How to act rationally when one's emotions are not in-line?

[Dem0]

I find it almost funny that there are these situation e.g "now it would be rational to say or do *something*" but I won't just do it. My emotions are quite neutral on the specific case even when the thing I see is important. In other words, the emotional leverage *to do or say* the right thing is almost non-existent in some cases.

For example today me and my classmates were playing sports and I noticed that our playtime was almost over and the other team was coming to play. So I did say that we should now stop, but with little conviction, because I didn't really feel like saying so. Why bother, is what I often ask myself. This was a silly example, but I hope it gave this a little more light.

Do you agree with me that I should just do the right things even though my emotions are not in-line with my rational thinking, *values*, perhaps because of my old irrational thinking? Hoping that one day they will be more and more in-line with my thinking?

The thing that worries me in here is that I seem like *a fake* while saying or doing things that don't that seem to be from **me**. I feel it's fake and I strongly believe others see it also. There's no conviction in my words because the supporting emotion is not there. Moreover it's wearing to push oneself to right action when there's no emotion to back it up.

Did you get my point? I will gladly clarify if needed. :-p

[SapereAude]

We become what we do repeatedly. Excellence is a habit.

So, yes, doing the right thing even when you might think something else would be more fun or more instantly gratifying is often the best choice.

[mdegges]

Here's a different example:

Going to class or tutoring sessions when you know that attendance is optional (ie in college or grad school). You know it's rational to attend because you want a good grade, but you would still rather not go. You'd rather be doing work for another class you're more interested in, or playing video games, or just getting another hour of sleep.

A lot of times, especially in school, we have to force ourselves to do things we don't really like doing. Think about it, what's the alternative? That "why bother?" attitude will make you skip class.. or an exam review session. Maybe missing one class won't have a big impact on your grade.. but I guarantee, the more often you skip, the less likely you are to go to the next one. And the next one. And the next one. Ultimately, you will end up missing too much work, not understanding the material, and failing. But again, failing one class might not ruin your GPA or get you kicked out of school.. but continuing on with that same "why bother?" attitude will, unless you consciously change your outlook. It's important to realize that the things you decide to do with your time are important, and that the cumulative sum of all the choices you've made have shaped you as a person.