How to Control Your Emotions Like a Vulcan

Last Updated: August 4, 2022

While humans are inherently emotional, some people want their lives to be governed by logic and reason. This is no easy goal, as humans (much like the fictional characters popularized by the Star Trek Franchise, the Vulcans) struggle with deeply rooted emotions such as fear, jealously, and lust. This article seeks to outline various ways in which one can let go of the irrational bindings of emotion and embrace a life governed instead by reason.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Eating Unemotionally

1
Avoid stress or comfort eating. It is unhealthy, unproductive, and addictive.
2
Stay away from unhealthy foods. Making yourself a salad might take longer than grabbing fast food, but your body will operate more effectively on healthy foods. (Besides, Vulcans are known for being vegetarians.)

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3
Complement a good diet with proper exercise. To ignore physical fitness would be illogical.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Working Unemotionally

1
Stay productive. When you complete a task, move on to the next task. If you have completed everything that was assigned to you, find something else to do. You might get ahead on your work, learn or practice something new, organize your space, or find more efficient ways to get work done.
- If you are getting overtired, it may be logical to take a 5-15 minute break to refresh your mind.
2
Avoid workplace drama. It is counterproductive and can get you into trouble. It is better to remind yourself that drama is illogical and should not be given an ounce of your valuable time.
- Avoid gossip. Much of it is exaggerated, and it can hurt productivity by harming relationships.
3
Take your studies seriously. If you are still in school, then your education should be second only to your health. Focus on learning first, and then see how much spare time you have for relationships and leisure.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Communicating Unemotionally

1
Remain calm. Breathe. This is the most important thing you can do to remove emotions from your interactions with others. Raising your voice or changing your tone will not make anyone want to listen to you.
- If you are overwhelmed or unsure how to respond in a situation, politely excuse yourself and take a moment to calm down and think it over.
2
Tell the truth whenever possible and reasonable. Vulcans avoid lying, and prefer to state the truth. Be honest with people.
- Keep tact in mind. Hurting people's feelings harms relationships and causes unnecessary friction. Sometimes, it's better to say "I think the blue dress was more flattering" than to say "You look terrible in that dress."
- Avoid lying unless it is absolutely necessary in order to protect others.
3
Refuse to let your pride get in the way of what is beneficial. Pride is an emotion, and it can be counterproductive at times. Let it go. You are an imperfect person, just like everyone else.
- Jealousy is illogical. If someone is better at a task than you are, then they are the most efficient person at it. If you want to improve your own skills, you can practice and study, and perhaps learn from the other person.
4
Do not make relationship decisions based on fear, anger, lust, or jealousy. These emotions fade with every passing moment and therefore have no place in decision making.
5
Acknowledge others' emotions. Human beings have feelings, and there is nothing you can do to change this. Vulcans appreciate diversity, and this includes understanding that humans are emotional creatures.
- Validate people's feelings to calm them down. Say things like "Your sadness is understandable" or "Yes, that is a frustrating situation." Label the emotion they are expressing, and treat it as reasonable. (If you incorrectly label the emotion, they can correct you.) This technique is highly effective at calming people.
- Humans typically need to process their feelings before they can solve a problem logically. Thus, if someone is upset, first focus on comforting them and validating their feelings. Only talk about solutions to a problem after they have calmed down.
6
Remain calm. Yes, it is important enough to be mentioned twice.

Warnings

Some people will act strange, or disagree with an emotionless life. Simply ignore them, or remind them that while you are trying to remove emotions from your behavior and decisions, you will still experience them internally.

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Helpful 9 Not Helpful 0
In dating, this can be a big turn-off for significant others. Find someone that understands why you want to behave rationally. After all, this change should theoretically make you a better parent, spouse, and student or employee.

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Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
Expressing happiness, joy, love and excitement are just some of the things you'll be missing out on following this route.

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