By January Nelson
As social creatures. When we feel a strong emotion or a strong feeling, we tend to act on it, no matter what. According to some scientists: “…emotions are judgments about the extent that the current situation meets your goals. Happiness is the evaluation that your goals are being satisfied, as when winning the lottery solves your financial problems and being asked out holds the promise of satisfying your romantic needs.
Similarly, sadness is the evaluation that your goals are not being satisfied, and anger is the judgment aimed at whatever is blocking the accomplishment of your goals.” Well, we can identify them and place them into 8 different categories, based on Robert Plutchik’s theory.
Robert Plutchik was an American Psychologist and Professor who studied human emotions. Plutchik’s theory was that there are 8 distinct, basic human emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, surprise, acceptance, and anticipation. He figured this out by developing an emotion wheel.
Plutchik Wheel.
Although Plutchik’s wheel was (and is) one of the best-known concepts about our complex emotions, some people believe that there are only 2 or 3 basic emotions and everything else falls into a hierarchy of secondary emotions and tertiary emotions. For example, “love” can be broken down into secondary emotions— “affection” and “longing”—and even “affection” can be broken down into tertiary emotions of “liking,” “caring,” and “compassion.”
Along with emotions, we also have emotional responses. Psychologists who study emotional intelligence believe that when we feel either a negative or a positive emotion, we respond in 2 ways: psychological and behavioral.
When you experience fear, you know that there’s a lot more to it: your stomach turns,
your heart races with anxiety, and you might even start sweating or getting full-body chills.
This is your body’s fight or flight response, all controlled by within your nervous system. Therefore, this can be identified as a psychological response.
Now, because this is your body going into fight or flight mode, we tend to act out on these feelings. For example, if we are feeling fear or anxiety, we might start to cry. Or, if we experience feelings of relief after the fear or anxiety leaves our body, we might respond with facial experiences of a smile or raised eyebrows.
Combination of Emotions + Feelings
Anticipation + Joy = Optimism (with its opposite being disapproval)
Joy + Trust = Love (with its opposite being remorse)
Trust + Fear = Submission (with its opposite being contempt)
Fear + Surprise = Awe (with its opposite being aggression)
Surprise + Sadness = Disapproval (with its opposite being optimism)
Sadness + Disgust = Remorse (with its opposite being love)
Disgust + Anger = Contempt (with its opposite being submission)
Anger + Anticipation = Aggressiveness (with its opposite being awe)
There are so many kinds of emotion we can feel on a daily basis, but everything we feel develops out from our core emotions.
So let’s develop these words and understand more about our emotional vocabulary. Let’s say you’re feeling happy. Your emotional experience is excitement, content, joy, satisfaction, and the physical sensations you act on are smiling, laughing, feeling your body at peace. Make sense?
List Of Emotions
Here is a short list of emotions and our responses:
Happiness a pleasant state of joy, contentment, satisfaction., and overall wellbeing
we respond with facial experiences like smiling or maybe laughing and a relaxed body stance/demure
Sadness state of grief, hopelessness, sorrow
we respond by crying, staying quiet, or withdrawing from people/isolating ourselves
Disgust mainly a reaction to something that is bad or evil—can be something that is as simple as rotten food to as extreme as a dead body
we respond by turning away, vomiting, wrinkling our nose
Anger a powerful emotion that can also play a part in your fight or flight response
we respond with frowning, glaring, a change in the tone of voice, turning red, sweating, or aggressively lashing out
And now here’s a long list of emotions you might be feeling, including core emotions and secondary emotions and tertiary emotions:
150+ List of Emotions, Feelings, and Moods [2020]
Happiness Pride Excitement Peace Satisfaction Acceptance Affection Joy Compassion Adoration Desire Grateful Love Humble Contentment Empathetic Amusement Appreciative Confident Optimistic Cheerful Carefree Sweet Kind Loyal Lust Gladsomeness Goofy Inspired Enchanted Funny Friendly Calm Sensual Awe Warm Romantic Aware Comfortable Free Courageous Hopeful Fascinated Tender Proud Relief Eager Sexy Understanding Patient Surprised Craving Wonder Amazed Sentimental Focused Determined Fearful Grieved Distracted Baffled Needy Lost Self-pity Pessimistic Hysteria Withdrawal Worried Doubtful Frazzled Sorrow Curious Guilt Apologetic Horrified Overwhelmed Nervous Anxious Terrified Cautious Panicked Alienated Challenged Jealous Fraud (feeling like a) Stressed Agony Umpty Shock Desperate Confused Alone Tense Curious Suspicious Paranoid Reluctant Skeptical Sulkiness Horror Sadness Unhappy Emptiness Misery Aching Insecure Apathetic Defeated Pity Submissive Lonely Melancholy Heartbroken Depressed Worn out Glum Cowardly Gloomy Hurting Disappointed Tired Lovesick Left out Resigned Miserable Shy Vulnerable Yearning Nostalgia Remorse Pensive Protective Dismay Distress Wanderlust Anger Annoyed Bitter Frustrated Dislike Spite Uncomfortable Offended Bitter Infuriated Rage Cheated Vengeful Impatient Disgust Animosity Insulted Cold Envy Uneasy Loathe Hopeless Troubled Embarrassed Boredom Wrath Disapproval Craving Outrage Awkward Hatred Resentment Lazy Mean Hatred Cranky Aggressive Horror Vigilant Pity Cruel Resentful Disgust Delirious Denial Obsessed Defensive Destructive.
