Feeling Realities

[talktooloose]

Madonna and Justin Timberlake say: If you feel it / It must be real

In contrast, Radiohead says: Just because you feel it / Doesn't mean it's there.

I can get behind both positions. Listen to your instincts. I told lux_apollo the other that I approach art with my emotions and then let my intellect become engaged after I am caught emotionally. I find this a powerful way to be taught and changed.

I often understand that a statement or a behaviour is right or wrong first in my guts and then I find the words to articulate my feelings.

However...

Most of the world operates on received wisdom. We communicate with each other not learn and grow, but to have all our pre-chewed assumptions reconfirmed and to test whether people are "in" or "out" of our club. If we declare ourselves "left wingers" or whatever label, we join a club and seek out those people who say the things that our guts like.

Just because you feel it, it doesn't mean it's there. Is your gut feeling something you can rely on if it's just a measure that you aren't challenging yourself to grow?

I guess the answer is that I want to trust my gut, but my gut has to be prodded (jiggle, jiggle, jiggle) sometimes. Hopefully, the gut reactions will become more and more mature with time.

Comments

[briseur.livejournal.com]

I suspect the disagreement has to do with the use of, "to feel," to mean variously: judge, suspect, project, admire, believe, etc.