Feelings vs. Facts

 Feelings vs. Facts

We have all said or heard statements like “I am feeling…,” “I am feeling better,” “I feel my business is doing well,” or “I feel my child is doing well.” Feelings carry a sense of goodness, and it is encouraging to express them. But does it help us play devil’s advocate on ourselves? It does, if it leads us to ask: is it just a feeling, or is it a fact? Sometimes we want to be optimistic and cling to a positive feeling, even when reality is different.

Feelings are not the enemy of facts. They are often early signals—intuition, unease, or confidence—that prompt us to look closer. The mistake is treating a feeling as a conclusion. A person with diabetes may feel better. That could be a good sign of confidence, or it could be a way of ignoring pain. Some keep saying this without facts and even avoid checkups and regular medication, which can lead to adverse situations. Instead of merely saying, “I am feeling good” or “I am feeling better,” it is wiser to examine the facts. This may sound pessimistic, but it is neither optimism nor pessimism; it is practicality.

A business owner says, “I feel my business is doing well.” Do feelings alone confirm that? If they check their books and see positive numbers, the feeling is justified. But if they keep saying it without looking at the facts, it may signal a failure to accept reality—living in a fool’s paradise where they don't critically evaluate the business, uncover problems, and fix them.

Facts themselves are not automatically reliable. They depend on good data and honest interpretation. Incomplete or manipulated data can mislead just as unchecked feelings can. So the balanced rule is: let feelings raise the question, and let facts answer it.

It is good to feel better or at your best, but let facts test those feelings so you can enjoy real goodness and move forward with confidence.

Edward Deming said, “In God we trust; all others must bring data.” It is good to trust yourself, but it is also good to question yourself so as to be more factual.

M. L. Narendra Kumar