Unleashing the Power of Emotions: Lessons from Pandora’s Box

BY: Neighbors’ Consejo|

Pandora’s Box [1]  is a Greek myth that tells the story of a woman named Pandora who was given a box as a gift and told not to open it under any circumstances. However, her curiosity got the better of her and she eventually opened it, unleashing a series of evils and misfortunes upon the world. That is why Pandora’s Box can be seen as a metaphor for the human psyche and emotions. What happens when we bring out all our worst emotions, do we not unleash chaos?

“Emotion is a subjective state of mind. Emotions can be reactions to internal stimuli (such as thoughts or memories) or events that occur in our environment [2] ”. According to Merriam-Webster [3] , it is “a conscious mental reaction (such as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by psychological and behavioral changes on the body.”

The University of West Alabama [4]  considers that six basic emotions exist: sadness, happiness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust. Additionally, Paul Ekman affirms, “emotions change how we see the world and how we interpret the actions of others.”

Then, why it is important to feel all of your feelings? Ohio State University states “emotions help us to communicate with others, such as when we feel sad and need some help. They also can help us to act quickly in important situations. For example, when you are about to cross the street and see a car coming quickly, fear gets you to jump back onto the curb [5] .”

For this reason and, in order not to unleash the chaos of “Pandora’s Box”, it is necessary to know how to express our emotions [6] :

1. Use positive self-talk
2. Be a good listener
3. Try spirituality / meditation with yourself
4. Teach emotional words to young children
5. Practice empathy
6. Model emotional expression
7. Forgive
8. Practice acceptance
9. Play games with kids that promote emotional expression
10. Be grateful
11. Do not postpone happiness – savor the moment
12. Try something new
13. Take a risk
14. Be optimistic
15. Do some gardening
16. Practice mindfulness

Similarly, our emotions can be like Pandora’s Box, containing both positive and negative feelings that can be difficult to control. “Just like Pandora, we may struggle with the temptation to open our emotional box and let out negative emotions like anger, jealously, or sadness, which can cause harm to ourselves and others [7] .”

In conclusion, the story also teaches us the importance of hope. Although the box contained many negative emotions, the strength to persevere through difficult times can be found. Therefore, if you want support closing the “negative emotions box” in your life, you can call free the professionals in Neighbors’ Consejo, we are experts in supporting your emotional health. 

References

 [1]https://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/pandoras-box-myth/

 [2]https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/emotion

 [3]https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emotion

 [4]https://online.uwa.edu/infographics/basic-emotions/#:~:text=The%20Six%20Basic%20Emotions,%2C%20anger%2C%20surprise%20and%20disgust.

 [5]https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/why-its-important-to-feel-all-of-your-feelings#:~:text=Emotions%20help%20us%20to%20communicate,jump%20back%20onto%20the%20curb

 [6]https://positivepsychology.com/express-emotions/

 [7]https://therapistforsensitiveandgifted.com/pandoras-box-of-emotions/