Why does frustration the emotion exist ?

[Massimo2002]

I see nothing productive about this emotional state. It's a destroyer and therefore itself be destroyed out of existence and replaced with boredom or happiness.

 

[Debater Slayer]

I see nothing productive about this emotional state. It's a destroyer and therefore itself be destroyed out of existence and replaced with boredom or happiness.

I'm not sure how frustration came to exist as one of the emotional reactions humans experience, but if I had to speculate, I would lean toward the idea that it sometimes has some utility for spurring pursuit of goals or increasing dissatisfaction with a given situation, prompting a desire for change.

Something my therapist told me about emotions has stuck with me and been immensely helpful in my life. It was based on DBT, which in turn is influenced by CBT (which borrows some elements from Stoicism) and Buddhism. It was, to my best recollection, along these lines:

Emotions try to tell us something. They carry a message. Once you have received and understood the message, you have no reason to hold on to the emotion. Let it dissipate, neither suppressing nor pursuing it.

While frustration can spur a necessary desire for change or healthy disapproval of a given situation, as I said above, it can also be detrimental to one's mental well-being if it overstays its usefulness or is too intense and frequent.

The good thing is that, similarly to how one could go to the gym to train their muscles, there are ways, including researched and evidence-based techniques, to train the mind in how to process, regulate, and benefit from emotions while reducing any unwanted effects thereof.

I think it is a useful attitude to think of emotions not as something to be classified as "good" or "bad" but as natural aspects of life that pass through our minds.

 

[Balthazzar]

I see nothing productive about this emotional state. It's a destroyer and therefore itself be destroyed out of existence and replaced with boredom or happiness.

It exists because we get frustrated. People get frustrated about lots of things. If you get rid of frustration, you would very likely be required to get rid of all sentient beings who are able to feel emotion and need, etc. Either this, or do away with emotion (spirit) and acknowledgement of need (consciousness), which I wouldn't advise based on all this making life interesting for the living, albeit very frustrating sometimes.

How about we don't get rid of anything we dislike altogether, but find a way to compass the frustrating times better per individual. This is where subjective truth both burdens and shines for me and objective truth becomes my burden able to shine. Pinocchio always wanted to be a boy for a reason. When we lack emotion, we lose credible ability to self-navigate, which is something the spirit helps enable ... Self-control based on the effects of environmental influence.

 

[InChrist]

I see nothing productive about this emotional state. It's a destroyer and therefore itself be destroyed out of existence and replaced with boredom or happiness.

I think we deal with frustration because this world is imperfect; life has so many struggles and things often just don’t seem to go well or work out the right way. From a biblical perspective, I believe it’s because innately we know things are not supposed to be this way, we can envision the ideal, but things in life too often fall way short of the ideal… which is frustrating.

 

[Massimo2002]

I think we deal with frustration because this world is imperfect; life has so many struggles and things often just don’t seem to go well or work out the right way. From a biblical perspective, I believe it’s because innately we know things are not supposed to be this way, we can envision the ideal, but things in life too often fall way short of the ideal… which is frustrating.

And God could fix that but continues to not do so.

 

[InChrist]

And God could fix that but continues to not do so.

I’d say God is fixing it; it’s a process which starts with the transformation of each person’s heart and mind who desires something better and is finalized in the new heaven and earth free of imperfections and frustrations. That’s how I see it.

 

[Balthazzar]

And God could fix that but continues to not do so.

I'm fairly sure "God" feels the frustrating elements through us, so whatever happens to "us" is determined by how we experience life ... To get things correct, things are required to follow appropriate paths like metallic particles and magnetism, water and channels, air and obstacles, etc. It's all fluid like music and part of this fluid dynamic is resistance, which is what frustration amounts to. We become resistant to "something". Germs, bacteria, etc. all evolve and adapt in a similar way. So, no "God" doesn't just fix it, God makes us part of the process itself.

 

[Balthazzar]

I’d say God is fixing it; it’s a process which starts with the transformation of each person’s heart and mind who desires something better and is finalized in the new heaven and earth free of imperfections and frustrations. That’s how I seen it.

I don't know that we'll ever be completely free of the growing aspects of life and evolution, but we are able to learn from the experiences and make changes in navigation.

 

[InChrist]

I don't know that we'll ever be completely free of the growing aspects of life and evolution, but we are able to learn from the experiences and make changes in navigation.

Yes, we can definitely learn from difficult experiences and make changes.

