THE MEANING AND POWER OF FEELING

Whether positive or negative, feelings have power to change the world, and each of us, for good or ill.

I once wrote on “The Power of Words”. Words are an expression of thought. They can add to or detract from the efficiency of thought. I still agree with those thoughts about words.

But, now I need to emphasize the greater power of feelings. Yes, greater power than words. How so? Feelings direct the words we chose, and the way those words are conveyed. In other words, feeling comes before thought. Thoughts are founded upon feeling, words follow thoughts.

I feel like I want to communicate something. That feeling gives rise to thought, then to words to express the thought that grew out of a feeling. There are arguments that can be made against this proposal. I know them. I chose this “belief”.

Belief is energized by feeling. The two often are so entangled it seems sometimes difficult to say which comes first. I say feeling comes before belief. A belief grows out of a feeling, just as does a thought.

If you believe something, why do you do so? Because you want to. To “want” is to feel. We all see beliefs growing out of feelings “trumping” thought everyday, and not just in him. In us.

What have I just said? Belief is more powerful than thought. Belief shapes thought. Belief is founded on feelings, what I prefer. Preference is a feeling.