Emotions are related to cognition. If you know that the result will be positive, you will feel happy to do something, while if you expect a negative result, you will feel afraid to do something.

At night, there were few pedestrians. When a police walked toward to us, we were not afraid; instead, we felt safe because we know that police protects people. If someone carried drugs or stole something, seeing a police would make him/her worried about being arrested. This fear is associated with cognitive.

If you know the reasons of your negative emotions, for example, if you know you are anxious because you are worrying about being laid off, these emotional problems can be treated by cognitive behavioral therapy and psychological counseling with an aim to change your perceptions and improve these emotions.

Cognition story

Lost a horse, good luck or bad luck?

An old Chinese wise man who had a horse lived by the border. One day, the horse crossed the border to another country. When the neighbors came to comfort the old man, he asked, "Is it a bad luck or a good luck? Who knows?"

Several months later, the horse returned with another horse, and so the neighbors came to congratulate the old man on his good luck. The old man replied, "Is it a bad luck or a good luck? Who knows?"

The old man’s son enjoyed riding on the horse. One day, the son fell off from the new horse's back and broke his leg. Every neighbor thought this was a bad luck, but the old man still had the same answer, "Is it a bad luck or a good luck? Who knows?"

One year later, a foreign army invaded the village, and all healthy young men joined the fight with bows and arrows to fight against the invaders. Many people died in the battle, but only the old man’s son avoided the fight because of his broken leg. Both father and son survived.

What does this story tell us?            

This Chinese fable tells us that when something good happens, we should still be alert, as it can change into a bad thing while when something bad happens, we should not worry too much because it may change into a good thing.

If you feel anxiety or depression because you think you made some mistake that led to bad outcomes , you should read the story of the lost horse again and keep in mind that good luck may change into bad luck and vice versa. It might make you feel better. However, if you still feel anxiety and depression, you should see a psychologist.