There was a fascinating article in Wired about a battle between psychiatry and religion. Basically, one researcher found that Buddhist monks had insane brain activity apparently because of their extensive practicing of meditation. The scientist invited the Dalai Lama to a conference and of course there was an uproar about it.
Now I'm not going to get into religion in public schools here (because that is a very different situation), but rather the personal ability to find balance between logic and feeling. I think that this is one of the things that not only makes us uniquely human, but also tortures us.
My recent rambling about video cameras illustrates this insanity quite well. Logically, I don't need a professional camera, and I can't say that I'm going to make back the money for it on related work. It's not logical to buy one. However, the creative, feeling side of me, enjoyed the greatest creativity when I was doing it full-time. Whether it was creating PBS-style recordings of high school orchestras (one of my favorites) or basic documentaries, it was deeply fulfilling.
I can tell you from recent experiences, and the experiences of others, that there are times where people will be in logically "safe" places, and bravely leave that safety to pursue something that feels better in the long run. People leave jobs, relationships and homes regardless of the logical consequences.
Where do people sit on that curve? I think most of the time we sit too close to one end, and getting to the middle of that curve is a difficult, and even impossible journey for some.
It's funny how many different ways I'm trying to make that journey.
Like Buddism or Taoism, I've always believed one's mental side needs nurturing just as much as the logical side. Sometimes there are situations we simply can't control with logic. Therefore we need something to put us into a better headspace. Learning to let go of that which we can't control and accept situations is part of that.