Logical Vs. Emotional -- Where Do You Fall, and What Are the Pros and Cons of Each?

It's a great question and one I think reveals a greater need for us to both understand the genesis of emotions and the depth of our own depravity.
If we return to the original scene of earthly crime, we will find ourselves in the garden of Eden. Here Adam and Eve frolicked in a beautiful new creation in the presence of God. It's almost unimaginable the peace and joy they experienced free of sin and its consequences. But...they transgressed and life was forever changed. One of the consequences was the addition of emotions that accompanied the acquisition of knowledge of good and evil. For the first time, fear and shame were experienced which led to making clothes and hiding. Later Cain would experience anger and depression that would result in murder and regret over the consequences of his sin, though not the sin itself.
The introduction of emotions born of sin has hugely complicated the emotional spectrum. For while these emotions are a great indicator of problems, following them tends to lead to sin.
Many see logic as the remedy, but it is not. Sin corrupted man completely. In other words, every aspect of man--mind, heart, and will--were negatively affected. So even were we able to control our emotions, our choice of action would still be impaired by our corrupted reasoning.
So what is the answer? We must be born again. It is only in the new birth that the corruption of sin will ever be altered. 2 Corinthians 5:17...If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation...Being made spiritually alive and guided by the Spirit we find that emotions identify the problem, but TRUTH is what should always guide our response. In this way, our emotions will return to peace and joy.
So, I guess I'm a 10 on emotions and logic so long as the Spirit is an 11 operating in me.

This brings about an excellent point, Cameron.

If we asked God this question, I wonder what His answer would be? On one hand, I would assume that He is a perfect 10 on each side -- and therefore perfectly balanced?

But I have to wonder where the angels would rate on that scale, at least the ones who didn't fall and are still in absolute service to God. I would assume they were each created with their own personalities and thought processes...

So if the remaining angels in heaven are perfect, sinless beings, would they also be a perfect 10 in each category, or would there be some variances, but in each case, the angels are able to overrule any logic or emotion that might cloud their decisions, and so they go on to obey in perfect service anyway?

I'll have to put that on my list of endless questions I would like to ask God (hopefully face-to-face) someday.

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Even the identity matrix doesn't work right here.

Hey Everyone,

I know this topic probably fits more under Miscellaneous, but most people know I post almost exclusively in Singles. It's just what I'm used to, and we tend to get more traffic here. I also find that the topic at hand affects several aspects of my relationships with people, whether friends, family, or in dating situations.

* If we were trying to measure Logical vs. Emotional Thinking on a scale of 1 (least like you) to 10 (most like you,) where would you fall?

1. On a Logical Thinking Scale of 1 - 10, what score would you give yourself and why? (How much do you gravitate towards "logical" thinking -- thinking based on the facts, reason, math, etc. over how you feel?)

2. On an Emotional Thinking Scale of 1-10, what score would you give yourself and why? (How much do you base your decisions off your emotions rather than logic or facts?)

I think I would rate myself as about a 6-7 Logical, and around an 8-9 Emotional.

One of my own challenges with this is that I find that when I run into highly Logical-Thinking people, we sometimes have a hard time understanding each other because they don't understand why I would work from emotion when logic seems so much more practical.

On the other hand, I've also found that when I run into some highly Emotionally-Based people, they either try to manipulate my emotions, or they are more interested in obtaining emotional highs fueled by others rather than in solving actual problems.

I'm certainly not saying at all that one is better than the other, or that either one is somehow bad or undesirable. After all, I know that I am very much a mix of both and if anything, running into extremes (including myself) reminds me of how important it is to find a working balance that serves both the needs of others and ourselves.

I do have to admit though that I tend to gravitate towards more emotionally-based people, but I would be greatly missing out if God hadn't nudged me towards my more logic-based friends as a balance.

What about you?

* As we were discussing above, which one do you think you lean more towards?

* Are you attracted to more logical or emotional thinkers? Are you attracted to those who think in ways more like you or opposite of you? How does it affect your relationships?

* What are your thoughts of what a good balance is between the two? Do you think some people are fine just leaning almost exclusively on one or the other? Why or why not?

My logical side says, "This could be a very interesting discussion."

But my emotional side says, "I wonder what kinds of problems people have run into when encountering extremes, and how it has affected their hearts."

Which side will win out??!

Contribute your post now to continue fueling my ongoing internal debate!

arrgh this is a question pyschiatrists ask when charging you $100 an hour while you attempt to figure it out.

Hey Everyone,

I know this topic probably fits more under Miscellaneous, but most people know I post almost exclusively in Singles. It's just what I'm used to, and we tend to get more traffic here. I also find that the topic at hand affects several aspects of my relationships with people, whether friends, family, or in dating situations.

* If we were trying to measure Logical vs. Emotional Thinking on a scale of 1 (least like you) to 10 (most like you,) where would you fall?

1. On a Logical Thinking Scale of 1 - 10, what score would you give yourself and why? (How much do you gravitate towards "logical" thinking -- thinking based on the facts, reason, math, etc. over how you feel?)

2. On an Emotional Thinking Scale of 1-10, what score would you give yourself and why? (How much do you base your decisions off your emotions rather than logic or facts?)

I think I would rate myself as about a 6-7 Logical, and around an 8-9 Emotional.

One of my own challenges with this is that I find that when I run into highly Logical-Thinking people, we sometimes have a hard time understanding each other because they don't understand why I would work from emotion when logic seems so much more practical.

On the other hand, I've also found that when I run into some highly Emotionally-Based people, they either try to manipulate my emotions, or they are more interested in obtaining emotional highs fueled by others rather than in solving actual problems.

I'm certainly not saying at all that one is better than the other, or that either one is somehow bad or undesirable. After all, I know that I am very much a mix of both and if anything, running into extremes (including myself) reminds me of how important it is to find a working balance that serves both the needs of others and ourselves.

I do have to admit though that I tend to gravitate towards more emotionally-based people, but I would be greatly missing out if God hadn't nudged me towards my more logic-based friends as a balance.

What about you?

* As we were discussing above, which one do you think you lean more towards?

* Are you attracted to more logical or emotional thinkers? Are you attracted to those who think in ways more like you or opposite of you? How does it affect your relationships?

* What are your thoughts of what a good balance is between the two? Do you think some people are fine just leaning almost exclusively on one or the other? Why or why not?

My logical side says, "This could be a very interesting discussion."

But my emotional side says, "I wonder what kinds of problems people have run into when encountering extremes, and how it has affected their hearts."

Which side will win out??!

Contribute your post now to continue fueling my ongoing internal debate!

Great topic! But I think I need a little more info...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you give three examples of Emotional Thinking in your OP: 1. trying to manipulate other's emotions, 2. trying to obtain emotional highs rather than in solving actual problems, 3. an emotional thinker tends to wonder what kind of heart damage someone has taken as a result of going through extremes.

With those three examples, and just in general, I'm not quite clear what Emotional Thinking is. Could you maybe define it and give a few examples for some of us more challenged folk? Thanks!