Understanding your feelings can be really hard.
Psychologist Dacher Keltner even worked with Pixar to develop the children’s movie Inside Out where every character is a different emotion, to help viewers (children) recognize their feelings. With characters Joy, Disgust, Anger, Fear, and Sadness, this story allows us to understand that it’s okay to be emotional and to have feelings because that’s what makes you human.
Emotions FAQ:
What’s the difference between feeling emotional and feeling moody?
“Emotions” are intense but short-lived, while “moods” are milder yet long-lasting. Emotions are also caused by something specific: if someone does something to anger or disgust you, you might act out on that feeling. Moods happen randomly, aren’t triggered by anyone or anything, and typically have no real reason for their existence. For example, people who have diagnosed anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder experience unexplainable moods frequently.
Where is shame located on the emotional wheel?
In the categories of emotion, shame could be recognized as an emotional experience to sadness or disgust. It can often be confused with guilt. Shame is a self-conscious feeling we get when our positive state is interrupted and we feel unworthy and inadequate. “Feeling embarrassed” is also considered to be “feeling ashamed.”
How does someone respond to shame?
A person can act on their feeling of shame by becoming more emotional and developing feelings of anger and blame. For example, someone who is feeling ashamed for something—maybe they feel ugly or believe they aren’t smart enough—they will start to feel anger and will lash out on someone else and make them feel about something instead. It’s a classic case of bullying if you think about it: using someone else as a scapegoat for feelings.
What’s the difference between emotions and feelings?
According to iMotions, “Feelings are sparked by emotions and shaped by personal beliefs or memories.” So, emotions are something that is felt and manifested in the unconscious mind, while feelings are both emotional experiences and physical sensations that tend to linger and “soak in.” So, for example, if you have a fear of ghosts or the dark, you might also have an underlying fear of death. This feeling of fear lingers and can cause you to respond in an emotional (anxiety) and physical way (crying, heart racing). Feelings are a conscious response to emotional reactions.
About the author
January Nelson is a writer, editor, and dreamer. She writes about astrology, games, love, relationships, and entertainment. January graduated with an English and Literature degree from Columbia University. Read more articles from January on Thought Catalog.
Learn more about Writers | Thought Catalog on our about page.
Why Success Comes From Focusing on One Thing — OMAR ITANI
Research professor Brené Brown says language can shape how we respond to emotions.(Unsplash: Joshua Rawson-Harris )
List of Core Emotions
7.30 / By Emily Ackew
Brené Brown explains the misconception around feelings of guilt and shame.
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last two years have been an emotional rollercoaster.
With tough lockdowns, border closures and separation from our loved ones, the world has been navigating an uncertain environment.
But what if we could better deal with our feelings, like fear, sadness and anger?
Emotions expert professor Brené Brown tells 7.30 that we can, by using a more expansive language vocabulary, help name our emotions.
“We know this from neuroscience — language does not just communicate emotion, it shapes … how we respond to emotion,” she said.
(Credit: Randal Ford)
Brené Brown is a research professor who has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy.
“What we know from the data is that the ability to accurately name an emotion helps us move through it, helps us heal, [and] helps us replicate it for positive emotions.”
Part of the problem, according to Brown, is that we’re not especially good at showing our emotions.
Her own research found that people can typically only name
three emotions – happy, sad and mad.
“We just don’t have a vocabulary that is as expansive as our human experience,” she said.
Her new book Atlas of the Heart identifies 87 emotions, but she explains there’s an infinite amount because we can often feel mixed emotions — like bittersweet.
“There’s a real swirl of them all the time,” she said.
Being human is ‘messy’.
. Brown has been studying human connections for the last two decades and says the complexity of emotions ultimately comes down to the fact that human beings are “so messy”.
“The pandemic is such a great example,” she said.
“We’re kind of worried all the time, but also trying to experience joy.
“We feel disconnected, but we’re holding on to moments of connection.”
Brown says the pandemic has brought out the very worst and best in people because it is a “default human response to fear and uncertainty.”
Crowd of people wearing face masks walking across a scramble crossing in Brisbane CBD. (AAP: Darren England)
Brené Brown says the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a ‘fight or flight’ response in people.
