Hot states and cold states

Susana Sanchez

                    Economist George Lowenstein is associated with hot states and cold states . Based on Lowenstein He refers a cold state as rational calm .Anxiety,courage,fear,drug craving and ,sexual excitation are some of the emotions we feel during a hot state . Hot state is the reason why we act before we think ;We are led by our emotions and we give them a mind of their own .sometimes the outcomes can be regretful ! Cold states allowed a person to do the opposite of the hot state , A cold state allows us to think before we act . I would always prefer to be at a cold state all the time !

           One experience associated with a hot state was when i had a conflict with my mother . My mother had spend the entire day explaining the importance of school . She said that school was very important and I had to do our best to maintain a good average so i would make it into a good college . I strongly agreed with her . The next day i received a test grade at school and i was very proud to have received an eighty . I took my test home and  i showed my mom . My moms reaction wasn’t the one i was expecting and neither was mine . My mom took my test and she madly replied “this is very good but next time try to get 100 “. I was furious because it wasn’t what i wanted to hear from her . I felt very mad so i took my test ripped it up into small tiny pieces and through them in the garbage. My reaction was the worst thing i could have done to my mother . As i went to my room i saw tears in my mothers eyes . In my room i had time to relax and think . This is where i reached the “cold state “. I figured what i did was very disrespectful and wrong . My mom didn’t mean  what she said in a bad way; My mom just wanted me to aim higher and not be satisfied with a eighty.

           Another example  of  hot and cold states was when i was 10 years old . I went on a trip to the fire department. I was excited to meet the fire fighters and very interested on their work . what i enjoyed was when they timed us how long it took us to get out the fire department in case of a fire . As i went home i though we can practice at home with my family .I went home and screamed “fire The house is burning”! . My mom was very scared and the first thing she did was take everybody out the house . As she grabbed her cell phone to call 911 i told her that i lied . My mother explained i should have never played around that way because it was very dangerous . After that incident i thought about all the commotions i cause . I decided never to do that again unless it was real .I reached the hot state after taken over my emotion of  excitement and curiosity towards the experience of a real fire . Luckily when i came down to the cold state i understood my mistake .

           I think many people reach cold and hot states in every day life  . Our emotions take over our minds and we do the first thing that comes up to mind . My experiences  give examples of how i can connect to hot and cold states . Its weird how the best state to be is in a cold state ,which makes our body's and mind calm and we can getter a clear view but it takes a long while to have reached a cold state.