Final answer:
Emotional vacillation refers to rapid and frequent emotional changes, which can occur in poetry contemplation, acting performances, and influence decision-making processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term emotional vacillation refers to the condition of experiencing rapid and frequent emotional changes.
This concept can apply to various contexts presented, such as a student's response when contemplating the deep emotional meanings of poetry, or an actor's need to exhibit a broad emotional range and vulnerability in performance.
It can also relate to the idea of emotions affecting our critical thinking and decision-making as discussed in the references to philosophy and maintaining skepticism in the face of strong emotions.
For example, in the context of acting, emotional vacillation may occur when an actor moves through a myriad of emotions, such as fear, anger, or joy, as they fully inhabit their character's emotional truth.
This can also be likened to toddlers who, as depicted in Figure 10.20, experience quick shifts from happiness to sadness.
The phenomenon of emotional vacillation highlights the complexity of our emotional responses and how swiftly they can transition from one state to another.