Emotions

【Mood Platter 】Series 21

Facial Expressions: When Emotions Show Through

Recently, I watched a Japanese drama about a prosecutor whose nickname is the "Noh Mask" prosecutor. What is a "Noh mask"? It is a type of theatrical mask used in traditional Japanese Noh theater—wooden masks specifically designed for Noh performers that typically cover the entire face. The distinctive feature is that while the mask appears expressionless, through changes in angle, lighting, and body language, the same mask can display different emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, achieving a lifelike effect.

In the drama, a young woman comes to interview for an internship position to work with the "Noh Mask." As soon as she steps in and comes face to face with the prosecutor, he tells her to pack up and leave! The girl asks, "Why?" Yes, why? Is she lacking in ability? Without even trying, how can such a conclusion be drawn!

The answer was: "From the moment you walked in, your face showed 'four' changes in expression—first you were 'nervous'; then your eyes 'darted around'; feeling this person was difficult to work with, you showed 'confusion'; and finally, sensing trouble, you 'feigned composure.' Since this work involves coordinating investigations with suspects, do you think someone who easily reveals their emotions is suited for this job? Of course, this is my personal professional ethics perspective—other prosecutors may not think this way, and I don't want to hinder your career development, which is why I'm asking you to leave..." Later, after advocating for herself, the girl was given a three-month trial period.

I'm aware that my expression management lacks refinement. If I had to force a smile, swallow my anger, suppress emotions, tailor my behavior to different people, or pretend to like someone I clearly dislike—all of these would be a major challenge to my acting skills! Just imagine, if it were me applying for that position, there's absolutely zero chance I would be hired!

Emotions: Sometimes Sunny, Occasionally Rainy

In life, we inevitably encounter things that cause our emotions to fluctuate, just like the terminology in weather forecasts: sunny with clouds and occasional showers. The sky cannot always be blue; encountering wind and rain is also a common occurrence.

Not long ago, an old dental crown suddenly fell off, and out of practical necessity, I had no choice but to get it replaced as soon as possible. I've always been afraid of going to the dentist—the piercing sound of the machines, the aching sensation when nerves are touched, the discomfort of having my mouth wide open wanting to swallow... all of this makes me extremely anxious! But what must come will come.

Without delay, I searched online for a dental clinic that was reasonably close to home and covered by insurance to have the repair and installation done. I'm very grateful to have encountered a cheerful young dentist who would hum along with the music playing throughout the procedure, just like that fully-charged toy bunny in the commercials, working energetically with a bouncy rhythm. I couldn't help but tell him, "You're the happiest dentist I've ever seen!"

However, while dental insurance covered teeth cleaning and extractions, the crown installation was never approved. In the end, I had to pay out of pocket, losing quite a bit of blood money. Even so, influenced by the dentist's cheerful demeanor, I felt much more relaxed. Surrounded by this sense of security, the crown procedure was completed smoothly, and I was able to chew properly again.

Yet in life, we also encounter people whose temperaments are completely opposite to that dentist's.

I usually pass by a fruit stand to buy fruit. Although the owner clearly appears to have a bad temper, customers still frequent the shop because the prices are relatively cheap.

So when I saw some rare guavas, I gently touched the fruit, preparing to make a selection. At that moment, the owner walked over with a scolding tone: "Are you going to buy or not? Don't damage my fruit." He then picked up a Styrofoam tray that another customer had tossed aside and angrily threw it around, saying, "I've been watching you from the side, picking and choosing endlessly..."

I truly detest being falsely accused—this really crossed my bottom line! Those trays weren't taken off by me; I never even touched that basket. The owner's words had thoroughly infuriated me!

I told him: "I did touch your fruit, but not damage it! Touch is different than damage! If you don't want people touching your fruit, put up a sign that says 'do not touch'!" The owner, seeing my angry expression, said: "Fine, whatever. I don't want to talk to you anymore." As if I were the one being unreasonable. I'm sure my face was absolutely full of anger at that moment! I wasn't backing down!

At the same time, I noticed a boy nearby—perhaps child labor hired by the owner? He witnessed the entire incident, had no opportunity to speak, and could only stand quietly to the side, fingers fidgeting with a plastic bag.

In that instant, I suddenly just wanted to quickly end this ugly, profit-driven dark drama from the adult world. After calming down and shifting my mood a bit, I forced myself to detach from my anger. I bought only one guava—the very one I had touched—and also bought the papaya I wanted to eat. I didn't want to suppress my emotions, didn't want to prettify his behavior, and certainly didn't want to force myself to pretend to be forgiving. That day, to some extent, the guava and papaya were no longer just fruit—they had become a symbol of "I still do what I should do."

No Use Pretending: Being Authentic

From a consumer experience perspective, between the dentist installing the crown and the fruit stand owner—setting aside the amount of money involved—the former makes one willing and happy to pay, while the latter is like paying money to be mistreated. What a world of difference! I sincerely hope there could be more "dentists" like that in the world.

然而面對不同的工作、環境，懂得掌管情緒，才是應對「江湖」的真正看家本領！有句話說得很接地氣―好鞋不踩臭狗屎。大文豪蘇東坡也曾說：「有氣不生氣自消！」要做到不生氣是一種修煉，即使是蘇東坡，也逃不過被佛印「一屁打過江」！人與人之間在友情、愛情、親情上有著許多不同的交集。不可否認，可以彼此提供「情緒價值」，正是維護關係的重要關鍵。

Speaking of emotions, undoubtedly, David in the Bible is the most emotionally rich character who most authentically displayed his feelings. His emotional flow encompassed everything from joy, reverence, regret, shame, fear, sorrow, anger, longing... He never suppressed his emotions but expressed them directly to God; he completely entrusted his fluctuating emotions into God's hands, which is why Psalm 23 can be so comforting to the heart. Before God, there's no need to establish a "persona" or maintain an idol's image, so David could disregard his wife Michal's contempt and dance like a child before God, expressing celebration in public and delighting in the Lord!

If life is like a play, I'm grateful that on the stage of life, we don't need to wear a "Noh mask" to play our roles. All things are laid bare and open before God's eyes; nothing is hidden from Him. Since pretense is futile, why not just be authentic!

In Psalm 56:8, David says: "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle." Thank God that He treasures our tears. Emotions exist within you and me constantly and genuinely. May we, in His grace, ask God to grant us discerning wisdom, so that we may carefully guard this gateway of emotions that connects our inner and outer selves, respond correctly to the signals emotions send, protect our emotional boundaries, and treat them well!