The Hunter Within Us: How Unspoken Emotions Quietly Shape Our Lives
- rajbanerjee
- 8 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Every once in a while, an article comes along that makes you stop and reflect — not because you agree with every idea, but because it touches something deeper in your own experience.A few days ago, I read a piece in The Times of India that suggested humans still carry traces of their old “hunter instinct.” Whether or not one believes that fully, it sparked a personal question for me:
What happens to all the emotions we don’t express?
Over the years , working across India and Africa, leading teams through crises, turnarounds, and cultural shifts , I’ve seen how much people carry silently. Stress, frustration, hurt, fear, disappointment… it builds layer by layer.
And when these emotions have no outlet, they eventually find one — sometimes in ways we don’t intend.
A small personal moment that taught me a big lesson
Many years ago, during my time in Botswana, I noticed that a senior team member — someone brilliant, calm, and always dependable — had suddenly become unusually short-tempered. Small issues triggered big reactions. Meetings felt tense. And people quietly began avoiding him.
One afternoon, I asked him to step out for tea.
After a long pause, he finally said, “Rajarshi, I’m not angry at work… I’m angry at myself. I’m tired. I haven’t taken a proper break in years.”
It wasn’t the workload.It wasn’t the people.It was accumulated emotion — unexpressed fatigue, unacknowledged pressure, and the fear of “falling behind.”
That conversation stayed with me.
Because it reminded me that behaviour is just the visible part.The real stories are buried inside.
How this plays out in everyday life
The more I observe people — and myself — the clearer it becomes that:
sudden anger is often unspoken frustration
distance in relationships is often accumulated hurt
passive-aggressive behaviour is often suppressed resentment
impulsive decisions often come from emotional overload
Even in otherwise stable lives, these small “inner storms” build quietly.
We don’t need grand solutions — just honest ones
Most emotional struggles are not dramatic.They don’t need therapy-level interventions.They need acknowledgement.
A pause before reacting.A conversation before assuming.A release before things pile up.A moment of joy in the middle of a busy day.
Sometimes, even ten minutes of silence can do what a full day of analysis cannot.
A few simple questions worth reflecting on
What emotion have I been carrying that I haven’t named?
Is my reaction to something actually about something bigger inside me?
Which relationship in my life needs an honest conversation?
What small ritual helps me reset — walking, writing, meditation, prayer, silence?
Why I chose to write this
Because the article I read nudged me to look at life through a simpler lens:
When we don’t release our emotions consciously,they eventually release themselves — often in ways we don’t want.
If this piece encourages even one person to pause and check in with their own emotions today, it will serve its purpose.
Inspired by a recent article I came across in The Times of India:https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/undercurrents-of-terrorism/