This dialogue was originally posted as part of The Demise of Wisdom by Emotional Intelligence [GRZ161]. However, upon reflection, it may be more approachable standing as its own post.
The dialogue is conducted with Turtle, the young student, asking the Master about the role of his emotions as a complete human being. The perennial question: “Is ‘feeling’ the equal of ‘thinking’?” This is a corollary to the question of whether feelings can be “wrong” and addressed in the cited article.
The discussion is placed into an “Eastern” philosophical dialogue that implicates the same truth as the “Western” Socratic Cardinal Virtues, exposed in the Socratic Dialogues, and more particularly The Republic of Plato.
The Master practiced his martial arts while his disciple, Turtle, kneeled on the side of the practice floor.
“Master,” said Turtle, “it has been said that humans are part thinking and part feeling. Is this not the case?“
“It is true, Turtle, that humans have these qualities, and others,” said the Master.
“And these parts would be equal, as we are as much thinking as feeling,” said Turtle.
“But, my Turtle,” said the Master while practicing, “when you say ‘equal,’ by what measure should you compare? Shall we put these qualities to the ribbon and measure size, or into a bowl and measure volume, or onto a scale’s disc and measure weight? How shall we compare your suggested equality of these things, thinking and feeling, one to the other? Tell me, Turtle, why have you identified these things by different names of reference?“
“Well,” replied Turtle, “because they are different things of a different nature.“
“Then, Turtle,” said the Master, “why do you suggest that different things are equal? Do you not find it foolish to suggest that the things that you suggest are different, are also things that are equal? Perhaps you suggest, by implication, that these different things are not equal as they are, but incidentally equal in action or effect. Is this your suggestion, that thinking and feeling are the same in cause and effect?“
“No, no, Master, they are things of a very different nature with very different causes and effects,” said Turtle, continuing, “But, Master, I mean in the ‘philosophical’ sense. That these two qualities must be perfectly equal to each other for consideration of how we conduct ourselves, to be balanced human beings.“
“Then tell me, Turtle, what is the difference in the natures of these two things that you are suggesting as ‘philosophical equals’?“
“The difference is clear to everyone, Master! Thinking thinks, and feelings feel,” said Turtle wincing a bit.
“Why thank you for that most helpful answer, Turtle,” said the Master wryly, “Perhaps we can discuss this in more detail on another day, but, for now, we can take your answer as complete enough for our purpose. But, why do you come to me?” asked the Master as he threw a punch followed by a kick.
“Because, Master” replied Turtle, “I have personally experienced that my thinking and my feeling seem to have opposite and contradictory advice to me, one on one hand and the other on the other hand. If the object that cannot be moved meets the force that cannot be stopped, each being perfect opposites, such as where thinking and feeling collide, I am unable to reconcile the effect.“
[The Master now stopped training, and kneeled facing Turtle, looking deeply into Turtle’s eyes.]
“Turtle,” said the Master, “at this point, no matter what I should say to you, and with a supplicating admission to what I think is true does not make it so, indeed I am pleased with you. Like shapeless water, you continue to seek and to flow, not satisfied to stop where there is yet any void to fill…
“Tell me, Turtle, as to your discontent, have you not categorized thinking and feeling in the nature of opposites? Tell me, Turtle, are two dancers who are conjoined opposites?” asked the Master.
“No, I would not say so, they work together” replied Turtle.
“Just so, and are two actors in a play considered opposites for having different roles,” asked the Master.
“Of course not, Master. Each actor has his own part to play, a separate purpose to fulfill,” said Turtle.
“And, as actors in respective roles, one is not more necessary than the other?“
“Not at all. At best, there is no more or less than needed,” said Turtle.
“And, for our army, does not General Wu have a role to play?” asked the Master.
“Certainly,” said Turtle.
“And the front-line soldiers as well?” asked the Master.
“Of course,” replied Turtle.
