Chemical Scale - Level 2: Unedifying Emotions

This is the fifth in a series of articles on the Chemical Scale.

We have been counseled often to watch our thoughts to keep ourselves safe. We even learn from several Book of Mormon prophets that we will be held accountable before God for our thoughts. But if all we do is watch our thoughts, we miss the two previous levels that set us up for failure. King Benjamin tells us to "watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds" (Mosiah 4:30). Level 3 is thoughts, Level 4 is words, and Level 5 is deeds. Unless you want to start fighting the battle after Satan has already made two successful assaults, you also need to "watch yourselves" which includes monitoring your emotions.

Level 2 is the Unedifying emotions that set you up for failure. I chose the term "Unedifying Emotions" over "Negative Emotions" or "Bad Feelings" on purpose because it conveys a different message. Firstly, I think there are very few emotions that can fairly be labeled as "bad" and there aren't very many of those. These would include feelings like lust, hate, and envy. While these can be Level 2's, they usually aren't. Secondly, some of the feelings we typically think of as negative can still be uplifting or edifying. For example, we learn in the New Testament that there are times that Jesus is so sad he weeps and others where he is so angry he chases people from the temple with a whip. While it's nice to feel upbeat, content, and positive, we need these "negative emotions" to be emotionally whole. Because of these reasons, I choose to refer to Level 2's as unedifying.

It may also be helpful to think of a Level 2 as some sort of emotional pain or discomfort that we would like relief from. Most people who don't feel pain aren't going to seek a painkiller. In the same way, if Satan tries to tempt us when we are feeling edified and don't need to relieve discomfort then we'll just punch him out and keep walking without even missing a step. He needs to groom us into a vulnerable place to do what we normally wouldn't. I hope you caught the vibe I tried to include in that last sentence. Satan is a pedophile, and he will slowly groom us and whisper lies in our ears until we eventually beat him to a pulp or he seduces us to do something we normally wouldn't.

Common examples of Level 2's are in the acronym B.L.A.S.T.: bored, lazy/lonely, angry/anxious/annoyed, stressed/sad, tired. A sure sign that you are at a Level 2 is when you find the voice of a loved one (mother, spouse, sibling, child, etc.) irritating. There are more than these, but these seem to be the most common ones. Again, these are the unedifying versions of these emotions. Captain Moroni used righteous anger to make the Title of Liberty and protect his people, Amalickiah swore in unrighteous anger to drink Captain Moroni's blood. Five hundred years later the prophet Moroni was anxious that those who read his writings would mock and disbelieve them because of his mistakes, from that anxiety came humility and the conversation where Jesus Christ promises that through His grace weak things can become strong. The ancient prophet Eli was too anxious to call his sons to repentance when they led Israel astray, and all of them perished. Boredom and laziness seem to be corrupt versions of resting.  Sadness often turns to self-pity and destructive actions, on the other hand the God of Heaven was so sad He wept at the wickedness of His children prior to sending the floods to cleanse the Earth.

There are many ways that a Level 2 can start. Sometimes it is instructive to backtrack and discover how and where the Level 2 began, but it may be better to do this after you have won the battle. By identifying how and where the unedifying emotion began you can figure out what things you are vulnerable to and need to avoid whenever possible. This can also help you identify what I call your "Achilles Heel Emotion." Everyone has one or more emotion that just makes them extra vulnerable to losing a battle. For many high school aged teens, it may be boredom. I met several guys who struggle to win when they are angry. I do some really stupid stuff when I am sleepy.

It can be very helpful to try and name the feeling you are experiencing, particularly for men. At an early age both boys and girls experience most emotion deep in the middle portion of the brain where there are few connections to the language parts of the brain. This is part of why it is difficult for small children to articulate how they are feeling. As girls mature into women, many of those emotions migrate to the surface where there are many language connections making it easier to communicate how they feel. For men, the majority of emotion is still experienced deep in the brain and it is much more effortful for them to articulate what they are feeling. By giving names to those feelings, it becomes a little easier to communicate but also helps them "flag" them so they can recognize these feelings later and any vulnerabilities that may come with them.

If we use the same example we have for the other articles, perhaps you are sitting at your desk at work and are just bored to tears. Your eyes flick to the cookies, "Dude! Those look really good right now."

"No, I promised myself I wouldn't."

"You didn't really mean that. Besides, it was so nice of Jennifer to bring them. You don't want to hurt her feelings by not eating one."

"Stop! I know where this is going."

"You don't have to eat one. Just think about how it would taste. Pick one up and smell it. That might satisfy you and you can put it right back."

"I shouldn't, but…."

I hope by now you were able to recognize the transitions from Level 2 to 3 and from Level 3 to 4 in that conversation. In our example, if this person doesn't do something drastic immediately they will quickly reach Level 5, then Crash.

The conversation would be different if you were anxious because you had to meet a deadline, but the result may be the same. Whatever your Achilles Heel Emotion is, Satan will use it against you to persuade you to eat the cookie.

There are several ways to win a mood battle, which is a bother term for fighting at Level 2. One of the most helpful is running your Flagpole. If you are fighting an "I don't feel like it" battle, then the key is "Don't think, don't feel, just do." If you pause to check how you're feeling before doing what you know you should, you'll discover that you very rarely actually feel like doing what you committed to do.

Another way to win a mood battle is "Notice it, Name it, Flip it, Find it." In this strategy you notice the Level 2 you are experiencing, you analyze it, and you give it a name. Then you flip it, or consider what it's opposite and edifying version might be. Once you have identified the edifying version, you find a plan or a first step to  begin doing what people who feel that way do. "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness" (2 Nephi 5:27). If you are seeking peace, live after the manner of peace. If you want to be patient, live after the manner of patience. Your heart will follow your body and you will begin to feel the way you are acting.

As a disclaimer, I should note that it is very difficult to use "Find it, Name it, Flip it" during a panic attack. After all, who can act peaceful when you feel a crushing weight on your chest and literally cannot breathe properly? The same is true for anxiety attacks, as well as manic or depressive episodes. In each of these extreme cases, and others like them, Level 2 battles are far more intense than most of us will have to deal with. Winning here is possible, but it may take the coaching of a qualified counselor.

How easy it is to win a battle at Level 2 is mostly dependent upon the intensity of the emotion.  Most battles for most people will involve very subtle unedifying emotions such as being just a little bored, or a little sleepy, or a little stressed.  For most people, relatively few battles will involve the world-shattering emotions of grief, depression, panic and anxiety attacks, and so on.  Whether intense or subtle, these battles can be won and winning here is so much better than trying to fight at a Level 5.

In the next and last article in this series, we will explore Level 1: the Chemical Drip and Level 0: In Control.

To hire me as your life coach where we can create a plan to put the above principles into practice for you, follow this link.  Fighting Like a Dragon - Life Coaching