Emotions are Positive Feedback Loops

I've probably blogged about feedback loops. A feedback loop is any system where the output becomes the input. The output "feeds back" into the system, with an increasing or decreasing effect. If the feedback loop increases the effect that fed into it, that is called a positive feedback loop, and if the feedback loop decreases the effect instead, that is called a negative feedback loop.

One example of a positive feedback is attraction due to gravity. If two objects are close enough to pull on each other, and no other forces keep them apart, they will drift closer together. The closer they get to each other, the stronger the gravitational pull becomes, bringing them even closer. This continues until a collision occurs. An example of a negative feedback loop is wind resistance. The faster an object tries to pass through the air, the more resistance the air will provide, slowing it down.

Naturally, that's only tangentially related to what I wanted to say. I kinda just wanted you to understand what I said in the title, "Emotions are Positive Feedback Loops." Having some amount of any particular emotion increases the condition of having more of that emotion. (There's no science in this, that I know of, by the way. This is just my observation. I'm probably wrong about this.) This happens mostly through our perceptions. When we're happy, we're more likely to see things that make us happy and/or be happy about the things we see. When we're angry, we're more likely to find other things to get angry about. When we're upset, more things are upsetting. Frustrated, frustrating. And so on. It seems to me that every emotion alters our perceptions in such a way that grows that emotion.

The same principle applies through our behavior and that of other people. When we're upset, we're more likely to lash out, further upsetting ourselves and others. When we're sad, we might start crying, and when a person cries, it's hard to stop. Thankfully, this positive feedback loop applies to desirable emotions, too. When we're happy, we're more likely to do things that make us and other people happy, further increasing our own happiness and that of others.

So, let's all try to be mindful of the emotions we cultivate. Let's try to grow and spread our uplifting emotions and to resolve our less-desirable emotions before they get a chance to grow and spread.