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Feeling Is the Enemy of Thinking—Sometimes

August 15, 2025 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Responsive vs. Reactive Behavior: Feeling is the Enemy of Thinking A thing can feel bad and be right.

Or it can feel good and be wrong.

It’s a quiet distinction—easily missed, but central to personal wisdom.

It’s tempting to let emotion guide your ethical compass. But how something feels isn’t always a trustworthy measure of what’s right.

Feelings are powerful—but not infallible.

To live thoughtfully is to ask: “Does this feel right, or is it truly right?”

That question opens the door to deeper discernment, separating impulse from principle, gratification from growth.

The ability to think beyond emotional distortion is a cornerstone of wisdom. It asks you to look past immediacy and self-interest, and to judge your actions by consequence, ethics, and truth. That clarity builds a life shaped by integrity, not impulse.

Feelings are persuasive. They echo survival, not morality.

They are weather, not climate.

To live wisely is to respect their presence—and step beyond their sway.

Idea for Impact: Growth begins where reaction ends.

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Filed Under: Mental Models, Sharpening Your Skills Tagged With: Anxiety, Attitudes, Critical Thinking, Decision-Making, Emotions, Introspection, Resilience, Suffering, Wisdom

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About: Nagesh Belludi [hire] is a St. Petersburg, Florida-based freethinker, investor, and leadership coach. He specializes in helping executives and companies ensure that the overall quality of their decision-making benefits isn’t compromised by a lack of a big-picture understanding.

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