How good are you in expressing your feelings? Prof. Simon Baron Cohen, in his book “The Essential Difference”, talks about empathising brains and systemising brains. Men are more likely to have systemising brains while women are more like to have empathising brains. The emphasisers are more in touch with their feelings and so can more easily pinpoint the particular emotions they are experiencing at any time. This can mean that women are generally more able to identify and talk about their feelings than men. Women also tend to have a better memory for emotionally laden material. When we are feeling something, we dont really stop to define that emotion or think about the exact emotion that we are experiencing. We just feel and go through it; may it be sadness, anger or happiness. As human beings, we experience a plethora of feelings and emotions in our lifetime that range over several forms and types. Human emotions The word emotion encompasses a broad range of feelings, behavior and changes in the body and mind. Noted professor and psychologist, Robert Plutchik listed the six primary or main types of emotions as follows - fear, joy, love, sadness, surprise and anger. These, he said, can be classified as primary, secondary and tertiary emotions. Along with the primary emotions, we also experience secondary emotions which are a direct reaction of the primary emotions. For instance, a person may feel ashamed or guilty after experiencing the primary emotion of fear. Plutchik also stated that humans experienced not only primary and secondary emotions, but tertiary emotions as well. These basic emotions along with the subsequent secondary and tertiary emotions are mentioned below. Basic Human Emotions 1. Fear Fear is a response to impending danger. It is a survival mechanism that is a reaction to some negative stimulus. It may be a mild caution or an extreme phobia. If the fear is trivial it is called trifling fear or if the danger seems formidable it is a serious fear. One secondary emotion in this category is nervousness. The various tertiary emotions relating to this sub-category are: anxiety apprehension distress dread tenseness uneasiness worry Another secondary emotion in this category is horror. There are various tertiary emotions in this sub-category. The list of emotions is as follows: alarm fright horror hysteria mortification panic shock terror 2. Joy Joy or happiness has shades of enjoyment, satisfaction and pleasure. There is a sense of well-being, inner peace, love, safety and contentment. There is an existence of both, positive thinking and positive activities. The first secondary emotion is cheerfulness. This comprises a myriad of tertiary emotions like: amusement ecstasy gaiety euphoria bliss elation delight happiness jubilation Zest is another secondary emotion encompassing different tertiary emotions like: enthusiasm excitement exhilaration thrill The other emotions included in this category are contentment, relief, optimism, pride and enthrallment. 3. Love Love arises from a feeling of profound oneness. Love can be platonic, romantic, religious or familial. There are certain nuances to love regarding bonding, friendship, altruism and philanthropy. As per psychology, love is to lend self-esteem to another. There are three secondary emotions - affection, longing and lust. Affection includes the following tertiary emotions: fondness attraction adoration sentimentality caring Lust is related to different tertiary emotions like: arousal desire passion infatuation obsession 4. Sadness Sadness is necessarily related to a feeling of loss and disadvantage. If this feeling drowns the individual it may lead to a state of depression. When a person can be observed to be quiet, less energetic and withdrawn to himself it may be inferred that sadness exists. Such an individual usually has a sloping body, stuck out lips and a downcast appearance of the head. Directly related to sadness, the following tertiary emotions can be displayed: depression unhappiness misery melancholy gloom despair The secondary emotion suffering includes agony, hurt and anguish. Another secondary emotiondisappointment comprises tertiary emotions like dismay and displeasure. Shame is a secondary emotion that can be linked to tertiary emotions like guilt, remorse and regret. The secondary emotion neglect can be understood by the following tertiary emotions list. insecurity alienation homesickness embarrassment humiliation Feelings of sympathy and pity are also included in this category. 5. Surprise Surprise means the showing up of an unexpected result. When one experiences surprise, it is accompanied by raising of the eyebrows, horizontal lines on the forehead, open mouth, stretched skin below the eyebrows and wide open eyelids. Depending on the intensity, the mouth may not open, but only the jaw may drop. A momentary raise in the eyebrows is the most common evidence of surprise. There are related tertiary emotions like: astonishment amazement 6. Anger Anger is evoked due to injustice, conflict, humiliation, negligence or betrayal. If the anger is active, the individual attacks the target, verbally or physically. If the anger is passive, the person silently sulks and feels tension and hostility. Often, when one empathizes with another, anger may be displayed. If the purpose of the source of pain is known, the magnitude of anger is altered. One secondary emotion rage is further differentiated into tertiary emotions like: fury wrath bitterness loathing resentment hate Frustration and exasperation are similar types of tertiary emotions. The secondary emotion irritation involves tertiary emotions like: agitation aggravation grouchiness Another secondary emotion disgust comprises tertiary emotions like: revulsion contempt Some other tertiary emotions include jealousy and torment. Due to the sheer vastness and complexity involved, it is difficult to exactly define and enlist all the emotions experienced by humans. Ask any person on the street and he will say that emotion is a spontaneous feeling about any person, thing, or experience. Emotions are subjective, based on perception and unique to each individual. Some people may have more of one or some may lack in others. It is said the more emotions one experiences, the more colorful life is. Emotions help us humans to communicate what we feel toward certain situations, people, things, and cope with everyday life situations.
Posted on: Sun, 18 May 2014 21:34:12 +0000
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