I remember that a rapper on television once said, “If it feels good, do it.” From schools to workplaces, we are told that ordinary negative (负面的) emotions and experiences—fear of failure or sadness over a breakup, maybe—should be treated or removed. Feeling bad is bad.
This is wrong, as was the rapper’s motto. I don’t believe that eradicating bad feelings is the path to a good life. We have an opportunity here to judge the benefits of negative emotions and experiences instead of trying to push them away.
Negative emotions exist to keep us safe. The main negative emotions include sadness, anger, fear and disgust (厌恶). We experienced them in an unconscious way in response to environmental stimuli (刺激). You never say to yourself, Hey, I think I’ll feel afraid now—you just feel it and react with fight or flight, which can save your life. Disgust similarly warns us unconsciously of potential illness.
Negative emotions can also make us more effective in our day-to-day activities. In an article in the journal Psychological Review, two evolutionary psychologists argue that sadness—and even depression—have existed in the face of evolution (进化) because they bring cognitive benefits. Sadness can make us more productive at work by improving focus and helping us learn from mistakes. This is how failure, by means of the resulting negative emotions, can help lead to later success.
Finally, negative emotions make us stronger for when there is a true emergency. Research shows that “stress vaccination training” — in which people learn to cope with anger, fear and anxiety by being brought up to stimuli that cause these feelings — is effective in creating emotional toughness.
In sum, if we want a life full of deep meaning, true love, and emotional strength, it’s going to involve the risk of discomfort, fight and loss. This means there will be sadness, fear, anger and disgust. If we remove negative emotions and experiences from our lives, we will be poorer and weaker for having done so.
【小题1】How does the author introduce the topic?A.By showing a social phenomenon. | B.By explaining a specific concept. |
C.By creating a related situation. | D.By stating a common belief. |
A.Stirring up. | B.Focusing on. | C.Getting rid of. | D.Keeping track of. |
A.Negative emotions help us work effectively. |
B.Negative emotions give us stronger hearts. |
C.Failure gives us a true sense of crisis. |
D.Failure results from mistakes. |
A.Why feeling bad is bad. | B.How to achieve a meaningful life. |
C.How to deal with negative emotions. | D.Why negative emotions are necessary. |