“And, can General Wu command without the front-line soldiers?“
“Certainly not,” replied Turtle, “our army would be incomplete, and what would he command?“
“Precisely so. And, is General Wu ‘the opposite’ of the front-line soldiers?” asked the Master.
“They are part of the same army, having only different roles,” replied Turtle.
“Might we say then,” said the Master, “that General Wu is not the opposite of the front-line soldiers in the same manner that his mind is not the opposite of his foot? That is, although they may be compared, one to the other—such as anything that exists may be compared to anything else that exists—but themselves not compared as opposites?“
“This is so, Master. The opposite of man’s thinking is not his foot, to be sure!“
“Thus, would it not be better to say that the opposite of thinking is ‘not thinking,’ and the opposite of feeling is ‘not feeling’? But the opposite of thinking is not feeling.”
“I think I see,” said Turtle.
“And,” said the Master, “General Wu receives accolades and awards focused alone upon him only because he is one, and the front-line soldiers must share awards because they are many?“
“Yes.“
“And the many front-line soldiers each have their own unique qualities and attributes, which similarly are many?“
“Yes,” said Turtle, “indeed, some are strong, some are nimble, some are good with the sword and others with the arrow. And many more, each to his own!“
“Indeed,” said the Master, “And General Wu unifies and harmonizes these many soldiers, each soldier with his own betters and worses into a single tool of purpose to accomplish our objectives.“
“Yes. Yes. Of course, this is what a general does. He harmonizes the many,” said Turtle.
“And, without the unifying and harmonizing leadership of the general, would not all the front-line soldiers tend to argue and banter, being separated and each easily destroyed like easily breaking an out of place finger that is not clenched in a fist?“
“Yes. Yes,” said Turtle, “General Wu binds the many fingers into one fist, which is our power and health! Yes, yes! General Wu is a mighty leader! We are thankful to General Wu!“
“And, if any single soldier steps out of line from the many, failing to obey General Wu, and if General Wu is unable to control that soldier, will not all the other soldiers similarly step out of line, General Wu lacking authority, power and competency,” asked the Master.
“Indeed, if General Wu is not capable of controlling the undisciplined soldier, then each soldier will do similarly, and the army would grow into chaos by such usurpation of roles. Master, that situation would be chaos and lead only to our self-destruction!” exclaimed Turtle.
“And the effect of the individual soldier usurpation is disharmony by lack of order?” asked the Master.
“The Emperor would be distressed and most unhappy for it, it is assured!” said Turtle.
“Because General Wu, perhaps no less than a good parent, must enforce the Emperor’s policy and achieve order where there is an inclination to disorder?“
“That is true, of course,” said Turtle.
“And does not every wise general know the mood of his army, balancing strategy with whether the army is spirited, tired, hungry or fearful?“
“Yes,” said Turtle, “the finest generals are said to be tuned into the moods of the army with uncanny perceptiveness, using these moods as a secret weapon that only the wisest generals possess and all others observe in awe and respect. We have often said this of General Wu!“
“And, do we agree that General Wu seeks a strong rather than a weak army; that is, in controlling the soldiers, it does not follow that he seeks to eliminate the power of each soldier’s attributed gifts, but rather only to align them into a cohesive body?“
“Yes,” said Turtle, “Of course, it does not follow at all, Master.“
“And, similarly, might we say that it is a foolish general who does not know the mood of his soldiers, and a foolish soldier who does not know the mood of his general? So we might say that the Yang of the general is to the Yin of the soldiers, or the Yang of the soldiers is to the Yin of the General, where each has its own role, but is tuned into the other roles of the whole, whether opposites or not, but harmonized as whole.“
“Certainly. Each role is best performed by understanding the others,” said Turtle.
“And,” said the Master, “is it not also well-known that the finest generals use the least control over the soldiers, but only as required by necessity? Moreover, is it not true that the finest generals also have conditioned the soldiers by training to regulate themselves with the least intrusion of the general, in the manner similar to a dancer whose posture is not natural until it is?“
“It must be, if the general is wise. And General Wu is wise! Indeed, indeed, General Wu’s soldiers are so well trained that their responses to his commands seem effortless, like fingers in a fist, or in such balance and control as a thing of beauty, like a dance, or the controlled placement of even the dancer’s single finger!” exclaimed Turtle.
