Definitions HQ

Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a primordial kind of being for dasein, in which dasein is disclosed to itself prior to all cognition and volition, and beyond their range of disclosure.

Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠impossible to get behind, or to get clear about, or to get clear of. I am always surrounded by objects that matter in some specific way.

A Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠like the weather. It settles in and tends to perpetuate itself. For example, when I am annoyed, new events, even those which when I am joyful show up as challenging or amusing, show up as grounds for further annoyance.

Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠neither a feeling nor a set of objective movements. It is a unified style of activity in an appropriate situation. When one is afraid, one does not merely feel fearful, nor is fear merely the movement of cringing... fear is cringing in an appropriate context.

A Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a first-person, subjective state. Thus our cartesian tradition has forced us to conclude that it must then be some kind of third-person, objective behavior.

A Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a psychological experience in us. Rather it is something we are 'in'. We are 'in' a mood just as we are 'in' trouble, or 'in' a pinch.

A Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not related to the psychical and is not itself an inner condition which then reaches forth in an enigmatical way and puts its mark on things and persons. It comes neither from 'outside' nor from 'inside' but arises out of being-in-the-world, as a way of such being.

A Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠our way of being naturally attuned, and part of the world.

Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠pervasive often so pervasive as to be utterly transparent.

Mood (n.) provides ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the background on the basis of which specific events can affect us: If I am in a frightened mood, every particular thing shows up as fear. Indeed far from being fleeting as the tradition has supposed, moods settle in like the weather and tend to perpetuate themselves. When I am annoyed, new events, show up as grounds for further annoyance.

A Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠never something we can get behind. We don’t ever get behind our moods and start from no mood and then step into one.

A Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠our primary mode of access to the world for it discloses being as a whole.

A Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not something psychologically “inner” that our minds impose on the outer world. Instead, a mood is a way of being-in-the-world.

Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the way we find ourselves in the midst of beings. These fundamental moods make the whole real for us.

Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not some inner subjective colorings laid over an objectively given world, rather, they are aspects of what it means to be in a world at all.

A Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not subjective — it is something we are in, rather than it being something in us. We have, for example, no problem making sense of the idea of public moods (e.g., the mood of a crowd).

A Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠neither from ‘outside’ nor from ‘inside’, but arises out of Being-in-the-world, as a way of such being.

A Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠disclosive. It shows us things in a more fundamental way than theoretical propositions ever can. For example, fear does not cut us off from things - to the contrary, it reveals something as a threat.

Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠unavoidably always with us. Since we are always thrown into the world in some way, we can never become moodless.

Mood (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a rebuke to the notion of absolute or total knowledge. since Dasein is thrown and factical, we always experience the world from a particular perspective, and we can never guarantee that we have found a final and best perspective.