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Emotions vs. Logic

This is probably a fairly common one, but a good subject of debate.
I'm squishy and I whine a lot, so once I got a good punch in the face when a man told me something like this:
"No decision made by emotion is a good one."

Which I dispelled completely at first glance, but unfortunately I gave it a second thought. It seems that even with moral issues, you absolutely have to address logic. And often, logic does win. Is there a situation you can think of where the "emotional" decision wins over a more logical approach? Or do we say that logic and emotion are more separated than they are?

Which option do you find yourself catering to? Stereotypically, Atheists are very cold, after all.

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Permalink Reply by George on June 27, 2011 at 7:29am

Actually all decisions are ultimately made with emotion. It's difficult or impossible to make decisions without it; logic and rationality allows you temper it.

What motivates you are your values, and values are that which you desire. In order to make any decision, you have to want that which you are pursuing. So every decision is ultimately based in emotion; whether it's positive such as desire, or negative such as fear, dislike, distaste, etc.

If someone says they've made a rational decision, they may be correct... but only within the context (or framework) of their underlying values which is based on emotional associations.

So it's not either-or at all.