The part I found particularly interesting was the part about love and emotions, how afraid of love Mitch was and how unafraid Morrie was about loving people and showing his emotions. I have no idea how or why or when America thought being emotionless is the way to go. Now before I begin discussing this I would just like to put up that I am a hypocrite- when Morrie and Mitch were essentially saying their goodbye and Mitch was getting all emotional I couldn't help but get a little teary-eyed. But instead of letting a tear or two drop I held it in- looked up at the ceiling and composed myself- I WAS NOT going to cry in class. So yes, I am mildly (ok maybe more then mildly) hypocritical- but I recognize I have a problem, It's the first step. Anyway back to what I was saying I don't understand how we got this way- maybe because we want to see our men be manly and our women be composed (I can't help but think back to the fifties when the wife had to greet her husband at the door looking like she hadn't been totally busy raising the kids, working on the house and slaving over a hot stove- she need to like completely poised) but I don't know- I think it's one of those 'which came first, the chicken or the egg' type things. How did we get like this? Have we always been like this? Why is everyone so afraid to show emotion?!?!? I don't know and I don't think we are heading in a more emotion free time either. Emotions, especially love, take time and they're confusing and scary and I think, no I'd be bold enough to say I know, people do not want to deal with those- to take the time to figure them out and act on them "Yes I'm going to pencil in emotions between going to the gym and doing homework- that should give me about two minutes". But I think that it probably (remember I'm a little bit hypocritical) takes practice because who really knows you better then... you!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
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I agree--Americans have this believ that to show emotion (particularly for guys) is a sign of weakness. For girls...the excuse for not crying is so we don't smear our mascara...
ReplyDeleteI think people are expected to act composed and "professional" all the time--leaving all emotions out of it. But as a friend once told me, emotions are what make us human. It's okay to feel happy, sad, embarassed, etc. because everyone does--whether or not they show it.
That happens all the time, even with just friends at the theaters.. i bit my lip and look up at the ceiling forcing back the tears. I think its the culture that surrounds us. We're too afraid to let people in, to let them know that we have weaknesses. We are too used to having walls around us that we are not used to it when people try to break in.
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