current global landscape it is clear that this is far from the case.
That being said, it got me to thinking, are we as adults really who we say we are? Are we able to make decisions and act in a “mature” manner putting aside our emotions? Is it true that with age comes maturity and the ability to lead more effectively than someone who is younger and with less experience? I would argue that both of these questions have answers that contradict a lot of what we have been conditioned to believe.
I want to layout two situations. One being a realistic, hypothetical and the other being a real-world example:
1. Imagine a teenage boy who has a crush on a girl at school. He has tried multiple times to get this girl's attention, however despite his attempts, she continues to ignore him and show her disinterest. To make it even worse for the boy he has seen his crush flirting with another boy at his school who she is more interested in.
The boy has two options:
The boys can either take the high road, move on and accept the fact that the girl does not want to be with him. Or he can get angry and take action as a result of that anger against the girl he is crushing on and/or the other boy she is flirting with.
2. Let’s reference the situation going on between Russia and Ukraine. Vladimir Putin is a man who is obsessed with influence and power. Despite his high-ranking position, he is not demonstrating what we have come to call “adult behavior.” He is letting his emotions get the best of him. Putin is angry because he sees the Ukrainian people as Russians. He is mad because Ukraine has been communicating and siding (flirting) with the west in terms of its policies. Putin is also territorial and he wants to acquire as much Land as possible because, despite his outdated mindset, he thinks that with more land comes more power.
So now my question is: What is the difference in terms of emotion between Vladimir Putin and the boy who has a crush on the girl who doesn’t want him?
I’d argue that this is very little difference. They both are experiencing jealousy, anger, and a hurt ego. And in terms of decision-making, Putin is no better than a teenage boy or a petulant child. The only difference here is that the decision of the teenage boy is on a much smaller scale than the decisions of Vladimir Putin. However, the emotion involved with both of these scenarios is essentially the same.
This begs the question:
Does adult behavior even exist?
I would argue that there is only human behavior. We cannot segregate adults from children in terms of our emotions. Because we have proven that we are not who we say we are. The examples go far beyond the one of Vladimir Putin. Just like cliques and bullying in school, there are cliques and bullying in the workplace that create toxic atmospheres. Regardless of our situation or our position we will always be creatures of emotion. The only thing we truly learn as adults is how to hide from others what we truly think while portraying it in a more respectful way. Essentially we learn to become non-confrontational in terms of our actual feelings whereas younger people tend to be blunter about the way they feel. I’d argue that it is even better to be blunt rather than to go behind other people's back in fear of their judgment.
I’m not saying that maturity doesn’t exist. Of course, it does. However, those who can make mature decisions are the ones that understand that human emotion is ageless and they are able to react with a rationalization of their emotions rather than their initial instinct.
We are no different than children in terms of our emotions. Those who can understand this fact are the ones who can then rationalize with those emotions and understand their role in terms of our decision-making.
The bottom line is that we as adults have to be better. We have to realize that human emotion is ageless. We have to understand that the only advantage that adults have over children is power. And with more power comes more responsibility. Our current global landscape proves that we as a society have become very irrational and irresponsible. We have let our emotions get the best of us. The first step in salvaging any situation is to become aware of the power of our emotions.
We are not who we say we are but that doesn’t mean that we cannot be great leaders and mentors for future generations. That being said, in order to become those leaders and mentors we have to admit our flaws and start taking the responsibility that power requires. If we continue down the path we are on and continue making decisions along the lines of Vladimir Putin, we as a race will destroy ourselves from within while having no one to blame but ourselves.
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Zachary Hoffman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Zac is an Italian/American dual citizen, effective leadership developer, award winning author, and former professional American football player. Originally from a small, rural town in Western Pennsylvania (USA), he has spent his twenties living in 6 different countries while playing and coaching American football. During his time abroad, he developed the SWALeadership concept based on his many thrilling and eye-opening experiences within various leadership roles across cultures.
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