I read this book in my trip to Dubai and it really helped me in understanding a lesson which I was not getting it fully from previous sources.

Though the author’s books are among the classics in Jungian Psychology but I found his writing simple and elaborative. This book, mainly focused on human psychology by getting inspiration from a myth which was centered about the Holy Grail. Somehow I found it a glimpse to Archetype based psychology. Using stories and characters to describe different psyche and human behavior.

Since the book was using a myth to explain men’s psychology, it had a taste of a non-fiction heroic book too, which had added spice to the book.

I like the interpretations of the author but the book (as reflected by the author’s beliefs) was kind of Christian belief centered as well. But one could learn much from the book despite religion and faith.

I personally learned much but most of all learned something that I was searching to understand better. Specially while reading the EQ Book I am involved with.

One of the biggest challenges one (specially men) has, is to understand how to manage his emotions and therefore his actions in the best possible way in different circumstances. As mentioned by EQ Book and many other similar books, one technique is to be able to identify one’s emotions at any time and specially in the heat of situations or challenges. The identification of emotion should be exact and not vague. For example it is not enough just to say that “the feeling I have now is sadness” but to mention what type of sadness or better if one can say what exact emotion is causing such sadness . for example disappointment, loss, anger, etc., all can cause sadness in one.

Though this simple technique has profound effect in ones ability to mange his emotions, still I needed something that could explain and give a better understanding of the situation that how come at some situation this technique is not enough or one cannot have the chance to let the technique give its effect.

Now, this book by Robert Johnsons gave me what I was looking for. And that’s being able to realize to the difference between emotions, feelings and moods. Men should be able to differentiate the difference on the spot and be able to react to each responsibly.  

According to him, a man should know and try not to give inn his emotions to turn to a mood. Specially if that effects him negatively.

Author defines Emotions as…., and Feelings as …., and mood as…

He then tries to emphasize that when you see a man caught in his mood, it is better to leave him alone to get out of that mood. Because confronting, advising or any actions against that mood on that moment will frustrate the person and has e negative effect on him. Better yet if one sees and be able to label his emotions and determines his feelings then before it becomes a mood, tries to respond accordingly and act properly. It is the only way one can manage his emotions and even uses it in his advantage.

So the take away are; first, be able spot the emotions at the time it evokes and arises, and the more specific the better it is. Second, be able to check the emotion, give it a good label as Feeling and avoid it to become your mood. And third, be able to response properly based on the feeling you have and  the outcome you wish to have out of that situation.

“For many years of my life I thought one came down with a mood just as one comes down with a cold. But slowly I learned that moods are a product of purposeful unconsciousness and can be rectified by the very consciousness one worked so hard to evade.” ~Robert A. Johnson~