the universe is not enough

Hannah | San Diego, CA Adriana is my soulmate.

[afewlightyearsaway]

This has become one of my favorite podcasts, because it gives such an unconventional perspective to emotions and why we experience them. One of my favorite quotes was:

Emotions aren't reactions to the world. Emotions actually construct the world.

Which explains the entire podcast in a nutshell. It’s hard to not think about our emotions as reactions to things that happen around us, like a reflex. If we are to change what we think about the way we feel about things, then we need to step back and take a look at the big picture.

[afewlightyearsaway]

Emotions aren't reactions to the world. Emotions actually construct the world.

This quote struck me the most while listening to this podcast. We are taught from a very young age that we feel the way that we do because something in us triggers it. But what if the way we reacted was because our society dictated it? 

[afewlightyearsaway]

Emotions are built into your brain at birth. We've been told this over and over again, that we are wired to feel X or that evolution has wired us to feel Y because our forbearers on the African savannah had to survive, needed to respond instantly and appropriately to big bad lions and hungry tigers. You know, they're not exactly seen as reflexes, but they're as close to reflexes as you might get. If the stimulus is there, the response is obligatory. That's the view. It's an automatic reaction to the world. Now, according to this view, you can choose how you respond to the emotion that's been triggered. You can suppress it, reframe it, make a photo collage about it. But the initial emotion itself, that is universally programmed. There is nothing you can do.

These concepts about emotion are what is universally accepted, except in  Lisa Barrett’s world. According to Lisa, we think wrong about emotions, where they come from and how they work because the way that we experience the world makes it very, very hard to think right about them. 

[afewlightyearsaway]

Tommy's dad hit him so hard he blacked out. But Tommy didn't hold it against him. What his dad was trying to communicate was clear to Tommy - don't get carried away by your desires and frustrations. Control your emotions. That's what a man does.

Sometimes you can let emotions control your behavior. Get over it - plain and simple or suck it up.

[afewlightyearsaway]

I knew if I would get upset about that then they would punish me for it. I had to make sure that I didn't show emotion to the fact that something that I adored was now destroyed. I mean, it - it's always been like that. I was raised that emotions are a burden, something that we have to control.

Our culture dictates that our emotions are something we should restrain yourself from showing. If you show emotion, you are weak. If you are stoic and reserved, you are strong.

[thebootydiaries]

[emodotcom]

[perrfectly]

I will never be a morning person, for the moon and I, are too much in love.

Testy McTesterson  (via perrfectly)

[lsleofskye]

Untitled | dllln

[afewlightyearsaway]

Hello Tumblr!

I’m back

[p0lariss]

*follows dreams* *dreams dont follow back* *unfollows dreams*

[timothydelaghetto-deactivated20]

Posting just cuz I was incredibly proud of this joke lol

[afewlightyearsaway]

me after 15 seconds of work: i just cant do this anymore

[deeplifequotes]

I didn’t come this far, to only come this far.

Unknown (via deeplifequotes)

[mytamakomysookee]

I will tell you where I thought I (Luke Skywalker) came in (while reading the script for the first time)

[imthenic]

Mark Hamill is so fucking awesome :)

[ne0nicecream]

Full Throttle

sc // ca

[onlinecounsellingcollege]

Until we have seen someone’s darkness, we don’t really know who they are. Until we have forgiven someone’s darkness, we don’t really know what love is.

Marianne Williamson (via onlinecounsellingcollege)