losing the reason to reason

We need reason in order to have conversations. The shared ability to equate symbolic sounds with objects and concepts allows societies to build and thrive. Good faith in normative standards of discourse is known as "communicative rationality."

Yet, emotion is vital to focus: to be competitive (to feel threat or joy and pride) drives us to learn faster, and generate results.
To sever reason from emotion is to no longer have a reason to reason.

Related

attention awareness behavior belief change choice contradiction control creativity death desire ego empathy fear forgiveness freedom goals growth happiness identity individuality insight knowledge language life love nature pain perspective politics power present psychology purpose rationality reality reason responsibility self society stress time truth value work