Analyzing energy levels

[marjoram_blues]

Recently I talked about best use of time and energy. When someone feels that they have no energy for a particular task, is this true ?
That is the subjective assessment of an individual. Or, perhaps, the objective view of a professional listener who has heard the narrative before. There might be an instant diagnosis of e.g. Carer's Fatigue.

Now, I have heard that personal energy can be described as physical, mental and emotional.
Also, that it can be spoken about as 'running on empty'. But even when you rest up to regain strength, and refuel the emotional tank, it only takes one small incident to drain it back to zero.


Has anyone any thoughts on personal energy - and perhaps how we might use a perceived 'lack of...' to avoid situations if deemed to be harmful to self - and perhaps others we care for? If we feel that someone else is draining our energy, that could lead to resentment and anger...

Is it all in the mind? If so, what strategies are useful to restore 'normal' levels - whatever they might be ?
Is it cowardly or brave to self assess and do what you feel is right for you? Is it even helpful to talk in these terms?

I have noticed that some have boundless energy to discuss and argue points - especially in Phil of Religion.
Perhaps it depends on passion and priorities...
A drive to set things right?
To help people live well ?

How many hats do we wear - as friends, family, carer, employee, boss, etc ? And is it true that this means less time or energy for self ?

Your thoughts welcome.

[TSBU]

We all know what is to be with no energy when you run a lot or you don't eat enough food. It can also happens when you are under a lot of "mental" (in the end, phisical) stress, and giving a lot of concentration to something. Every human gets tired or bored if he keeps doing the same thing for a while.

In that cases, eating, or resting, is good enough.

But "emotional energy" means usually "hope" (in different things) for many people, or "how much can they believe something". You said that you've seen religious arguments with people that doesn't get titred, that's because they don't doubt. But there are people who doubt, in those cases, if you touch their believes and they start an argument, their "emotional energy" is quickly "drained", specially if "how much they believe" depends in "how much do other people believe".

Cinical people are usually seen like "energy drainers" because they usually show things that people don't want to see, most of people don't like to look at suffering.

This world is full of lonely people who want to get a mate, a friend, a brother or sister, a job when they feel like that's "their place"..., so, for some people, talking when they feel that it shouldn't be necesary to talk, makes them feel more "emotionaly tired". Specially cause I'd say (maybe because that's what I do) that many people talk with the rest or... turn on the tv or the radio, to feel like they are with more people, but when a person say something out of what they really want, the lie is evident.

Well, there are many common things. Being the more intelligent, the more beautifull, people die, etc... that are all common things that make people "emotionaly tired".

But that's a state of mind based on hope, if you hope for the right things, then you shouldn't be tired (of course, we can't always know things for sure, but being emorionaly tired often, means that you want to believe a lie).

Of course, it can be a malfunction in the brain too. Some people are always sad because their brain doesn't work very well. And, of course, some people have more nerve than other, we are not perfect machines, we can't stop feeling hope in a click. But it's usually usefull to see what make us tired and why.

[Greta]

Perhaps it depends on passion and priorities...

Yes, but the difference tends to be less than we think.

Energy is something we take for granted until it's absent. Consider when you were the sickest you have ever been in your life. You would have had nothing to give, and even lifting an arm might have been intolerably difficult. We animals have this remarkable energetic system to play with and it's shocking when it doesn't work. Most of the time it works either brilliantly when we are well and motivated and moderately when we are tired and bored, more shades of grey rather than black-and-white. It's the human consequences of the pernickety, judgemental post-apes we interact with that amplify those differences in our minds.

With age I have found that humans are prolific makers of mountains from molehills, especially when it comes to pressuring other humans to do their bidding. There's much manipulation going on, designed to make us feel inadequate so that we try ever harder - to become better citizens, more effective cogs in the machine. The lazy amongst us are not as lazy as we tend to think, especially when compared with laziness of some groups and societies in history; we in the industrious industrialised world have largely been conditioned to expect busyness with "reasonable" (ie. miserly) breaks.

So, whatever level of energy you feel like expending, on one level it is always appropriate. Since that's what you have to give at that time, you may as well feel okay about it :)

[marjoram_blues]

We all know what is to be with no energy when you run a lot or you don't eat enough food. It can also happens when you are under a lot of "mental" (in the end, phisical) stress, and giving a lot of concentration to something. Every human gets tired or bored if he keeps doing the same thing for a while.In that cases, eating, or resting, is good enough.

But "emotional energy" means usually "hope" (in different things) for many people, or "how much can they believe something". You said that you've seen religious arguments with people that doesn't get titred, that's because they don't doubt. But there are people who doubt, in those cases, if you touch their believes and they start an argument, their "emotional energy" is quickly "drained", specially if "how much they believe" depends in "how much do other people believe".

