Why What We Feel Matters More Than What We Think. | Natasha Sharma | TEDxStMaryCSSchool

Summary

This video script explores the importance of emotional fitness, emphasizing that many decisions are driven by emotions like love, hate, and fear. The speaker highlights how emotional health is often overlooked despite its role in overall happiness and success. Through personal anecdotes, the speaker discusses the value of confronting fear, managing anger, and understanding love. Emotional fitness, like physical fitness, can be learned, and developing it will help navigate life's challenges. The message encourages viewers to actively work on emotional health, teaching future generations to rule their emotions for a more resilient and fulfilling life.

Takeaways

• 😀 Most of the decisions we make are emotionally driven, and we make around 35,000 decisions every day.
• 😀 Emotions play a significant role in decision-making, and understanding this can improve emotional fitness.
• 😀 Emotional fitness is just as important as physical fitness, yet it's often overlooked in our education and personal development.
• 😀 We spend much time focusing on physical health (e.g., gym, diet, devices) but rarely focus on emotional health.
• 😀 Despite being taught many things (reading, writing, social skills), emotional health is rarely addressed in formal education.
• 😀 IQ is often associated with success and happiness, but studies show emotional fitness is a stronger predictor of happiness and success.
• 😀 Emotional fitness will be crucial in an increasingly fast-paced, stressful world where mental processing can't keep up with rapid change.
• 😀 For younger generations, challenges like higher student debt, lower incomes, and increased job insecurity make emotional fitness even more important.
• 😀 The movie 'Inside Out' illustrates basic human emotions, but love, hate, and fear are the most influential in decision-making.
• 😀 Love, while a natural desire, should not be seen as a necessity for happiness—it's a desire, not a requirement for emotional well-being.
• 😀 Hate and anger can motivate action but can also cause harm, leading to negative actions like social media posts or physical altercations.
• 😀 Fear often leads to inaction, but the only way to overcome fear is to face it directly and act in spite of it.
• 😀 Personal experience shows that making tough decisions—like quitting a corporate job to pursue further education—can lead to a more fulfilling life when we face and process difficult emotions.
• 😀 Emotional fitness is a learnable skill. By becoming emotionally fit now, you will be better prepared to handle life's challenges in the future.
• 😀 Teaching emotional fitness to the next generation can help them navigate complex emotional challenges in life more effectively.

Q & A

How many decisions do we make in a single day?

We make about 35,000 decisions in a single day.

Why do most of our decisions end up being bad?

Most decisions are guided by our emotions, which can sometimes lead us to make poor choices.

What are the three emotions that drive our decisions the most?

The three emotions that drive our decisions the most are love, hate, and fear.

What is the relationship between IQ and emotional fitness?

While IQ plays an important role, studies show that people with higher emotional fitness are more likely to be happy and successful later in life compared to those with higher IQs but lower emotional fitness.

What are the consequences of not being emotionally fit?

Without emotional fitness, we are more likely to struggle with stress, anxiety, and make poor decisions, especially in tough situations.

How does the pace of the world impact our emotional health?

The world is changing at a rapid pace, and our brain's ability to process this change has not kept up, leading to more stress and anxiety, which makes emotional fitness even more crucial.

What are some of the challenges young people face today?

Young people today face challenges such as rising costs of living, declining average income, high student debt, and a job market dominated by part-time or contract work.

How does love influence our decisions?

Love is a powerful motivator, and the desire for love can drive our decisions, as it provides a sense of survival, support, and companionship. However, the idea that we need to be loved to be happy can sometimes lead to unhealthy expectations.

How can hate and anger impact decision-making?

Hate and anger can be motivating emotions that help create boundaries or confront injustices, but they can also cause us to make foolish decisions, such as acting out of vengeance or holding on to grudges.

What is the key to managing fear in decision-making?

The key to managing fear is to face it head-on. Instead of avoiding fear, you must confront it and act despite the fear to overcome it.

How did the speaker make a life-changing decision despite fear?

The speaker left a high-paying job in the corporate world, returned to graduate school, and started over in a new career, despite the fear of failure and judgment. This decision led to greater fulfillment and success.

What advice does the speaker offer about emotional fitness?

The speaker advises that emotional fitness is something that can be learned. The earlier you start working on it, the easier it will be to navigate life's challenges and bounce back from stress in the future.