Emotion

Examples of basic emotions

Emotion or Feeling is the expression of inner feelings in a human being. The Theory of Evolution has no explanation for the wide range of human emotions, as even Charles Darwin admitted.

Some of the higher animals also display emotion, such as the joyful playfulness or mournful lonely cries of canines like dogs and wolves.

Emotions are often a creative counter to the supposedly more rational left side of the brain but are usually more powerful because even in situations where people believe their decisions are guided purely by logic and rationality, emotions play a key role.

Emotional regulation

See also: Emotional regulation

Emotional regulation refers to the mental processes by which individuals influence which emotions they have, when they have them, and how they personally experience and express these emotions. It's a core aspect of emotional intelligence and mental health, enabling people to adapt to situations, maintain personal and business relationships, and achieve their personal goals.

Emotional health

See also: Emotional health and Interpersonal relations and Skills

Emotional health, frequently called emotional well-being, "refers to how a person thinks and feels, including their ability to cope with life events, their sense of well-being, and how they acknowledge and manage their own emotions and those of others. It's about having the skills to navigate challenges, maintain healthy relationships, and feel good about oneself. Emotional health is a core part of overall mental health and well-being."

Importance of Emotions

See also: Positive thinking and Optimism and Self-talk and Negative thinking and Pessimism

Emotions drive and motivate people. While nobody wants to feel anxiety, this can drive one to better. Like when one has anxiety about a test, it can increase their chance of studying. Unfortunately, negative feelings drive people to such as when one is angry they often make bad decisions. . The best way to avoid this in the feeling of gratitude. As gratitude is the source of goodness. Emotions also people make better decisions, as researchers found that people with certain types of brain damage affecting their ability to experience emotions also have a decreased ability to make good decisions.

Classification/categories of emotion

"Emotions can be broadly categorized into primary and secondary emotions. Primary emotions are considered universal and fundamental, while secondary emotions are more complex and often derived from primary emotions. Some common examples of primary emotions include happiness, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, and surprise. Secondary emotions can include things like frustration, pride, envy, and jealousy."

Articles:

• There Are 27 Different Emotions, New Study Suggests by Marlynn Wei M.D., J.D.
• What categories and classifications of emotions are there?, AI
• How many emotions are there?, AI
• What is the difference between a primary emotion and a secondary emotion?, AI
• Is it unhelpful to merely categorize emotions as either positive or negative emotions?, AI

Emotional intelligence

See also: Emotional intelligence and Emotional stability

Emotional intelligence (EI) "refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions."

The five components of emotional intelligence are: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.

Many businesses offer their employees seminars or courses on emotional intelligence in order to boost their employees effectively and to create more harmony in the workplace.

Raising emotional intelligence is a big part of character education, something liberals have sought to replace.

The five components of emotional intelligence are: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.

Values

Emotions and feelings serve as a representative of one's value system in such they protect it. So when one's values (not necessarily moral values) are challenged or dismissed, their emotions and feelings (which guard and are a part of our value system) will arise. The same will happen if one's values are appraised, validated, or approved.

Emotional conflict

See also: Emotional conflict and Emotional intelligence and Neuroticism

Emotional conflict occurs when a person experiences two (or more) opposing emotions/feelings at the same time, and those opposing feelings are pulling them in different directions.

Carl Jung indicated that "emotional conflicts and the intervention of the unconscious are the classical features of...medical psychology". The child psychoanalyst Eric Erickson indicated that emotional conflict was a source of neurosis in children.

Emotional conflict happens when:

• A person wishes to do something, but another part of the person doesn’t want to do it.

• A person feels both positive and negative emotions about the same person or situation.

• A person has two or more different values, desires, or needs inside themselves that are incompatible.

Emotional conflict can create stress, indecision, hesitation, and/or even physical tension. See also: Stress management

Cugelman Emotion Map

• Cugelman Emotion Map by Brian Cugelman, PhD

• The Psychology of Color and Emotional Design

Videos:

• Map of emotions

Cicumplex model of emotion

See also: Circumplex model of emotion

The circumplex model of emotion is "a psychological model that represents emotions as points on a two-dimensional circular graph, with the primary axes being "valence" (positive to negative) and "arousal" (low to high), meaning emotions can be plotted based on how pleasant or unpleasant they are and how intense they are; essentially describing the emotional state through these two key dimensions."

The Circumplex model of emotion has two axes: Valence and Arousal

Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions

"Emotions can be complex, scary and overwhelming. How can we make sense of them, navigate them more effectively, and not feel overwhelmed by them? Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions, or Feelings Wheel, is a valuable resource to make sense of feelings and grow your emotional literacy, one of the foundations of practicing emotional intelligence."