M: I think it interesting how you linked mental stress with lack of physical wellbeing/energy but kept 'emotional energy' separate. I would say that physical wellbeing is also basic to balance the emotions. They are all inter-related, aren't they? Having hope or feeling hopeless is a state of mind; depending on how well the body or brain is working. Or is it more about ingrained personality traits or beliefs...a bit of everything and more...

I guess you are right in that people who have a core belief/philosophy which they are comfortable with don't necessarily have to waste energy thinking or analysing their position. However, that is not to say they don't ever doubt, question or listen to others. And this sometimes requires mental agility. I meant that I have noticed that in PN - perhaps in other places - the greatest passion and energy seems to be expended in a seriously long thread winding - and nobody involved seems to tire of it. So be it. I have assessed that it would be a waste of my time and energy for such threads - however, I observe with interest the interaction.



Cinical people are usually seen like "energy drainers" because they usually show things that people don't want to see, most of people don't like to look at suffering.

M: I don't see this at all. Please explain how any type of energy can be drained by simply viewing something. As for what people like to look at - it rather depends on the image; also, it is more acceptable if offered as an example to illustrate a point rather than for shock value alone.

This world is full of lonely people who want to get a mate, a friend, a brother or sister, a job when they feel like that's "their place"..., so, for some people, talking when they feel that it shouldn't be necesary to talk, makes them feel more "emotionaly tired". Specially cause I'd say (maybe because that's what I do) that many people talk with the rest or... turn on the tv or the radio, to feel like they are with more people, but when a person say something out of what they really want, the lie is evident.
Well, there are many common things. Being the more intelligent, the more beautifull, people die, etc... that are all common things that make people "emotionaly tired". But that's a state of mind based on hope, if you hope for the right things, then you shouldn't be tired (of course, we can't always know things for sure, but being emorionaly tired often, means that you want to believe a lie).

M: What comes first, the emotional 'tiredness' with keeping up with life and its demands/expectations - or the feeling that their talking is useless and not necessary? What do you mean by 'the lie is evident' when people 'say something out of what they really want' ?
Do you mean that people get tired trying to keep up appearances of 'success' or 'being a winner' - and that there would be more energy if they were more authentic to their own desires...
I'm not sure this is the 'emotional energy' I have in mind. It is more a sense of being overwhelmed with pressures ( from self mainly ) to care and do what is right. Sometimes, you can only give so much, before something has to give. And hopefully, not your sanity or sense of humour.

Of course, it can be a malfunction in the brain too. Some people are always sad because their brain doesn't work very well. And, of course, some people have more nerve than other, we are not perfect machines, we can't stop feeling hope in a click. But it's usually usefull to see what make us tired and why.

M: It is mostly always useful to analyse any of our feeling and functions; perhaps it can be overdone and this is what does the brain in ?

[marjoram_blues]

Perhaps it depends on passion and priorities...

Yes, but the difference tends to be less than we think.

M: The difference between others, or the difference between passion and priorities?

Energy is something we take for granted until it's absent. Consider when you were the sickest you have ever been in your life. You would have had nothing to give, and even lifting an arm might have been intolerably difficult. We animals have this remarkable energetic system to play with and it's shocking when it doesn't work. Most of the time it works either brilliantly when we are well and motivated and moderately when we are tired and bored, more shades of grey rather than black-and-white. It's the human consequences of the pernickety, judgemental post-apes we interact with that amplify those differences in our minds.

M: Ah, OK - the differences you talked of earlier - between perceptions of strength ? Seeing yourself, and others, as being either strong or weak, depending on how much you, or others, are willing to play along with any mental games...?

With age I have found that humans are prolific makers of mountains from molehills, especially when it comes to pressuring other humans to do their bidding. There's much manipulation going on, designed to make us feel inadequate so that we try ever harder - to become better citizens, more effective cogs in the machine. The lazy amongst us are not as lazy as we tend to think, especially when compared with laziness of some groups and societies in history; we in the industrious industrialised world have largely been conditioned to expect busyness with "reasonable" (ie. miserly) breaks.

M: Yes, I can do this manipulation thing all by myself; mountains out of molehills - overthinking past, present and future actions. The word 'lazy' is a kind of trigger - with negative connotations - people who have always had a strong work ethic call themselves 'lazy' when the reality is, they are physically weak. Some give themselves a really hard time, never mind other people !

