are emotions what define human beings?

it has been said that there are two types of pain, according to the abc emotional disturbance theory, there is physcial pain and emotional pain, physical pain comes from an exterior force like getting cut or punched, something that can be healed or mended. emotional pain however is something that is self inflicted or otherwise learned. when someone says angry words to us we become angry or hurt. are we mad at the person who said the words, or is because we take these words and repeat them in our minds turning it into a negative self talk, in other words we decide whether or not we shall have the negative emotion

but u see as children we are born with emotions but at that time are unaware of them, our parents do not tell us that these emotions need to be controlled, however as we get older and enter society these emotions must be controlled reasonably, so then if these emotions can be controlled is it possible to do away with all or some of the emotions, and if by doing so do we become less human or more human (considering that we considered different from most animals because of our capacity for higher intellectual thought)?

i dont think the emotions ever really go away, we dont really get rid of them, we may learn to ignore them when neccessary, but i dont think they vanish.

so, are emotions what define human beings? yes. but i dont think simply having them is what makes us human, it is our ability to control them which makes us human. we are slowly learning that other animals are highly capable of a variety of emotions, but the difference lies in the harnessing of these emotions. other animals react instinctually where as humans have developed the capacity to "override" their instincts... and "think before we act" as the cliche goes.

Consider this: Physical pain is not suffering. Harsh words are not suffering. It's our aversion to them which is suffering. And we can make the aversion can go away, even aversion to physical pain.
Why try to set humans apart form other animals?

"Why try to set humans apart form other animals?"

Because we >>> other animals

I do not believe emotions define human beings, rather they define our personality. They are what seperate us from eachother. Our emotions play a large part in the choices we make, sometimes logic is over-run by 'feeling' and 'instinct' and the emotion(s) can make the choices for us.
Without our emotions life would be somewhat boring as it is what makes us unique.

Cows have feelings too. They are in great emotional pain if seperated from their calves.

For certain, man is different from animals in that he is cultured. That is, the former generation teaches the new one. The teachings have a huge effect on human societies.

No other animal does this to the extent man does. Man's use of culture FAR FAR beyond any other animal's (chimps for example).

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cats get embarresed isntthat an emoion? do heienas really laugh laugh or just makethat sound not really thinking anything is funny )they laughed at me a few years back)

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Of course animals can do things that look like our own. But its not in the same way. Every generation of termites (barring minute genetic changes) is the same. Termite towers always look the same.

A human tower though, is dependant on the culture and education of a particular generation. It changes with each one.

Perhaps I should put it this way. A termite's information to make a tower is found in its genes. Our information to make a tower is found in our memory, it is passed on not through genes, but through oral or written word.

That is a fundamental diffrence. Emotions are not.

Pet peeve with pet lovers is they tend to transfer their emotions & comprehensions to animals. Look at man's best freind, the dog. We all accept that our dog loves us but for some reasson they don't seem to pay attention to our TVs (visually). Is it because they don't see like we do or is it because they don't (mentally) interpret the same way, we do
as they hear sounds we can't hear?

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Our information to make a tower is found in our memory, it is passed on not through genes, but through oral or written word.

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Yet my sister's parrot mimics the dailing tones of her phone.
(annoying at times when you are trying to use the phone) Wasn't there some commotion about a chimp using a stick as a crude tool awhile back?

Humans are civilized, social animals. A cat, may became embarrassed, or a parrot may repeat dial tones, and a dolphin may create signals with other dolphins, but they do not have the ability to comprehend exactly what it is that they are doing. Its natural instinct, its in their genes to do so. They are genetically trained to do the things they do, they can do nothing but what natures has instructed them to do.

For the question of emotion, how do you define an emotion? An emotion, is merely an adjective for feelings, and attempting to describe these feelings, would take adjectives in its self *IE* emotions. Emotions are what you consider them to be, it is however, and in whatsover mode, by whatsoever means, you are affected by something. Emotion in its self cannot be describe, so how can you possibly use it to describe something.
But I must admit, at times the mind is incredibly strange, and 'emotions' happen sometimes for no reason, so i suppose, it wouldnt be entirely wrong to assume emotions are what make humans,humans.

But in my personal opinion, i say logic, and the ability to reason, are what make humans,humans...although animals may be able to do all sorts of things, erect large complex ants piles, communicating in strange patterns,ect., its not from experience, or any true knowledge...they do it because its all they can do.

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a dolphin may create signals with other dolphins, but they do not have the ability to comprehend exactly what it is that they are doing.

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If they form (recognize) & make distinctions such as variations or jestures, then doesn't it seems more of a logical ability than heredity?

Originally posted by weltanschau...
"For the question of emotion, how do you define an emotion? "

Exactly.

I do think it is something to have or not have though. Which means that if you define who you are by emotions, intelligence...... you are defining who you are by what you have.... No different from defining who you are by assessing what kind of car you have, how much money you have, how cute your girlfriend is....

So maybe the question isn't who am I? What am I? But rather, what do 'I' have?

Example, take away everything you have, (car, body, brain, energy, awareness...) then what have you become? Nothing, true?