Mirror Project #__ Feelings as Data
No one gets graded on being right.
Only on becoming more observant.
For one day, pay attention to moments when you notice a feeling before you fully understand why.
Examples include:
- irritation
- relief
- dread
- attraction
- embarrassment
- affection
- boredom
- curiosity
- grief
- delight
When one of these feelings appears, resist the urge to explain it immediately.
Do not begin with:
"That person was being an asshole."
Begin with:
"Something happened that my nervous system noticed."
That distinction matters.
Your first interpretation may be correct.
It may also be incomplete.
The purpose of this assignment is to become curious before becoming certain.
Part I — Three Observations
Complete three observations during the day.
Observe:
- Yourself
- Someone you know personally
- A literary character from the assigned reading (any fiction you're reading may be substituted)
For each observation, write 3–5 sentences describing only what happened.
Stay concrete.
Describe behavior.
Describe words.
Describe physical details.
Avoid explaining motives.
Instead of:
"She was angry."
Write:
"She answered with one-word responses, crossed her arms, and looked away before speaking."
Instead of:
"He was trying to manipulate me."
Write:
"He asked the same question three different ways after I had already answered it."
Your goal is to separate observation from interpretation.
Part II — Investigation
For each observation, answer:
What feeling first caught my attention?
What might the body have noticed before anyone consciously understood it?
What observations support my interpretation?
What assumptions am I making?
Which assumptions might be wrong?
What are at least two other plausible explanations?
What additional observation would help me understand the situation better?
AI Step (Required)
Submit all three observations to your AI thinking companion.
Do not ask:
"Am I right?"
Instead ask:
- What possibilities have I overlooked?
- Which interpretation am I becoming attached to?
- Which observations seem strongest?
- Which conclusions arrived too quickly?
- What evidence am I relying on most?
- What evidence am I ignoring?
- If this feeling is valuable, what might it be pointing toward?
- What questions should I investigate next?
You are not required to agree with your AI.
If you disagree, explain why.
Final Reflection
Write one page comparing your three observations.
Consider:
- Which observation felt easiest to interpret?
- Which one was hardest?
- Did I become more certain about myself or about someone else?
- Did literature provide evidence that real life could not?
- Did the AI notice something I had overlooked?
- Did any of my original interpretations change?
Complete both sentences:
One feeling that became clearer after investigation was...
One feeling that still remains uncertain is...
Learning Goal
Feelings are observations, not conclusions.
They are observations that deserve curiosity before judgment.
This assignment resists two opposite mistakes:
If I feel it, it must be true.
and
If I can't prove it immediately, I should ignore it.
Instead, practice remaining metabolically uncomfortable long enough for reality to have another chance to speak.
Further Reading
This assignment sits at the intersection of several traditions that take feelings seriously without treating them as infallible.
