Emotion Essay Example

2nd
Ways of Knowing Essay

“We see and understand things not as they are but as we are.” Discuss this claim in relation to at least two ways of knowing. (Emotion and faith) I think that this quote is saying that who we are and our experiences in life influence the way we see things. This would mean that the way that one person sees and understands something can differ from the way another person sees that same thing. I think that this is true when a person’s emotions influence their understanding. Emotions and a person’s faith can influence how things are seen and understood from person to person. Emotions play an important role in life. They tell you what you like and dislike; help you to decide if you want to do one thing or another. If you have bad emotions towards something you aren’t going to want to do it nor will you enjoy doing it if you have to. Emotions also play a part in the way things are seen. If a person has bad feelings towards their teacher, those emotions are going to influence the way they respond to the lessons that the teacher decides to teach. The same goes for if a student has good feelings towards that same teacher. These two students with their different emotions towards the same teacher and lessons are an example of how emotions can influence the way things are seen. If a person has a bad experience with a dog as a child, they might now have a prejudice caused by the emotions that resulted from their childhood experience. Now, because of the bad experience, they are afraid of dogs or see them all as a threat. But a person who has never gone through a bad experience with dogs will see them differently. They might really like dogs. They might see all dogs as nice, loving animals who would never try to hurt them. The different emotions and the different experiences change the way that things are seen. A person’s faith can also influence the way they see things. A person who has a lot of faith in something will see things