Do “animal Fluids move by Hydraulick laws”?: the politics of the hydraulic theory of emotion

Abstract

If you were asked to talk about your fluctuating emotions, or your changing energy levels over the course of a day, what type of words might you use? Many of us will, sooner or later, fall back on metaphors of flow; of spirits lifting and falling, of energy receding in the late afternoon before an evening resurgence. It is especially hard to depict emotion without these fluid tropes. We often speak of emotional “outbursts”, of “flipping a lid” like an agitated kettle boiling over; of “erupting” into raised voices and harsh words, until we can almost feel the steam coming out of our nostrils and ears. At calmer times, we might discuss the necessity of adequately “channelling” energy into worthy pursuits, allowing passionate desires to “find an outlet”, and the dangers of “bottling up” difficult feelings and the benefits of “letting it all out”.