An interesting web article by Diane Raymond caught my eye and I thought her topic—human emotions—was worth sharing and building upon.
All of us relentlessly experience a range of singular and blended emotions that vary by degree. We cycle in and out of these things all the time. Since they are part of daily living, we might as well good better at understanding and dealing with them.
Because emotions are subjective, an experience that elicits a strong feeling in one person might have little or no effect on another. Depending on our life experiences and situation, differences can cause misunderstandings, arguments, fights—or nothing at all.
Why do we feel emotion?
Behavioralists believe human emotions are evolutionary functions that have enabled us to solve problems, protect our families (and us), survive desperate circumstances, adapt, and even procreate. For example, the “fight or flight” response to immediate danger is one of many examples of how emotion alerts and protects us.
Emotions play important roles in daily living too. They influence the way we learn, set goals, communicate, prioritize, and perceive ourselves as individuals which, of course, influences how we act and interact, both positively and negatively.
In aggressive forms, the degree to which we “feel” an emotion can lead to a “mind-body” experience. A graphic and blunt mind-body example is a person whose bowels or bladder release when faced with extreme fear. Less extreme is someone whose face flushes deep crimson when embarrassed or excited.
Because of their many derivative forms, psychologists can identify dozens of human emotions. Eleven, however, are considered common “root” emotions. These eleven are:
1. Joy
Joy is a magical, often transformational emotion. In an article titled “The Alchemical Emotion of Joy,” Kevin Ryerson defined joy as, “the ability to feel the essence of your own divinity.” Related emotions include happiness, exhilaration, excitement, pleasure, and contentment.
2. Anger
Anger is defined as a strong feeling of disapproval or dissatisfaction, usually brought on by some real or perceived wrongdoing. Anger is felt on many levels, ranging from highly irritable to frustration. Related emotions include resentment, exasperation, rage and fury.
3. Anxiety
Anxiety can be subjective (and difficult to describe) but most often means feeling nervous or uneasy. In many cases it’s tough to pinpoint a specific reason why we feel that way. Impending danger, an upcoming exam, speaking in front of an audience, a blind date, and even day-to-day stress can lead to feelings of anxiousness. Related emotions include distress and apprehension.
4. Surprise
Feelings of surprise can be pleasant or unpleasant. Its constant is its suddenness. Related emotions include amazement, bewilderment, astonishment, or feeling startled.
5. Trust
Also referred to as strength or self-assuredness, trust enables humans to rely on instinct, impart confidence, or experience hope. Related emotions include certainty, faith, and a feeling of security.
6. Grief
Mental suffering over a great loss or painful experience are hallmarks of the grief emotion. Like anger, the grief emotion has varying degrees, ranging from disappointment to great despair. Related emotions include anguish, heartache, sorrow, and woe.
7. Fear
Fear is an adaptive human emotion that often has unpleasant side effects. In cases of violent crime or a near-death experience, the victim might experience post-traumatic stress disorder. Fear can also have a protective effect. Think of the father who, for only a moment, can’t locate his child in a busy supermarket. His immediate response (fear), enables him to quickly read his surroundings, listen for his child’s voice and locate the child. Related emotions include apprehension, terror, panic and dread.
8. Love
Feelings of personal attachment to a child, husband, wife, parent or friend are most commonly associated with love, but love can fall anywhere on the spectrum from passionate affection to mere enthusiasm. Feelings of love might be romantic, or they could mean having a high regard for a friend, church or cause. Related emotions include fondness, adoration and passion.
9. Sadness
Sadness comes from unhappiness and/or events that might cause us to become unhappy. Whether regrettable or unexpected, they take us to a negative place of varying degree, from which we wallow or transcend.
Related emotions include glum, disappointment, melancholy, unhappiness, misery, depression, gloom, despondency, apathy, grief, and dejection.
10. Disgust
Disgust is the manifestation of impatient irritation or strong disapproval. Related emotions include despising, disdain, revulsion, repugnance, abhorrence, repulsion, antipathy, aversion, loathing, and—at its most extreme—hatred.
11. Anticipation
Anticipation is expectant waiting; and can often give way quickly to a different emotion upon the arrival of whatever it is we are waiting for.
As such it is a “build up” emotion. When realized we determine the anticipation’s result as underestimated or overestimated. Related emotions include expectation, hope, eagerness, and expectancy.
Staying balanced: How to deal effectively with root emotions
Keep these five tips in mind:
A. Feeling these is normal. Emotional experiences come, go, come again, and go again. They are part of daily living. Rather than panic, accept them as a tiny tollbooth along a rich, full life.
B. Recognize the actions that led to the emotion’s arrival. Emotions are drawn from experiential and evidential conclusions. In other words, a compilation of thoughts and/or experiences produces the emotional response we feel. Rather than dwell on the feeling, quickly look back to understand why we feel the way we do.
C. We all take turns in the barrel. The number of hands to reach in when we are down is equal to the number of times we have reached in to help others. If you recognize the symptoms of someone you care about struggling to manage his or her emotions, do not wait: reach in to help.
D. Own your personal happiness. If the emotion we feel is good, cherish it. If the emotion we fee is negative, insist your mind treat it as something in “Visitor parking.” It cannot linger, nor remain. This too shall pass.
E. Never take yourself too seriously. Keep things in perspective. Remember: No matter how many alligators swim between our ears, billions of people around the world face far bigger problems.
By managing our heads effectively, we are free to pursue what matters most each and every day: being a positive force in the universe.