Make Room for the Devil

Abstract

Abstract Philosophers have long argued that our emotions are part of how we value things and bad feelings are no different. This chapter draws on Milton’s Paradise Lost to show that negative emotions are expressions of self-love—not egoism or selfishness, but the felt attachment to ourselves and our lives. We feel negative emotions because our lives matter to us. Some philosophers, such as the Buddhists, argue that living a good life requires us to care less about ourselves. This chapter argues that this is false. Using insights from Nietzsche, this chapter shows that the dangers of negative emotions and self-love are exaggerated. Living well with bad feelings doesn’t require that we weaken them or train them. We just have to feel them honestly and leave them alone.