Habits that arise from emotional movements lead to the mechanization of emotional reactions and the loss of creative power because they transform a vibrant, deeply experienced feeling into an automatic, “empty” bodily movement that has lost its capacity for full internal expression.

The Automation of Emotion: How Habitual Movements Stifle Creativity

Habits that arise from emotional movements lead to the mechanization of emotional reactions and the loss of creative power because they transform a vibrant, deeply experienced feeling into an automatic, “empty” bodily movement that has lost its capacity for full internal expression. When an emotion is expressed in a habitual, stereotypical manner, motor patterns are activated that execute almost automatically without conscious involvement. As a result, the emotional experience fails to find its “inner” reflection, does not fully unfold, and the energy that could have fostered creative self-expression and development ends up being bound, losing its ability to transform into something new and original.

As noted in the text, “If the bodily expression of a feeling—through the establishment of ‘habitual’ forms of movement—is realized before the mental expression of the feeling has appeared in the soul, even before the feeling has resonated in all its ‘melody,’ then the feeling will never sound, will not develop: the bodily expression occurs almost automatically, but it is ‘empty,’ behind which there is nothing internal, no real experience” (source: link txt, page: 276). This emphasizes that the mechanical repetition of certain emotional reactions deprives them of depth and original content.

It is further explained that “the development of ‘emotional’ habits delays the development of feelings and pushes them deep into the soul. Not only does the feeling weaken, but with it, the inherent creative power also diminishes; the formation of habits in emotional life is dangerous for creative freshness, for creative life” (source: link txt, page: 276). Thus, in cases where habits are formed from emotional movements, they not only block the free and creative expression of emotional energy but also contribute to its stagnation. The energy that could stimulate the development of feelings and creative abilities ends up being “bound,” which has negative consequences for both emotional vivacity and creative activity.

In summary, emotional habits lead to the mechanization of reactions because they replace thoughtful, deliberate experiences with automatic forms of movement, resulting in the energy necessary for creative expression and mental development losing its freedom and capacity for renewal.