Righteous Indignation

Pure Emotion

“All emotions are pure which gather you and lift you up; that emotion is impure which seizes only one side of your being and so distorts you.”

Rainer Maria Rilke

I don't disagree with Rilke about many things, but I beg to differ on this one. Characterizing some emotions as pure and others as impure seems erroneous to me. Emotions simply are—they are innate, we feel them, they are generated by a part of the brain we do not control. Something happens, and a switch flips inside us. It takes a little time for the impulse to reach our prefrontal cortex, where we turn it into behavior. Now that's where control and responsibility come into play.

Remember that old saw your mother taught you about counting to ten when you're angry? Well, it turns out to be more than an old wives tale. If we put into play the counting of ten, time is allowed for that anger signal to reach the part of our brain that is reasonable, that can evaluate whether our emotion is legitimate. Still, there is a place for righteous indignation. In fact, I think social change rarely happens without it. I believe that anger is necessary and “pure” in certain situations, especially where injustice is concerned. A good example would be when Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers. He was outraged at their unjust practices, and his behavior was not tame, or meant to appease.

Every human emotion carries equal weight. Each is a signal to tell us either when something is not right, or when something is very right. The many steps between rage and joy represent the spectrum of messages our higher self sends as an invitation to awareness. They say, “Pay attention to this. It is important.” It is not a good idea to act without thinking, but it is a very good idea to feel what you feel without judgment.

                                                                   In the Spirit,

                                                                         Jane