By: Dr. Suman Bharali
What differentiates a human from a machine are emotions. Also, humans are more conscious than most living beings of emotions. What makes us human are our emotions. With advancements in science and technology, humans are replaced in every field by machines. With the development of artificial intelligence and robots, machines can store more information and perform various works more precisely. But despite all these advantages, humans can never be replaced, because of the presence of emotions and consciousness.
A human can understand what other person is going through; have empathy, compassion, and consideration. But a machine is not biased; it will do the task as it is commanded regardless of conditions. We can give our seat to an old person, a pregnant lady, or a sick person on a bus; train, etc. by understanding their condition, but a machine cannot feel it and will not differentiate. Similarly, we can change the traffic rules and give passage to an ambulance, but a machine will do only according to its settings in traffic signals.
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Our emotions make us better than other creatures. A person with a high emotional quotient understands people better and can adapt well. They can see beyond the words and actions of people. They can be compassionate towards people who do bad things as well. As they can understand, why the person has done it, what he or she is going through; what were the conditions and situations that forced them to act like that. If we understand the people, we can help them to come out of the negativity and attain peace. We can give hope to depressed people and help them find their potential.
We feel emotional pain when we lose someone dear to us. Thus, we can understand the impermanence of people and events and not take anybody or anything for granted. We realize that we don’t know what is there in the future and events don’t always happen as we wish. Maybe we are meeting someone or talking to them, for the last time. Maybe after that, we never meet again or they leave us permanently. Then we understand the importance of living in the present moment to the fullest. We will never procrastinate on good things and will not speak or do bad to any person.
When we see everyone as mortals, we become compassionate towards them. We develop empathy, love, and respect toward others. All are on the journey of their life fighting their own battles for survival bearing the pains of life. Any conversation can be the last, any meeting can be the last; so, we should do it in such a way that even if we or the other person leaves in the next moment, it should be the best memory we have together. Most people don’t get that chance and repent for the rest of their lives.
We all are here in this world for a limited period and have our struggles, so we should try to utilize it properly. We shouldn’t stick to events for a long time and keep advancing in life. We should not carry negative emotions in our hearts for long. There is no time to hate anybody. We should forgive others as well as ourselves, as nobody is perfect and mistakes can happen to anybody. We learn and evolve from our mistakes. We should be kind to others and say what needs to be said in time.
We should not always be trying to achieve something or the other. Life is not an emergency and we are not in some competition. We should learn to live peacefully according to our natural self without comparing ourselves with others. We should learn to just be present at the moment. We should be grateful for what we have and remain contended while we pursue betterment. Otherwise, in search of better things and time, we will lose the present moment, things, and people which are with us now. It will be painful if we reach the goal but lose what we loved the most and cared about. What if for whom we are doing all the hard work does not remain there when we achieve our dream. Also, what if we achieve success but lose ourselves in the process. So, we should never neglect the present in search of a better future nor we should remain trapped in past events.
The Universe is changing constantly; we can’t predict the future. There might be some celestial events beyond our control, a global crisis like Covid-19 pandemic or the recent war between Russia and Ukraine. There might be some natural calamities like tsunamis or earthquakes. Our body might get sick or meet some accident. So, instead of waiting for a better future we should live in the present and think that today is the best day of our life. Every day we should think that this day is a blessing for us and today we should do our best and be our best. When we will sum up all such days our life will be better. We should be aware of the time and space we are in. We should be aware of people, other living beings, and the universe with all its components. We should acknowledge their value and understand their importance.
One should not remain trapped in a certain emotion for a long time. Nothing is permanent, whether it is people or situations. It’s a matter of time and that’s passing every moment. Our best days and highest achievements also don’t last forever. Similarly, the worst experiences and failures will not. These are like seasons that come one after another. There will be painful times as well as joyful ones. Sometimes we will be successful at other times we may fail. We should be prepared for them and learn to survive the time and do what is necessary. What happened is over, we should witness it, feel it, learn from it and keep advancing in life. Our analyzing, repenting, and worrying cannot change what has already happened. How quickly we get out of it is important, otherwise, it will hang on us as a burden and slow our pace or stop us. If we focus on the present moment and do our best in it, we can make our future better.
Emotions take us to our core and make us realize what’s most important. It removes the outer illusions that cover our minds and vision. During our hard times, we come to know who our well-wishers are and who is fake. Thus, we should feel the emotions and then act consciously. We should not get attached to any emotion strongly as we are beyond emotions. Emotions are like clouds and we are like the vast sky. The clouds will come and go. Someday it will rain and on other days the sun will shine. Emotions make us human and are a sign that we are alive. (The author is an MD in Ayurvedic Medicine)
