I agree that it depends on the task. Primarily, I believe, the goal of the task. Say you're starving, and need to work in order to get some food. You'd probably set aside whatever emotions you have toward the task and just do it because it'd be essential for your survival. Now, if you have plenty of food in your fridge, and you know where your next meal is coming from, then you'll pay more attention to your emotions. I'd rather do something that would directly help a person be happier than a job where I'm pushing buttons all day, or what have you.
But will you put your emotions aside when it's really necessary? For instance they tell you to kill a man for food. And not just any man, let's say he's got cancer and he'll die soon 100%. He also begs people to finish his life and not let him suffer. Imagine the ammount of emotions in your head when you're faced with that bad-case scenario? Would you be able to dismiss them? Would you still do it? But that gets me to the point, that not having emotions is not so bad also. The common sence or your moral standarts come into play. They will let you do something that's not considered good or bad but what is really necessary. Let's look at the example like in the TV-show Scrubs. So doctors there sometimes deal with the patients who have no medical insurance. Now, faced with it what are your emotions: one side we have compassion for another human, on another we have fear for loosing our job. Now the emotions might vary your judgement towards one or another outcome (if you like or dilike the person you're more/less willing to help). Now if we dismiss them the common sense stays and tells you the way you could deal with this issue in a most efficient way. Your clear thinking might even tell you not to help the person because you are being closely watched and get fired if you break the rules hence you won't be able to help anyone anymore.
So my idea is, emotions distract or cloud your judgement (sounds like something a Jedi would say lol), but your cold calculations let you make the best deision.
I don't think in that case it's about dismissing any emotion, but rather letting another kind take hold. Instead of dreading to kill the man, possibly I'd find peace in helping his soul move on (if he's been begging for people to finish his life). I have no idea what'd really happen. I don't think being emotionless is possible because I think apathy is an emotion in and of itself. Have you personally ever felt emotionless in that you could use "cold judgement?"
You cannot feel nothing when dealing with such a...delicate situation. Only some sort of psychopaths have that. But you have to dismiss them. And yes, I had fucked up situations in my life when it was essential to put emotions aside and do the right thing. Also, what's important: you cannot let them get to you afterwards. Or you shall suffer from it, really.
I'm still curious as to what it'd be like to not feel any emotion whatsoever. I feel like it's such a vital park of living.
You mean like a cyborg? Reminded me of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v... I dunno, as a human I think we would be bored without emotions. They are such a big part of our lives after all.
But I feel like that guy felt emotion too.I would like to express gratitude...
I feel to be grateful requires some sort of emotion.