LessWrong (Curated & Popular) “It’s Okay to Feel Bad for a Bit” by moridinamael
7 snips
May 16, 2025 The discussion highlights the importance of embracing negative emotions as a pathway to personal growth. It critiques the notion of complete emotional detachment, suggesting that experiencing both joy and sorrow enriches life. Quotes from philosophical texts, like those of Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, are shared to illustrate how attachment influences suffering. The conversation promotes a balanced approach to feelings, arguing that it's not only okay but necessary to feel bad sometimes for deeper understanding and motivation.
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Risks of Extreme Detachment
- Strict emotional detachment can lead to feeling nothing at all, which can be worse than feeling bad temporarily.
- Complete emotional detachment sacrifices a natural human experience and may not be desirable for happiness.
Balance Emotional Control
- Young adults should work on reducing emotional reactivity and resolving trauma with evidence-based therapies.
- After improving about 60% of reactions and 90% of triggers, further emotional suppression harms happiness.
It's Okay To Feel Bad Temporarily
- Feeling bad when things go wrong is not a flaw or lack of stoicism.
- It is natural and acceptable to care about outcomes and feel negative emotions temporarily.
