Emotion: Inside Or Out?
Oedipus and Brave New World portray different philosophies regarding the strengths and drawbacks of catharsis. The strain of our day to day lives can frequently become exhausting, and frustrations begin to build into anger. This anger is frequently portrayed by a pressure cooker, with steam building up inside, similar to how anger "boils" up inside of people. As the pressure reaches a critical maximum, we must either vent our anger, or "explode", often harming those around us.
Though catharsis as a therapeutic technique was first described by a colleague of Sigmund Freud, the technique used by Sophocles was very similar. By overwhelming his audience with tragedy and negative events, the audience is purged of all emotion and left feeling numb. Just as the pressure cooker is about to explode open, Sophocles tears off the lid, allowing the emotions of the audience to flow freely like the steam trapped in the cooker. Catharsis isn’t only achieved through plays, but anything that causes a release of emotions. Often, people receiving a massage burst into tears as all their trapped emotions flow out of them, leaving them feeling better in the end. For me, lifting weights has a cathartic response, as I can release any pent-up feelings through the weights, and end my training session more relaxed. Catharsis is even a cultural and religious center point, with Tokyo hosting an annual shouting festival for people to release any buildup of emotions. Many people describe feeling better after going to church, as a connection with a higher being purges any negative feelings they may have.
Do we really need catharsis?
society content. In practice, soma is almost an inverse catharsis, numbing first rather than later. While this blockage of stimuli creates happiness, the happiness is a paper-thin blindfold, simply preventing the user from seeing the true world around them. Brave New World is portrayed as ultra-futuristic, but many its elements are mimicked in our society. Many people who abuse drugs use them to create a sense of happiness in themselves, but simultaneously detach themselves from the world we live in. In an article by VICE, Maia Szalavitz documents the difference between being happy and being high, as well as the distinction between blissful happiness and meaningful happiness. Drugs are a temporary outlet, requiring the user to come back over and over to get a mere glint of happiness. The society of Brave New World is like a castle made of ice; magnificent but destined to melt away or shatter the second the influence of soma disappears. So, which is better?
Neither. Both complete release of emotion as well as complete blocking of emotions have their flaws, making the key to genuine happiness a combination of both. Unlike Oedipus, our lives are not controlled by Apollo, and we can choose what to surround ourselves with. By surrounding ourselves with people and hobbies that bring us joy, we can block out much of what causes anger. On the occasion something gets through (which is ok), a good cry or other method of cathartic relief can get us back up on our feet, while maintaining a true connection to the real world. Oedipus was written in ancient Greek times with catharsis as the form of anger release, and Brave New World portrays a hyper-futuristic society, with blocking anger being prevalent. This brings up the question, is suppressing our anger and replacing it with happiness the natural path into the future? Anger, joy, sadness, and all emotions in between are part of the human experience, something that Brave New World tries it’s hardest to suppress. Whether it be through music, exercise, or plays, catharsis is crucial in keeping the pressure cooker that is our emotions from exploding, and a combination of releasing emotions and blocking emotions is what truly keeps us sane.
Further Reading:
http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/antisocial-behavior/catharsis/
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-catharsis-2794968
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