What "Being Emotional" Means

We have all been, or know someone who has been, "emotional." What does this mean? That they have some strong emotions, yes, but that alone cannot be a good answer. When a groom cries when he sees his bride walk down the aisle has some strong emotions, but we wouldn't say he is "being emotional." When a parents loses their child, she may cry but we wouldn't say that she should stop "being emotional." Contrast this with the interchangeable phrase "be rational." Likewise, we do not say that one ought not have emotions and be nothing but rational. This is an even worse mistake. So what do we mean? 

Observe what happens when someone is "being emotional." Say Eve breaks up with Adam. Adam doesn't like this, so what Adam does is lash out. He lashes out in anger because it feels right to him. But is lashing out the correct thing to do? Ask Adam, and he will do one of two things: he will say admit that it is not the right thing, or he will try to rationalize it. But that he has to rationalize it implies his acknowledgment of wrongdoing. What we see here is that Adam first and foremost deals with his emotions, gives it some faux justification, and then does something out to the world. This is disordered, and so is wrong. But if that's the disorder, what is the proper order? 

The proper order is this: we see some good out in the world, our intellect, or reason, apprehends it, then moves the emotions to it. So what should happen is that there is some good out there in the world, which Adam's intellect apprehends, and then moves his emotions to it so that it becomes desirable. This is rational. 

So the difference here is this: being emotional means that reason is subject to the emotions, whereas being rational means the emotions are subject to reason. You need both, but in the proper order. When you get rid of one completely, this is even further from the truth and so is an even worse mistake. 

How then do we imperfect beings correct this? Through prayer and imitation of those already doing it.