Logic vs. Emotion

I really want to skip ahead. Really, really. However, I'm kind of OCD about doing certain things in order. So here we are at a post that doesn't have a whole lot to be said about it - it's another one of those more personal ones.

It's basically about how logic and emotion don't really coincide. But I think that's a misconception brought about by living in a fallen world. Some emotions are VERY logical. Loving your child - logical. Attachment to family - logical. Hatred of evil - logical. These are all emotions, and they all make sense both on a personal level and on the grander scale of humanity.

For instance, feeling extreme disgust and anger at murderers. How is that not logical? The drive to get them out of society comes from both logic and emotions. It's emotional because, duh, they killed someone. Fear, anger, disgust, horror - all emotions that may come from hearing or being witness to a murder. It's logical because, hey, I could be next if something isn't done about it, and it's illogical to let a person be running about who thinks they get to decide who lives and who dies.

Obviously, there are illogical emotions. Staying with someone that has hurt and continues to hurt you is one of the more obvious signs of illogical emotions that comes to mind. People who remain in abusive situations are usually emotionally compromised - they're being driven ONLY by emotion and usually that emotion is fear or some sense of loyalty.

Another example: Marriage is really a logical choice in our nation - you get tax breaks and there are incentives and stuff. (And I'm pretty sure there are statistics that say that people who stay married live longer - not that I'm sure how much you can trust those things.) It's also incredibly fulfilling emotionally. Saying vows, giving rings, walking down the isle - talk about a high. Logic. Emotion. Having fun is logical. Laughing is logical. They're good for you. Therefore - being happy (an emotion) is logical.

But anyway, the point is that God created us with both emotions and reasoning and He intended that we should use both. We're not meant to be robots, neither are we meant to not be able to reason things through. And often enough, the two don't contradict anyway. They've just been made to seem that way because often enough - even when they're logical - emotions get wounded. Just because something hurts, it doesn't mean it wasn't logical. Sometimes getting hurt IS the logical choice.