SHORTY: Stilling, not killing

When we face negative emotions, especially greed, aversion, delusion, and fear, how we face them matters.

Though we do want to end these (kilesas), I've found the way to do so is via stilling, not killing. To still the emotion, sit with them quietly, watching the breath (or similar), and watch them arise, rage, and pass. Don't feed them.

Killing them, that is, using aggression to get rid of them, may actually feed them. It may work in the short run and sometimes, but not reliably.

This mirrors the suppression vs repression dynamic. To suppress and still takes effort and skill. Repression and killing is akin to running away or bottling up.