So, whatever level of energy you feel like expending, on one level it is always appropriate. Since that's what you have to give at that time, you may as well feel okay about it

M: I like what you say about 'on one level' but, of course as you suggest - there are other ways or times - when it is not appropriate or helpful to 'give in'. Or draw a line beyond which you imagine you will succumb if driven too far...sometimes, we need to overcome that sense of the 'quickly emptying tank' - and know that there are reserves...

[TSBU]

M: I think it interesting how you linked mental stress with lack of physical wellbeing/energy but kept 'emotional energy' separate. I would say that physical wellbeing is also basic to balance the emotions. They are all inter-related, aren't they? Having hope or feeling hopeless is a state of mind; depending on how well the body or brain is working. Or is it more about ingrained personality traits or beliefs...a bit of everything and more...

I've never put my body at risk, every time I get really tired because of exercise, I feel satisfied too (probably because I'm not used to use my body at that level and it's good from time to time, if I do it every day, I guess it would be different). Yep, separate everything in our mind is difficult.

I guess you are right in that people who have a core belief/philosophy which they are comfortable with don't necessarily have to waste energy thinking or analysing their position. However, that is not to say they don't ever doubt, question or listen to others. And this sometimes requires mental agility. I meant that I have noticed that in PN - perhaps in other places - the greatest passion and energy seems to be expended in a seriously long thread winding - and nobody involved seems to tire of it. So be it. I have assessed that it would be a waste of my time and energy for such threads - however, I observe with interest the interaction.

I don't agree very much in the "mental agility", agility sounds more like something for the moment, something quick, but a deep talk takes time, and you don't need to have agility, maybe felixibility would be a better metaphor XD.

Cinical people are usually seen like "energy drainers" because they usually show things that people don't want to see, most of people don't like to look at suffering.

M: I don't see this at all. Please explain how any type of energy can be drained by simply viewing something. As for what people like to look at - it rather depends on the image; also, it is more acceptable if offered as an example to illustrate a point rather than for shock value alone.

Well, there are some images that can make you feel depressed, hopeless, in the end "emotionaly tired". For example, if many people has bought lottery, and you are talking about how they have more chances of wining an Oscar or be hitten by a thunder, they'll lose their hope, their "happiness", and they'll blame you. In some cases, they can even say that you are the cause of their disgrace. It's very common, I can put many examples. A few people has callled me "energy drainer" just by saying what they already know.

What comes first, the emotional 'tiredness' with keeping up with life and its demands/expectations - or the feeling that their talking is useless and not necessary?

It depends, and it's usually a cycle.

What do you mean by 'the lie is evident' when people 'say something out of what they really want' ?

Suppose that I answer you with something that is completely out of what you meant, you were thinking that I can understand, or feeling it even though you deeply know that I can't. But when I open my mouth, it's evident that it was a lie to yourself, I can't understand.

Do you mean that people get tired trying to keep up appearances of 'success' or 'being a winner' - and that there would be more energy if they were more authentic to their own desires...

That's not what I meant XD. But that's an usual example. Everybody wants success anyway, the le can be trying to think that they already have succes in whatever they need.

I'm not sure this is the 'emotional energy' I have in mind. It is more a sense of being overwhelmed with pressures ( from self mainly ) to care and do what is right. Sometimes, you can only give so much, before something has to give. And hopefully, not your sanity or sense of humour.

Hmmm, do you accept the responsability of doing something or the responsability of geting something?

It is mostly always useful to analyse any of our feeling and functions; perhaps it can be overdone and this is what does the brain in ?

I don't know XD.

[Greta]

G: So, whatever level of energy you feel like expending, on one level it is always appropriate. Since that's what you have to give at that time, you may as well feel okay about it

M: I like what you say about 'on one level' but, of course as you suggest - there are other ways or times - when it is not appropriate or helpful to 'give in'. Or draw a line beyond which you imagine you will succumb if driven too far...sometimes, we need to overcome that sense of the 'quickly emptying tank' - and know that there are reserves...

Thanks for noticing the qualifier, MB

Yes, exactly. On an existential level I think giving in is absolutely fine. We are little ape-y things and what we do doesn't appear to much matter. Despite the insistence of industry, lazing about doing not much is wonderful and is probably largely where philosophy comes from. A cartoon I saw decades ago still stays in my mind; a writer is looking out a window when a visitor enters the room and asks, "You're a writer. Why aren't you writing?". The writer replied, "Typists type. Writers look out windows". Exactly.

However, sometimes people are neither caring nor understanding and, if they have control and they demand that we push past our inclinations and limits then we have the choice of deciding whether personal or social/professional risk is the greater - if we have the juice to pull off what's required of us.

[bergie15]

It's interesting that you say not doing much is where philosophy probably comes from. I suppose that is true. Thoughts can come to you more easily sometimes when you aren't really thinking about any certain thing.