“Emotional Communion”

By Belle

A few weeks ago there was an article in the New York Times about a study that studied which articles from the New York Times are forwarded and why  (http://s.nyt.com/u/eaF Will you be emailing this column? It’s awesome, JohnTierney, Feb 9, 2010).  Apparently these studies are much easier to do in the age of the internet.

The researchers were surprised that awe-inspiring was one of the main criteria for which articles were forwarded.  Fascinating science articles, for instance, were often forwarded.

Reading this article gave me a feeling of, “you are not alone.”  Sometimes I feel proud to be human, and other times I feel ashamed to be human.  It can be bewildering to try to see where I fit in as a unique individual compared to the millions of other unique individuals.  I love the feeling of being awe-inspired, and it was reassuring to know that many other people out there are feeling awe-inspired as well.

Earlier this week it occurred to me that there is a widening gap between people with a lot of specialized knowledge and people without much real knowledge at all.  I can sit in psychology classes and learn about the microscopic details of neuron communication, while others barely graduate from high school.  It bothers me that many people may not have the opportunity to feel awe-inspired, because they don’t have enough knowledge to help them understand and navigate everyday life well.  The world will not be very successful overall if a small percentage of humans understand science and social psychology, and the other groups of humans are basing their actions on ancient ideas that have never really worked very well to begin with.

The solution is not to work on feelings of superiority.  The solution is to reach out to people who need help with basic essentials and education.  Life’s not fair, but we can still work to make it more fair and more reasonable for everyone.

One of the “article forwarding” researchers in the article says that people are not trying to impress others, “they’re seeking emotional communion” (New York Times, Feb 9 2010).  I love the idea of the term “emotional communion” because I think it suggests something essential about being human.  We do need emotional support and understanding in order to live happily and well.

The idea of morality and character is not trendy these days.  My husband has slowly brought me around to the idea that one’s character is still completely important.  As an individual navigates through life, the personal morals that the individual bases decisions on shape his or her actions and treatment of others.  Yes, it is technically legal to be cold and callous and self-centered (as long as you don’t literally hurt anyone).  But a person who is always self-centered and uncaring will eventually find themselves with an empty, meaningless life.

It is difficult to wrap my brain around the idea, but life is really what you make it.  When you can’t control what happens to you, you can still control your response to it.  I want to live life with love and with an eye for what is awe-inspiring.