Philosophers, along with ordinary people have debated "what's real" for thousands of years. The theory if knowledge, existence, all that stuff. In ordinary conversions I have watched peoples minds do this switcheroo thing between the intellect and their emotions. It's like a split personality. The two sides don't seem to know the other side exists.
It's very obvious in the area of politics. I DIDN'T SAT THAT!!
Few intelligent decisions can be made while in an emotional state but yet they are. Some ways too ID this state is when people preface their statements with "I feel" rather than "I think" It's not this simple and borders on Pop psychology if just used by itself but I wanted to point out these opposed mental states. Politics can be all emotion like a new girlfriend and a thinker won't make sense of it.
So here's a test. Next time a volatile subject comes up in conversation, do you feel or think? If your anxious, breathing a bit faster, maybe a bit flushed, chances your stuck in an emotional state. A person can't think clearly in this state. Usually just observing your head's thoughts will move someone into a thinking state. Emotions are for girlfriends not conversations.