17 Comics That Illustrate The Struggle Between The Mind & The Heart

 

Written by Alexa Erickson

How often have you been advised, or advised someone else, to follow the heart and give the brain a rest (or vice versa)? It’s because logic and emotion don’t always go hand-in-hand, and often times, we think we must let go of one in order to pursue what’s right. But while the brain and the heart may seem to oppose one another, they are, indeed, entirely complementary.

Nick Saluk, creator of The Awkward Yeti comic series, to elaborate on the struggles we can likely relate to when the brain and the heart aren’t on the same page.
There’s this overwhelming feeling, like coming to a fork in the road, when you must make a decision that your heart and your brain simply do not agree on, and this dilemma can wreak havoc on your decision making.
Saluk’s following 17 comics on the heart and the brain may, on the surface, merely poke fun at the dilemmas we often face, but they also expose some important life lessons that include the necessity to find a compromise between the heart and the brain to stay on a clear path.
These comics also highlight the importance of following your heart. We live in a society where everybody is forced into the same lifestyle. We go to skill, get a job, and have a limited number of options to chose from when it comes to ‘career.’ As a result of being told what to do our entire life, many of completely neglect the voice of our own hearts.
A great quote comes to mind from Dr. Kelly M. Flanagan, a licensed clinical psychologist who received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Penn State University.
When we can’t say ‘No,’ we become a sponge for the feelings of everyone around us and we eventually become saturated by the needs of everyone else while our own hearts wilt and die. We begin to live our lives according to the forceful should of others, rather than the whispered, passionate want of our own hearts. We let everyone else tell us what story to live and we cease to be the author of our own lives. We lose our voice — we lose the desire planted in our souls and the very unique way in which we might live out that desire in the world. We get used by the world instead of being useful in the world.  (source)

1. The “wrath of the Internet” isn’t always worth sharing your valuable opinion.

heart and the brain comic

2. Food is good for the soul, so sometimes, no matter what the facts are, you’ve just got to dig in.

heart and the brain comic

3. Sometimes the heart needs a little reminder from the brain that being unique is what makes you special.

heart and the brain comic

4. Some is better than none.

heart and the brain comic

5. You know that weird brain cramp you get when you try to comprehend the universe? Let it go and enjoy seeing the stars for what they look like: sky decorations.

heart and the brain comic

6. And of course, your brain and your heart will likely desire two totally different things when you do make the decision to travel.

heart and the brain comic

7. And upon returning home, your brain and heart will have very different ideas about what to do next.

heart and the brain comic

8. And, when you try to forget that your sleep schedule is on the fritz, your brain will be right there to remind you.

heart and the brain comic

9. And then there’s the spiralling thoughts your brain is so good at blessing you with.

heart and the brain comic

10. There are times when one’s advice may trump the others’, however. And when it comes to living, take up the heart’s notion of living in the moment as opposed to focusing on the past or future.

heart and the brain comic

11. The heart has some pretty sentimental thoughts, even if they do come from a movie.

heart and the brain comic

12. But while following your heart is important, keeping tabs on what the brain wants throughout the day may expose some necessities you simply can’t ignore.

heart and the brain comic

13. Because it’s all too easy for the heart to get carried away, no matter how much the brain weighs in.

heart and the brain comic

14. Which is why sometimes your brain gets very stern and calls in back up.

heart and the brain comic

15. And naturally, that back up doesn’t always hold up.

heart and the brain comic

16. But remember, while the brain is very powerful, it can’t fix everything.

heart and the brain comic

17. And the heart’s got a lot of potential itself. And so, when they work together, your heart and your brain can help you to take the right path.

heart and the brain comic

“Drawing out the comics has, since the beginning, been a very self-therapeutic process,” Saluk explained. “Heart has kind of been leading me in that direction, helping me to take more risks and do things I might not have done otherwise.”

Originally posted @ Collective Evolution

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