Sometimes I really hate having emotions. Hating emotions? How's that for irony?
I often get angry when people around me express statist, sexist, racist, nationalist opinions. I don't want anger to be my reaction. I want to be able to laugh them off as fools, then (if necessary) wipe the floor with them using well thought out truth presented without emotion.
If nothing else, it would be better to annoy them with Socratic questions.
Anger gets in the way of that. It sabotages me.
So, recognizing this, I try really hard to get over my emotional reaction before I respond to nasty ideas. That's easier when writing than when face-to-face.