“[COVID-19] is a threat to survival for us,” she said.
“An uncertain environment that poses a huge threat — it’s fight [or] flight.”
Brown says it’s not always easy to choose the brave path because it isn’t as intrinsic to humans.
“You’ll see the very best of people because they have consciously decided to choose courage in the face of uncertainty,” she said. “But during times of great uncertainty, we have to intentionally choose courage. It is not the default.”
The epidemic of shame.
Brown has spent a large part of her career looking at shame and she believes it’s now an epidemic in our society.
“I think in our culture today we just see the vitriol; we see people humiliating, shaming each other, name-calling, belittling, putting down [others],” she said.
“It’s a really powerful way to discharge anger and pain and discomfort, just to tear into someone else.
“One, it feels good, and number two, we do not know how to hold people accountable.
“It’s just easier to name-call and move on and rage.”
Anonymous woman with long hair holding a smartphone. (Unsplash: Tim Mossholder)
Brené Brown believes shame has become an epidemic in society.
Brown says we’re also too hard on ourselves when it comes to feelings of shame.
“We liberate ourselves … very few of us talk to ourselves in the face of disappointment or failure,” she said. “Very few of us talk to ourselves the same way we would talk to someone we love and respect.”
Brown says the reason we do that is because we’ve bought into the idea that we can shame ourselves into changing — but “there’s literally not a scrap of evidence that says that’s true”.
“What we know from studies is that shame does nothing to move people in either direction,” she said. “Empathy, understanding, listening … that is actually the only thing that’s effective. And so, you can’t shame or belittle people into changing.
“We can hang the picture of our worst selves on the refrigerator, hoping that it’ll … stop the snacking,” she said. “But most of the time we just end up standing there looking at it, eating the peanut butter, because it makes us feel like crap.”
“You just can’t hate yourself into being better and you can’t hate other people into it.”
How shame differs from guilt.
Brown says one misconception is that shame and guilt are the same thing.
“What’s interesting is that guilt gets a really bad rap, but guilt is a very socially adaptive emotion,” she said. “Guilt is ‘I did something bad’, and shame is ‘I am that.’
“Guilt is cognitive dissonance. Guilt says, I’ve done something or failed to do something that is aligned with my values. And it feels awful. I need to make amends, make a change and hold myself accountable. I need to fix it.”
A young man slumps over with his chin resting on his arms, at a dining room table.
(Pexels: Andrew Neel)
There’s a difference between feeling shame and guilt, according to Brené Brown.
Shame, however, is a lot more damaging according to Brown, as it says, “you are a bad person”, and as a social species, “shame is death”.
“Shame is the fear of being unworthy of love, connection and belonging, and the absence of love and connection and belonging as a human being, and there’s always suffering,” she said.
“So, we have to say to ourselves, ‘Look, I’m not a bad person, but I did a bad thing. And I’ve got to fix that thing and make amends.’
“So, when you see people making amends, being accountable, it’s not because it’s driven by shame, it’s because it’s driven by guilt and a combination of guilt and empathy.”
Contempt is toxic.
Of all the human emotions, Brown warns contempt is one of the worst emotions because it’s destructive. “If you and I are in an argument about something and you’re really angry with me, that’s OK. We’re still connected, [but] we disagree, we’re angry,” she said. “But contempt is, ‘You have been dismissed.'”
She refers to the research done by John Gottman that observed thousands of couples who argued — he could predict divorce with over 90 per cent accuracy and the key determinant was contempt. “[Contempt] is really like, ‘I’m not just angry, I’m done. I diminish you, you mean nothing’,” she said. “So, contempt is … a dangerous emotion.”
Recognizing emotion means developing awareness about how our thinking, feeling (including our physiology), and behavior are connected. Here are the thirty core emotions, based on the current data. Brené Brown on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (nbc.com)
How walking changed my life.
When I headed off on a five-month walk through the Himalayas, I learnt that walking can literally change our minds. Here’s how.
Read more
Neil Oliver: Governments amount to hundreds, we amount to millions –
they are few and we are many,
Please Note: David Rockefeller was in Epstein’s black book. Epstein served on the board of the Rockefeller Foundation. Rockefeller and Epstein both served on the Trilateral Commission.
Alex Jones told the world 10 years ago, the world about the Bohemian Grove..
the world didn’t listen. Of course, Which better way to sway a politician into doing your bidding than getting photos of them with children…. Bingo!!! Rockefeller 100 resilient cities is the actual playbook and it’s carried out by Aspen Institute. Example: El Paso 1 of 1st cities to give vaccines, stacked bodies hoax, debunked ivermectin studies and intentional defiance of Texas Governor Abbots laws banning mandates. And those trying to normalize pedophilia running offense for the cause…. “If we make it normal, we won’t be in as much trouble when they find out.”