Thread by @GreenSolitaire

I've been reading a lot about hope versus fear and the climate emergency. Folks arguing which is the 'right' feeling and why.
But feelings don't work like that, do they?
Emotions are visceral, automatic and non-rationale. And we need them ALL...

[Thread]

Our emotions evolved as a survival mechanism - an automatic response from the limbic system of the mammalian brain. Something happens - and neurochemicals (dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin etc) flood our bodies to cause a response.

We feel before we can think.

Quite literally, our bodies emotional response hits far before the rationale brain has even started to process a situation. Our limbic systems decide if we feel fear, anger, hope, disgust, happiness, hate, guilt, love, surprise, shame or interest

It's not a rationale 'decision' - our emotions are an automatic physical response to stimuli over which we have little control. Which is a long way of saying IT'S OK WHATEVER YOU'RE FEELING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is a multi-faceted, complex and fucking HUGE emotional stimulus. At different times (or sometimes at the same time) we're going to experience an emotional terror of it, shame and guilt about our personal actions, hope and interest in the solutions

And those are just the obvious ones. I've also experienced disgust when seeing the impacts, hate of those blocking solutions, happiness when with change-makers, even pride when I take action. Not all of those feelings are noble or 'right' - but emotions just are.

We are just mammals - we are going to experience ALL the emotions about climate change.

What we do get to choose is - which ones to spend time with. Because what you think about elicits an emotional response

Think about the causes of climate change = frustration and anger.
Think about the consequences = shame and fear
Think about solutions = hope and interest
Argue online with deniers = anger and hate
Work with activists/changemakers = happiness and beloning

That's part of my list anyway. And like any pop psychologist will tell you. We need to spend time with the emotions the 'serve us'. And when it comes to climate change, for me, that's any emotion/feeling that gets me to ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING!

Because that's what emotions are great at - stopping or starting us doing something. That's what the neurochemicals do - make us fight, flight or freeze. Heart racing or muscles droop. Emotions are the action makers (or killers). Not rationale thought - feelings

My ideal 'emotional cocktail' for climate action is hope, interest and happiness with a side order of anger. Fear just kills my motivation (I freeze and droop). And if my anger flips over into rage then I know from hard experience I start making bad decisions.

But your action-cocktail will be different. We have different emotional responses to most things.

Worth checking though that you really have an action-cocktail - that how you are feeling about climate change is actually making you do something about it.

Over the years I've met lots of folks who feel deeply about climate change and really try and transmit those feelings to others (again, infecting others with our emotions is a good evolutionary trait - transmitting fear can save lives). But their personal cocktail isn't serving

they feel but don't act. So that's it really.
Feel what you're going to feel about climate change. There is no 'right' way to feel because you don't get to chose your emotions anyway.
But, if your feelings aren't inspiring action then it's worth looking at your stimuli...

search out the stories, the examples, the places and the people who make you FEEL what you need to feel to take action.
If the worst news about climate breakdown emotionally fuels your action - great
If the solutions and changemakers make you feel action is worth it - brill

And remember: feelings are not a failing in a human being