Interview with Byron Athene

Byron Athene is a psychotherapist and a bit of a philosopher who believes we have some concepts wrong when it comes to emotions. He backs into his theory by explaining that a lot of people think that we need to have bad to explain (or enjoy) the good and that if something good happens, something bad is likely to happen. Personally, I’m more a fan of the law of polarity which says that both exist at the same time, so what is it we’re actually focusing on. Byron says that some people believe that “bad” emotions exist to motivate you. And I have a different view around that type of motivation. We get ethics and morals when we’re younger, we also are given the good child/bad child constructs based on behavior for the sake of control. And then there’s what Byron calls the inevitability theory. We’re bound to feel bad about certain things. I’m not certain about any of this, but I’m willing to entertain it because I want ideas to percolate through here. For me, I learned early on that I could choose which emotions to feel. We, as adults with adult language, perception, and constructs, can choose what we experience and feel. Where Byron and I agree is on the point of what we believe creates our reality. Well, Byron takes us to HIS theory, what he class the Baby Theory. In short: Babies cry to get their needs met. Babies learn that by feeling bad, they’re comforted. And therefore, they take the syllogistic tree (If/Then) to the emotional place of “If I feel bad, I’ll get the comfort I need.” He sees “bad” emotions as manipulative. And I’m not so sure I agree with him. Still, he’s an agreeable person and it was an amazing conversation. I invite you to tune in. For more from Byron, go to www.ByronAthene.com And check his article here: https://www.brainzmagazine.com/post/why-do-we-feel-bad