Article:

• Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions: Exploring the Emotion Wheel

Video:

• Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions - Video playlist

Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions and its 8 primary emotions

According to Plutchick's Wheel of Emotions, there are 8 primary emotions. See: List of primary emotions

Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions

A graph showing the primary, secondary, and tertiary dyads on the Plutchik wheel of emotions.

Emotional detachment

See also: Emotional detachment and Obsessive thinking and Personal development and Friendship and Social networking and Gratitude and mindfulness and Self-awareness and Positive thinking and Mental toughness and Self-awareness and Mental toughness and Psychological resilience and Self-care and Stress management

Emotional detachment is the ability to separate oneself from strong emotions.

Emotional detachment can be practiced through techniques such as: learning to master emotions (See also: Self-regulation and Emotional intelligence), redirecting one's focus rather than obsessing about an issue/person (Focusing on personal development, strengthening friendship/relationships or developing new relationships and practicing gratitude), mindfulness, increasing self-awareness, engaging in positive thinking and not caring what negative or toxic people think, assertively setting healthy boundaries (Communication boundaries and limiting contact), increasing one's mental toughness and psychological resiliency and engaging in self-care (For example, Stress management techniques). Specifically, it's a mental process that involves recognizing and accepting thoughts and feelings without letting them overwhelm you, and it can be a helpful tool for managing difficult emotions and difficult relationships.

Emotional detachment is often helpful for gaining additional objectivity when engaging problem solving or when dealing with difficult people. Frustration, fear and anger takes resources away from the executive decision making of the prefrontal cortex part of the brain.

Emotions, stress management, cognitive therapy and emotion-focused coping

See also: Stress management and Cognitive therapy and Emotion-focused coping

Stress is the emotional and physical tension brought on a person’s reaction to the demands of life. If a person lacks stress management abilities such as the knowledge of how to remain mentally calm during difficult situations (See: mental toughness and psychological resilience and Sport psychology), stress frequently causes anxiety, irritability, and inability to concentrate. Stress can also lead to headaches, and a rapid heartbeat. Many illnesses, such as chronic anxiety states, high blood pressure, heart disease, and addictive disorders, to name a few, also seem to be influenced by chronic or overwhelming stress.

Cognitive therapy is a form of psychotherapy, developed by Dr. Aaron T. Beck, that emphasizes the important role of thinking in how we feel and what we do. Also called cognitive-behavioral therapy' (CBT), it is "based on the idea that our thoughts cause our feelings and behaviors, not external things, like people, situations, and events." The theory is that depression and anxiety are caused by negative thinking patterns. or cognitive distortions, such as jumping to conclusions, all or nothing thinking, and "Catastrophizing".

Emotion-focused coping is "a stress management technique that involves regulating negative emotional reactions to a stressor, rather than directly addressing the problem causing the stress. It's often used when a person feels the stressor is beyond their ability to change, focusing instead on managing their feelings about the situation.

Sociology of emotions

See also: Sociology of emotions and Sociology

The sociology of emotions explores how social and cultural factors shape emotional experiences, expressions, and their impact on society. It examines how emotions are socially constructed, learned, and regulated in a person and society within specific cultural contexts. This field of sociology emerged in the 1970s, shifting the focus from individualistic explanations of emotions to recognizing their social/cultural dimensions.

Atheism and emotional problems

See: Atheism and emotional problems

Emotional intelligence "refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions." Research indicates that religiosity is positively associated with ability in emotional intelligence. For more information, please see: Atheism and emotional problems

Feeling in Buddhism

Feelings or sensations, called Vedana in Sanskrit is the second of the Five aggregates in Buddhist philosophy of mind.

Books

• The New Emotional Intelligence ' by Dr. Travis Bradberry. Bruyere Publishing. May 13, 2025
• Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Dr. Travis Bradberry and Dr. Jean Greaves. ‎ Talentsmart. June 16, 2009 (Updated in 2021)
• Master Your Emotions: A Practical Guide to Overcome Negativity and Better Manage Your Feelings by Independently published. June 12, 2021
• Shift: Managing Your Emotions--So They Don't Manage You by Ethan Kross. Crown. February 4, 2025
• Untangle Your Emotions: Naming What You Feel and Knowing What to Do About It by Jennie Allen. WaterBrook. February 13, 2024

Academic oriented:

• Handbook of Emotions, Fourth Edition by Lisa Feldman Barrett, Michael Lewis and Jeannette M. Haviland-Jones. The Guilford Press. November 3, 2016

• How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017. ISBN 0544133315.

External links

• Emotions
• Emotions and Types of Emotional Responses by Kendra Cherry, MSEd
• Theories of Emotion, Lumen Learning

Videos:

• Emotions - video playlist, Video playlist
• How to Process Your Emotions - video playlist by Emma McAdam, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (30 video course)