Stuff

Heart or Brain?

Many years ago, they used to tell people to follow their heart. They believed that the heart somehow knew how things would turn out, as if it knew the future. But as time passed, it was proven wrong. Today, in the world of technology and accuracy, no one has the guts to take a risk by listening to their hearts. The risks and mistakes were minimised by choosing the decisions made by the brain. Both the eras emphasised on either of them, donning one of them more powerful than the other. Yet, the great author, Charles Dickens understood the importance of each one of them.

When we talk about heart in literature, it’s not about the blood pumping organ of our body. Instead the part of mind that doesn’t think logically enough is termed as the heart. The wisdom of the heart was, is and will always be important. It isn’t deceived by logic and statistics. It lives in the moment, not in the future. It doesn’t give too much thought to the effects of the decision. Hence, it ends up being right most of the times. One’s brain can get clouded because of over thinking about the future but the heart is void of such things. The emptiness of the heart brings in a new clarity in thoughts. Yet, there are some judgments that require thinking and the reckless heart has to take a backseat since action without thought can completely make or mar one’s life. Thus, the wisdom of heart isn’t entirely trustworthy.

If the wisdom of heart isn’t compatible, we can only resort to the wisdom of the head. Logic is indeed a beautiful thing. Following one’s heart can be risky, but rationalizing the situation can reduce the chances of failure. Brain, unlike the heart, considers the effects of the present on the future. Hence, if the brain takes a decision, one doesn’t suffer in the future. But it has its own setbacks. Mind spends a lot of time, a little too much. Thus people refrain from thinking logically in unimportant situations. And since the brain considers the future over the present, one has to suffer in the present at times for a brighter future. Even the wisdom of the head cannot be used in every situation.

Since either of the approaches aren’t successful in every scenario, what approach is one left with? They are as different as salt and sugar. Many a dishes require both of them, but in varying ratios. No matter how insignificant it is, that proportion had to be maintained so that the delicacies turn out good. Many situations in life are like these dishes. All of the scenarios require both the approaches, but in varying quantities. Some decisions may require more logical thinking than emotions and vice versa. Sometimes, both of them need to be in a perfect balance. Both, the wisdom of the heart and the wisdom of the brain, are required in our lives. A professional wrestler notices the characteristics of their opponents and chooses the stance and strategy accordingly. In the same manner, the everyday problems should be treated like an opponent. We should notice its characteristics and regulate the amount of ‘sugar’s and ‘salt' respectively. Some scenarios might not even require both of them together. The ratio of heart and brain depends upon our analysis of the situation.

Hence, we cannot completely adopt or shun either of the ways of thinking and not make our lives a living hell. Dickens understood the importance of both of the approaches decades ago. Now is the time when we should start to learn to create a proportion between both of them.

Author's note:
I had a essay competition in school and I had written this thing for that. Since I'm probably the laziest being on earth, I posted this here to kick-start my journey on Wattpad... Yeah I'm that lazy
I'm gonna upload a poem after this, please comment your advises for my writing since I'm not the best at it. Thanks for reading!