Don't let Your emotions rule you.
Are You a Prisoner of Your Emotions?
There’s a quiet but powerful distinction between what we feel and how we live.
Emotions are real — they inform, alert, and sometimes overwhelm. But when left unchecked, they can distort our perceptions, fuel conflict, and entrench positions that no longer serve anyone — least of all the children caught in the middle.
As Dennis Prager recently posed: Are you a prisoner of your emotions? In mediation, arbitration, and parenting coordination, this question is not philosophical — it’s practical.
The parties who make the most meaningful progress are not the ones who feel less, but the ones who learn to hold emotion without being held hostage by it. They recognize that sadness, fear, anger, even resentment — are human. But the actions that follow must still be measured, deliberate, and focused on resolution.
Whether you’re navigating a parenting dispute or advising someone who is, the goal is not to eliminate emotion — it’s to ensure that emotion doesn’t dictate the terms of decision-making.
Fairness, clarity, and forward movement begin the moment we stop reacting, and start choosing.
Do not let your emotions dictate your mood.
A short clip from Dennis Prager:
As Prager suggests, the distinction between feeling something and being ruled by it is essential. The goal isn’t to suppress emotion, but to step into a mode of reflection and choice — especially when decisions affect families, and their children.
Dennis Prager@DennisPragerDo not let your emotions dictate your mood! A clip from the Happiness Hour: Are You A Prisoner of Your Emotions? The Dennis Prager Show, June 2025.@prageru pic.x.com/aQtPvnymP6 2025-06-12, 3:31 PM