The Logic of Emotion

It has often been stated that logic, by it’s very nature has no place for emotion. Indeed, it has even been stated that logic and emotion are at odds with each other. That they cannot coexist.
To be very ‘Vulcan’ on the subject, emotion is a complete lack of logic. Emotions are not logical.

I was thinking today however, that socially, upon analysis of human nature, logic would be flawed NOT to include the possible emotional state and reaction of an individual.
Is it not logical, in order to understand people, that we factor in their emotional state at any given time?
By doing such we can discern a probable outcome on what they will do, how they will react and come to a logical conclusion on their behaviour and behavioural patterns.

By allowing the inclusion of emotions within logical boundaries we would actually increase the chances of coming to a logical outcome, at least where people and human nature are concerned. To exclude emotional outcomes from logic is to miscalculate, as to omit emotional factors is the very same as omitting a numerical factor in a mathematical equation.

With that, I submit that, if it where possible to accurately predict a persons emotional state at any given time, then it would be possible, through observation, to predict all their actions and reactions or at least to narrow them down significantly through use of probability and even more so with the more data gathered on their core nature.

I bring the fight or flight instinct to the front as an example.

We know that one of our base instincts when confronted with a danger is ‘fight of flight‘.
This is when our brain decides to we try fight off whatever is endangering us or run away.
That instinct is one of our most primal, stemming from back to when we could be confronted with a wild animal at any moment.

Thusly, there are two possible outcomes of such a situation. We fight, or we run.

Logically, knowing that such an instinct and emotional response is ingrained in human nature, we can determine that a human being will most likely follow one of those two paths.

We are creatures of emotion. We lend ourselves to it. Yet people are still surprised by emotional reactions and responses.
Even the most logical of us is emotional in some regard. If not in day to day, then in moments that invoke anger or fear at least.
(The most logical of us could probably be angered by a sheer lack of logic and outward ignorance.)

Perhaps, since emotions are something we will most likely never be rid of (and I do hope that’s true), it would be wisest to actively consider emotional responses, from which we can speculate outcomes and possibilities, thusly limiting, if not eliminating, something that for so long has been considered an unknown variable.

If we are prepared for the possible outcomes, one must be correct, and thusly, it is not unknown at all.

It all seems…so logical.

-K