As a determinist, I completely agree with Pax in that feelings such as Love can all be logically deduced down to very complex pleasure / pain equations. Although, there is much more to it than eye color, hair color, facial structure, as well as other superficial characteristics, it is still based on a mixture of reactions to simple attributes of the object that you are having a feeling for. Obviously we don’t go around consciously computing this kind of jargon everytime we begin to have a feeling for an object. It is more of a subconscious effort when it comes to feelings which can often be a major problem in emotional based rationale.
Take the example of going shopping for shoes. I went shopping a few weeks ago and found the most wonderful pair of black Steve Madden tennis shoes. I did not consciously contemplate the “why” of my feelings toward the shoes. I just knew that I liked them. I bought them, took them home, wore them around the house. It was then that I realized that they really weren’t that comfortable, they didn’t go with any of my clothing, and they were overly expensive for such an impractical pair of shoes. I returned them, then went searching for something much more practical, comfortable, and something that would go with all of my clothes.
The above is an example of an illogical decision based on an undependable emotion. I bought the shoes based on the illogical intuition of feelings. If I had spent a little more time in research / rational decisioning I might have saved myself the hassle of having to repeat my search for shoes. I ended buying a pair of Merrill brown suede boots / clogs. They are just as appealing as the first pair but they also fulfill all the needs that I didn’t think about in my original purchase. My point is to prove that feelings can be a poor assessment of value in an object. Using logic to it’s fullest extent in a value assessment can be a much more rewarding scenario.
Think about how that scenario applies to love and relationships. Many of us base our assessments of a partner in an illogical /irrational way. We base it on an improper assessment called “love”. We get married to the person that we are in love with. Suddenly we realize that shoe doesn’t fit, so to speak. Personalities clash, dark sides come out, bad habits are exposed, and overall, it just doesn’t work. Why is this? . . . because logic and rational decision making never took place. Does this mean that you don’t love that person? Of course not but love is not the only factor.
Logic is very important in everything that we do. Yes there is alot of rationalization that goes on behind the scenes in the subconscious but those rationalizations are not always dependable. Our subconscious reactions, feelings, beliefs are all wonderful ways to make an inference but we should not trust them whole heartedly. If you feel that you love someone, then draw out your reasoning into a conscious logical analysis. This way you can be completely sure that your desire for a relationship is a rational decision. This of course does not only apply to love and relationships, but also to religious beliefs, ethical decisions, judgment calls, and ways to live your life. If you want to make the best decisions, it’s only logical that you use logic!
