A Mali'thill's Support of Emotional Regulation

[Amelica 223]

IN SUPPORT OF EMOTIONAL REGULATION

13th of The Grand Harvest, Year 136 of the Second Age

A response to “An Opposition Against Emotional Suppression”

 

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INTRODUCTION

Since the dawn of our ancient nation, we mali’thill of Haelun’or have striven for purity, progress, and wellbeing within our silver walls. At the core of our beliefs lie a reverence for ancient traditions; the very ancient nature of these traditions leaves room for healthy debate within the breadth of their core tenets. But in recent history, the topic of emotional awareness has been largely unexplored. What specific boundaries did our predecessors set when they defined “mental purity”? What constitutes an adequate show of emotional reserve? These unanswered, or vaguely answered, questions, left open for interpretation by the coming generations, have become the cause of shifting understandings, dissent, and debate amongst newer citizenry.

This article is a response to the one recently published by Phandelver Sunstrider, “Haelun’or Debate Against Emotional Suppression.” Its intention is to be an extension, hoping to provide an alternate lens through which we might view our own history and culture. Emotional suppression is the result of a misunderstanding of our own ancient traditions, created by a dilution through the generations. Emotional regulation and self-control, both distinct from emotional suppression, are crucial to the maintenance of mental purity, and are of utmost importance to the core values that define us as a longstanding nation.

 

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REGULATION VS. SUPPRESSION

The roots of what is now perceived to be mali’thill emotional suppression lie not in postulations set forth by our esteemed Malauriran, but in a misinterpretation of them over the centuries. I theorize that the teachings of Malaurir Lucion Sullas have been misunderstood: take, for example, the excerpt cited in Sunstrider’s paper. In Chapter 6 of the work titled, “On Emotion and Aversion to It”, Malaurir Sullas asserts that “it is beneath an adherent to act by the whims of emotion– it shows a lack of self control, and would likely offend those around yourself.” (p. 21). This declaration speaks not in favor of emotional suppression, for it emphasizes self-control, or emotional regulation, which is distinct from suppression. To control an entity, one must acknowledge its existence and be aware of it in its entirety – when one suppresses emotion, one denies it full recognition. Thus, suppression is incongruous with emotional regulation. Malaurir Sullas spoke in favor of regulation, not denial; he spoke in favor of wholly accepting emotion while exercising appropriate control and eliminating impure thoughts.

 

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

“Maehr’sae hiylun’ehya” is the creed by which we live, the foundation from which mali’thill society has been built over the centuries. Within the posterior end of this motto, there is one focus we must draw attention to: hiylun. Specifically, mental hiylun, or mental purity. Purity of body and purity of mind cannot exist without the other – they are two halves of a whole that we must maintain. 

The logical ability to feel all emotion yet distinguish what is ideal to everyday upkeep of progress and health is what defines emotional intelligence, a crucial component of mental hiylun. We must voluntarily control what we feel, abolishing lesser impulses and only allowing ourselves to outwardly show what is necessary and productive. Proper mali’thill must strive for the purest, highest form of emotional intelligence to maintain mental purity, keeping in mind the tenets of maehr’sae hiylun’ehya. This does not indicate repression or denial, but rather the perfect intersection between acknowledgment, logic, and health.

 

COURTSHIP

The denial of emotion is certainly contradictory to progress, but falling slave to it has the same effect. Self-control is the ultimate exercise of freedom – a freedom that comes from self-determination of a life unbound from lesser impulses and whims, a life idealized by impartial wisdom. Naturally, a new question arises – what would this wisdom deem unnecessary and contradictory to maehr’sae hiylun’ehya?

As logical beings, we must separate that which is necessary and unnecessary in light of the larger purpose we follow. Crasser public displays of affection are temporary satisfactions, indications of one succumbing to fleeting whims. A temporary satisfaction, a satisfaction only afforded to the pair which practice it in lieu of the wider comfort and wellbeing of the citizenry, is directly incompatible with the tenets of progress and health. These overt exhibitions of indiscipline are not only hindrances to the constant betterment we strive for, but also hold the potential to poison the minds of those who may witness it. Thus, I posit that public displays of affection beyond those utterly mild in nature are improper, unnecessary, and contradictory to the forward society we cultivate. This is not to suggest a total denial of emotion — merely an exercise of the self-control we must constantly maintain. 

 

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CONCLUSION

We must not leave behind our roots, for the tree would not exist without them. We are creatures of logic, creatures of wisdom – and within this wisdom lies the sense to cultivate progress through the intersection of self-acknowledgement and control.

Freedom through control, lliran.

Maehr’sae hiylun’ehya.

 

 

Signed,

Okarir’maehr Celestia Astramaris

 

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[SteppeNomad 1552]

57 minutes ago, Amelica said:

“Maehr’sae hiylun’ehya” is the creed by which we live, the foundation from which mali’thill society has been built over the centuries. Within the posterior end of this motto, there is one focus we must draw attention to: hiylun. Specifically, mental hiylun, or mental purity. Purity of body and purity of mind cannot exist without the other – they are two halves of a whole that we must maintain. 

 

 

"It has been long since I have heard my mali'thilln kin dare speak of the bodily health, in relation to Maehr'sae Hiylun'ehya. Most 'Tower-Elves' those who care ne for their health, often interpret the saying Health and Progress in a very liberal sense..."

 

He confirms with a nod, the philosopher strokes his hyptosian beard.

 

"Great kin, blessed and true. By the very nature of our silver souls, we are blessed, we may raise ourselves high and may, as any moment arises, be able to take in, calculate, and react purely in every moment. From moment to moment, the aware Mali'thilln may act properly and purely without suppression of emotions, but acting purely in line with them upon their very being.

 

We are pure beings, peak of creation. Our souls are manyfaceted, and because of that, for as long as an individual blessed elf maintains the Pure Covenant undertaken by our progenitors, then we will forever be blessed, as the Prophetess had spoken. She, the pure, will be the font from which the source pours. We are beings of emotion, and to suppress our pure existence is ne the same as acting, moment to moment, in the purest light"

[zuza1102 27]

Rayne reads over the response carefully, learning a lot about how the elves may think.
"Interesting, Valah and Mali differ in their beliefs on emotions... Let's see what else I can find out.... "

 

She'd quickly grab hold of her notebook, scribbling down notes before make her way to the library. Head constantly down in her notebook not paying attention to those around her as she prepares herself for some research on the topic as she plans to write a response

"huh... this could work as a possible counter argument...." She'd mumble to herself as she takes down notes from books and past documents.