 

[Balthazzar]

Yes, we can definitely learn from difficult experiences and make changes.

Some things in life are less thinking able, so automated mechanics play a role also, but without a sensory able body, it's difficult to sense and know and understand what's needed to trigger the auto mechanical attribute of the organism we all belong to.

 

[LuisDantas]

Frustration is just the result of being denied some form of satisfaction and not being well at peace with that.

It is not a feeling with a purpose as such. Nor is satisfaction, or most if not all other feelings. They just are how we react to certain stimuli and circunstances.

We probably owe it to ourselves to attempt to learn to use or avoid them with the wisdom that we can muster, but there is no obvious upside to assuming that we "deserve" them or that they have a purpose.

 

[dybmh]

It's a destroyer

Destroying is important sometimes.

I see nothing productive about [frustration].

Productive? Let's start with useful.

For me, I think it's useful to distinguish between frustration, anger, and rage. Like this.

Calm becomes frustration, frustration becomes anger, anger becomes rage.​

Calm >>> frustration >>> anger >>> rage​

Watch what happens when I eliminate frustration?

Calm >>> anger >>> rage​

​

Without frustration? Calm goes directly to anger, and that's not good. Its useful to have frustration, even though, it's a destroyer, because, it's creating a buffer. It's simultaneously creating and destroying, and, it's useful. It's good, right? Frustration is good.

 

[Soandso]

Frustration fuels ambition. Without frustration, people wouldn't seek to improve their condition

 

[dybmh]

Frustration fuels ambition. Without frustration, people wouldn't seek to improve their condition

Sometimes frustration signals when an ambition is not attainable putting a limit on wasted effort?

 

[Balthazzar]

Frustration is just the result of being denied some form of satisfaction and not being well at peace with that.

It is not a feeling with a purpose as such. Nor is satisfaction, or most if not all other feelings. They just are how we react to certain stimuli and circunstances.

We probably owe it to ourselves to attempt to learn to use or avoid them with the wisdom that we can muster, but there is no obvious upside to assuming that we "deserve" them or that they have a purpose.

Have you ever played pinball? I was thinking the other night how I sometimes feel like a pinball in a pinball machine. Coming out of the gate, the ball (that would be me) meets a series of situations, which then directs the route of the ball (me) itself. Bouncing from one place to another to another, etc. until it eventually falls back towards the pit where another ball will be fed through the machine - unless the player (the person operating the machine) is able to keep the ball in play by the use of the flippers, knowing when and how to not lose the ball to the pit. The longer the ball is in play, the better the operators score. There's a few balls per game, and each have a turn in the machine, but the longer each ball is in play, the better the score. Anyway, the obstacles the ball hits that send the ball to other areas of the machine are like our emotions, including frustration, even anger and joy, etc. The natural effect of various situations, etc. determine the course. So yeah, I feel like a pinball in a pinball machine sometimes. Beethoven and our immortal beloved. Passion, emotion, spirit, etc. The vibrational river flowing through us eternally connected to everything else.

 

[Balthazzar]

What's self-control worth anyway?

 

[LuisDantas]

What's self-control worth anyway?

Self-control can be very worthwhile... but only if we have a good enough notion of what we want to achieve and what we want to avoid.

 

[Balthazzar]

Self-control can be very worthwhile... but only if we have a good enough notion of what we want to achieve and what we want to avoid.

Not only under those circumstances, but it helps. Lots of things help guide us, and there's lots that lead us in directions we may not be prepared to go. Guidance can be and often is useful, but self-control and learning from our actions is important.

 

[Hermit Philosopher]

I see nothing productive about this emotional state. It's a destroyer and therefore itself be destroyed out of existence and replaced with boredom or happiness.

Frustration -like all negative emotion- signalises to the self that it is time to review an attitude (held towards someone/something) that has outdone itself.

To try to invoke change in that which frustrates you, is not only a waste of energy but also an overstepping of your own authority towards others.

The correct remedy for frustration, is instead a review and alteration of one’s attitude towards and perspective on the issue.

Humbly,
Hermit

 

[PureX]

I see nothing productive about this emotional state. It's a destroyer and therefore itself be destroyed out of existence and replaced with boredom or happiness.

We want to be in control but often we are not. So we become frustrated.

The solution is to learn to accept that we are seldom ever actually in control of the things that matter to us. Try to perceive this as a part of an adventure, not as a frustration. Instead of focusing on what we want all the time, focus more on what we have and what we might do with that.