Unbalanced Balance

We all yearn for balance in life, even if we are unaware of it. But many times, we set out to achieve that balance in an unbalanced way. I’ll give you one of my favorite examples.

You may know someone like this or this may resonate with you personally.

Let’s call this person John. John is not given to much emotion. He thinks very analytically. Always reasoning things out, careful not to give way to an emotional response. He at times almost seems devoid of awareness to emotion, his own or others.

Let’s dig a little deeper. As we peer into close relationships in his life, we find that his wife, we’ll call her Jane, is VERY emotional. She bursts into tears at the drop of a hat. Her responses to a conversation are always emotion first, logic second…if logic does in fact come. John loves Jane very much, but they seem to be on completely different pages when it comes to the way they handle conversations, circumstances, and situations.

It frustrates them both equally.

What’s going on in this equation?

Could it be that John is trying to find the balance in their marriage and life, by working to balance the scales of emotion emitted by Jane, with reason and logic? Possibly unbeknownst to him, he may be trying to even out the playing field of the home environment. Is this a crime? Is this a sin? Not at all. Just as Jane’s emotional responses are not a crime or sin. But could a more "balanced" balance be achieved by an awareness of what is actually taking place? Quite possibly.

So if you see this example mirrored in any relationships you have, pause and reflect on which response is yours. Can you be more understanding of the other person’s perspective? Can you have an open and caring dialogue about the matter? Seek to ascertain your own balance between logic/reason and emotion. Even if you are the only one making the adjustment, you’ll be healthier for it. Logic has its place in life, but emotion does too. Strive for balance in both areas for a more balanced you!

(Check out this post for another thought on why some are more given to thinking and logic versus emotion.)