How often do you have emotional or psychological experiences that are beyond your ability to comprehend?

I found this question particularly amusing because there are certain areas of my life that I consistently find to be “beyond my ability to comprehend.” I’ll touch on those in a moment, but first I wanted to offer that I think the vast majority of emotional and psychological experiences that people have are — at least initially — beyond their ability to comprehend. It’s just that human beings are very skilled at post-rationalization/post-justification, so that they will project their preferred (or habitual) veneer of meaning onto a given experience almost reflexively…whether it has anything to do with a confirmable reality.

Okay, with that said, I find the following emotional and psychological experiences beyond my ability to comprehend on a regular basis:

1) I get really, really angry when people cut into a ticket line, or use the HOV lane when there is only one driver in the car, or claim they are next at the deli counter when they really just arrived, etc. When I see someone being greedy, selfish and deceitful like this the anger just fills me to the brim. But why? Why do I become so upset? This is just how some people are — they really don’t care about anyone but themselves. Why can’t I just be more accepting and compassionate towards their flaws and weaknesses…? I dunno. But it’s got me stumped.

2) When Donald Trump won the 2016 U.S. Presidential election I was stunned — truly in awe of how utterly gullible, ignorant and foolish American voters could be. But my awe was quickly replaced with a deepening depression that has lingered ever since. Why can’t I shake this sense of doom and gloom? Why can’t I just work positively toward the next election and effective change, instead of regurgitating my disbelief and confusion each day? Why do I suffer through such sadness, and why can’t I shake it? Sometimes I will evoke the image of Gandalf confronting the Balrog in the Mines of Moria, and that helps. But most of the time, it’s all truly beyond me.

3) Throughout my life I have known some folks who are really hilarious. Not in a contrived, calculated way…but just natural comedians. They breathe humor like it’s just regular air. I am so bewildered by this. Even now I can think of things that some of them have done or said — or an expression they made with their face once — and just start laughing. Laughing and laughing. And that spontaneous humor is so wonderful and precious, and I cherish it. But what is it, really, at its essence? Where does it come from? And why do I think it’s so funny…?

These are just some of the bewildering aspects of my particular existence.

My 2 cents.

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