“And, is this harmonizing not the same for our musicians, as well?” asked the Master, “That is, to achieve the musical harmony, each player must play the instrument harmonized to the group as one, rather than many? Each having some understanding of the group, but responsible to play one instrument? But, if one instrument played a different song, out of tune or out of order, this would adversely affect the composition?“
“Why, yes,” said Turtle, “it would go quickly from music to noise, not being harmonized to a unified composition, and the Emperor would be gravely unhappy!“
“And to be clear, if one instrument played one song individually perfectly, and another instrument played its own song individually perfectly, would the group be harmonized?“
“Not at all, it would be a clash of a mess of disharmony,” replied Turtle.
“And from the perspective of the one instrument, satisfied in self of its own individual tune, whether or not out of the harmony as to others, there is not any issue? That is, the one musician would be individually happy, but thereby making the whole body miserable?“
“Certainly, and most of all the Emperor’s conductor!” said Turtle.
“Indeed. And, Turtle,” said the Master, “if the conductor of the group was not to assume the role to judge and to condemn the single instrument that is playing out of tune or playing the wrong tune, as to the intended composition, but only judging that individual instrument’s own song, it would be the most foolish conductor, failing in his essential purpose of conducting the group to a unified harmony?“
“Certainly, Master. If the Emperor appointed a conductor to conduct the group of musicians for a work of exquisite harmony, and if each instrument—even if playing its own tune perfectly—was not playing the tune in harmony, the Emperor would become unhappy and would immediately cast that conductor from court,” said Turtle.
“And is not all of this harmony similar for the Emperor’s counsel of advisors, such that the advisors exist to perform their respective roles to advise, but if any advisor failed to advise, or failed to be silenced upon the Emperor’s command, or became unruly speaking out of turn as directed by the Emperor, the Emperor would cast that advisor from the council?”
“It is certainly what the Emperor would do,” replied Turtle.
“And,” said the Master, “if the Emperor allowed the advisors to command and overrule him, rather than merely advise him by his pleasure, the council would be in the state of disharmony and chaos?“
“Most certainly! But our Emperor is wise and strong, and his advisors respectful of him and their roles and limitations,” said Turtle.
“And, it must be so, lest such a chaos and failure to govern ourselves as one fist, in an orderly manner from within, it would invite our external enemies to conquer us and cast us into their prisons. Is this not the case, Turtle?“
“Master, I regret that what you say is true! But, we must be the fist, and the foot! Through many, bound as one!” exclaimed Turtle.
“Such as it is, Turtle. Such as it is,” said the Master, continuing, “Therefore, what you perceive as a clash of opposites in thinking and feeling is not that at all, but a failure or relative weakness in the strength of your wise consideration to accept its natural and proper role to govern the other attributes of yourself. That is, to develop disciplined control over yourself and thereby to achieve the harmony that results from natural order. Not all attributes have the natural quality of wisdom or discipline, but rather naturally tend to act in serving only themselves, if not conducted by governance.
“Indeed, Turtle, you must give your emotions, and your passions, and your appetites, their respective voices, and some of them will be stronger and some of them will be weaker, but give each of them no more or less voice than the clarity of your wisdom adjudicates.
“The attribute of thinking is not ‘better’ than the attribute of feeling, but your wise faculty must now take on its natural and proper role to shepherd your many internal voices into one harmonized voice. You are growing up, Turtle, and I am pleased that you are tending to it. Such as it is for each of us, Turtle, humbly to tend to it. This is the way, Turtle, and perhaps to serve the good of the Emperor, in due course.
“Where order is compelled in any complex environment, whether a state, an army, an orchestra, a family, or a human being, Turtle, one must be first, not by superiority of essence, but by necessity of the natural construct.”
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