I knew it!
Do you remember when I hypothesised that Emotional Incompetence might be linked to discipline and therefore I was going to try (and fail) to tackle my addictions to demonstrate it? Well, there you go, I have just been proven right by a group at Stony Brook University who demonstrated in an MRI study that 'intense romantic love seems to function much like an addiction'. These researchers looked at subjects who had a recent break-up and found that the pain and anguish they were experiencing appeared to be linked to activation of parts of the brain associated with motivation, reward and addiction cravings. In their own words, 'what is unique to romantic rejection includes elements that are very much like craving for cocaine'.
To the point, I recently shared some knowledge I acquired in the field of heroin addiction with friends who were going through some complicated emotional times. They thought my insight was about love, not opiates. They recognised in the typical behaviours depicting a heroin addict their irrational and irresponsible need for the object of their desire.
So, if 'the passion of romantic love is a goal-oriented motivation state rather than a specific emotion', and you are rubbish at goals, what are you left with? I bet you know the answer already: Emotional Incompetence!
I am therefore wondering: doctor, doctor, where is my medicine?
No comments:
Post a Comment