Despite what cultural pressures might suggest, emotion is far from an inherent weakness. On the contrary, the ability to understand and display emotion to others can involve a great reserve of personal strength. Emotion that is contrary to or not constrained by reason is a weakness, but never emotion itself.
In fact, people are never stronger than they are when they thoroughly embrace both their intellects and emotions. The synergistic impact of utilizing both allows for deeper achievement and fulfillment. When a person ignores either the intellectual or emotional part of himself or herself, nothing has been accomplished except gratuitous self-hindering.
Attempts to suppress any aspect of human nature--not corruptions of human nature, but the nature itself--will almost certainly end in disaster. The greatest personal flourishing can only come about when we acknowledge and accept that there is not just one component of human nature that deserves attention. Some components might be far less important than others, but this does not mean that any of them are insignificant.
Humans are intellectual and emotional, and there is nothing about one side that contradicts the other. Both genuine rationalism and genuine Christianity affirm that neither dimension of humanity needs to be trivialized or silenced. Instead, both need to be emphasized. It is in the best interest of those who seek personal prosperity to do so.
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