What I think I appreciated most from Evans’ articles on emotion in our society was his ability to put emotions on a spectrum instead of having to put them into categories or see them in black and white. He talks about “basic” emotions versus “culturally specific emotions” versus “higher cognitive emotions” and explains that they need not be placed in different categories, but simply seen as different points on a spectrum that exists based on how innate the emotion is. I appreciated this because something that bothers me a lot about how some people reason is how they figure that if something isn’t “A” it has to be “B,” and vice versa. I think this stems on our desire for things to exist and be explained simply. I also appreciated all the scientific logic he used to back up his claims, which not only made it more credible but also made it easier to understand. He links emotions to natural selection and somehow makes it easy to understand. His mention and discussion of Aristotle’s “golden mean” spoke to me because it reflects my constant battle between acting on the middle ground between my gut feeling and reason. Though I didn’t find Gastle’s piece of the historical events that affected/found their way into Middle English literature, whether blatantly or not, quite as intellectually stimulating as I did Evans’ pieces, I did appreciate learning about some of the historic events that took place during the era we’re focusing on.

I found this article incredibly interesting. Whether we want to admit it or not, an enormous amount of emphasis is placed on emotions and emotional behavior in our daily lives and decisions. I had always heard laughter was a universal emotion and it was both enlightening and engaging to learn there are basic emotions such as joy and fear through out humanity that link ancestry together since the beginning of time despite cultural differences. The article used the orchestra reference and it made me think of artists who make a newer version of an older song. When both are played, the majority are familiar with it and can recognize it as a particular song. Even with modifications from various artists, the song is still known as we pick up on the similarities.

I do think the article was spot on stating there is a much greater negative stigma against emotion than positive. I can’t tell you how many people have told me over the years that Spock was their favorite character and it makes me wonder was his lack of emotion appealing then to many? I personally don’t think emotion is encouraged in many situations. If a woman is too emotional she is characterized as overly sensitive or crazy. If a man is, he is not being “manly” enough. When men show too much anger, they are considered dangerous. Salesmen are infamous for persuading individuals to make “emotional decisions” to buy things, insinuating it is not an “intellectual decision” or the right one. In addition, we as a society only enable and prolong this battle with emotions using phrases such as “don’t show that you care” or “don’t give into your emotions.” Nowadays there’s “emotional eating” causing people to “eat their feelings” just another example of a way emotions are presented as negative to the public. With the dawn of technology it has become even harder now through text and everything else to convey emotion in conversations leading to often negative responses even if original messages weren’t meant that way. I am very excited to hear what everyone else has to say!!

I really enjoyed these chapters, as it brought me back to our discussion in class about the importance of emotion in almost everything we do, and, though often overlooked in a typical English class, in what we write. Reading about the universality of some emotions, most notably joy, fear, and the more complex love, was a great benefit as we begin to delve into Medieval literature. Though the Middle English is daunting (for me at least), I think that we all will find it very productive to find the parts of the literature that transcend the difficult language into a realm of what appears to be universal understanding. Though I do not have much experience with Medieval literature, I think that it will be interesting to make inferring the emotion of the pieces a priority, especially since it doesn’t seem like it will often be overwhelmingly obvious, like it would be during the Romantic period.

I found Evans’ discussion about higher cognitive emotions the most interesting, especially his comment that they may be the “cement that binds human society together” (21), despite how emotion is often seen as a weakness, something that deters one from rationality. Does anyone have anything to add, perhaps from personal experience, to his argument about how emotion is not a weakness so much as a strength? Apart from the obvious survival factors that Evans addresses, I could add to his argument from a non-biological perspective. The morality that certain emotions give us, like guilt, shame, envy, etc., is what makes us uniquely human. They may give us flaws and play a part in mistakes we make, but these flaws give us a complex character and self that vastly surpasses any other animal. Emotion should be revered, good or bad, not just because it helps us evolve as a species and universally communicate, but because our experiences with it help us develop a strong understanding for who we are, who we aspire to be, and in turn how we perceive and establish relationships with others. I’m sure many have argued that this is one of the overarching ‘goals’ of a fulfilled life.

Overall, I’m glad I had the chance to read these chapters. This is not a topic I typically get to ponder in an English class, and I look forward to how this will play a part in our readings this semester.

The course schedule, description (“Our course” in the blog menu) and syllabus (“Policies” in the blog menu) are posted, and there you’ll see that most of our coursework will be done here on the blog site–but with papers submitted, and related comments and grades posted, in OAKS. Take a look around, get familiarized, and I look forward to seeing you in our first class meeting on the 13th! [I have sent out an email to the class indicating the password for protected pages, such as the schedule. If you haven’t received that email from me, let me know.]

Feel free, please, to contact me with any questions that might arise before the first day.