Emotional Responses........

Hiya Guys and Dolls,

We are a very intricate creature with many powerful emotions. What do you think is the strongest single most emotional responses we possess that are the most damaging?

Is it:

Hatred
Jealousy
Power
Greed
Possessiveness

Or is it some other emotion not mention above? If you had to choose but one, what would it be and why?

Lips

Jealousy stands out to me because it can involve other feelings like hatred, greed and possessiveness. We've all been jealous at one time or another. I've always thought hate was such a strong word. To hate just seems like all those awful things you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy, you would wish on someone you hated. Can't say I've ever felt like that.

Lips, great question!  Thinking back to my years as a practicing psychologist and all the data I have studied, I would say ALL of those are destructive.  However, I will say JEALOUSY is the root of all the others.  Jealousy spawns hatred, greed, etc.

i would think that anger/rage could make the list....i know that there are things that people do in moments of rage that they never would even consider under normal conditions.

I agree with dabigdog, I think that anger is very powerful and it was the first thing I thought about when I was reading your post Lips. From your list, I'd choose Power, it could really change personalities, usually does.

My first thought goes to Rage.  I'm a pretty darn peace-loving little flower child at heart.  And I've put up with a lot and for the most part kept a tight grip on  controlling my anger with situations or people. 

I've chosen to stay away from conflict or try to convert it back to civility and if necessary to walk or run away.

But a couple of times I've been pushed at and shoved and battered to the point where the Indian in me rises up and I feel I could scalp the whole village if they don't get the heck off my case. 

So far, *could* is the operative word.  Haven't actually gotten out my tomahawk but I have pulled out my big stick once or twice.  .  And I have made a tomahawk. 

Yes, Rage.  It's the last place in my mind that I want to be.  So for me, it is the most powerful.

I agree with the Doc on this one, jealousy is the most dangerous in my book. I've seen jealousy making people act totally out of character, losing their logic and common sense and causing loads of problems to themselves and to the others around them.

I think anger - with anger one tends to lose all reasoning and reasonableness.

The emotions you have quoted are not ones that I seem to have in my personality and as for anger, well it takes an awful lot to make me angry.  I have to be pushed and pushed.  I think I've lost the plot about two times in my life.  Other than that, I'm just a placid idiot who lets people walk all over me.

blue

I'd say jealousy too!! To me it seems most of the others are caused by it,

Agreed...Jealousy is the most primal.

All of them will ultimately lead to one thing........rage/anger. I agree that jealousy has to be pretty high up there and acts as a chain reaction to all other emotional impulses. Some are more jealous than others but there is not a person in this world that has not experienced some of these emotions at one time or another. It is part of the human condition.

I think that hatred has to be the worst emotion and that is a very powerful word. People may say that in a moment of frustration or anger but to truly "hate" where there is no reasoning or way to come to an understanding is where i think is the minds of people that are serial killers and murderers.

Lips

I wish I could say that I've never experienced any of these emotions but I'm full of them in addition to plenty of other ones good, bad or indifferent. What makes those take it to the next level like serial killers etc.? Is it a chemical imbalance, result of trauma or can we be born to be evil? Actually, they simply lack these emotions period, don't they.

hatred because it eats away at u and make u sick inside