Last post was about feelings. Now, we’re one step further again… We’ve went from thoughts to feelings and now finally getting to the emotions!
What’s the difference between feelings and emotions?
The terms “feelings” and “Emotions” have become synonymous among many people. But while they have similar elements, they are different things. They both stem from the same root word, but they are not the same thing.
While feelings are a conscious experience, emotions do not necessarily require consciousness. For example, you might feel sad without being aware of it. However, you cannot feel sadness without experiencing some sort of emotion.
Both emotional experiences and physical sensations – such as hunger or pain – bring about feelings, according the Psychology Today article. Feelings are what we call our subjective states of mind, whereas emotions are how we express those feelings. We usually think of emotions as something negative, like anger or fear. In fact, positive emotions, such as happiness and love, are just as important.
What are emotions?
Emotion is defined as a complex set of feelings resulting from an interpretation of the environment and/or self. This includes physiological changes, thoughts, behaviors, and actions.
The term emotion derives from the Latin word emovere, meaning “to move”. The concept of emotion is very broad, ranging from simple positive or negative evaluations of objects or situations to complex emotional reactions such as love, hate, fear, jealousy, etc. I call emotion as “Energy in Motion”. Because as I mentioned before, we are energetic beings! We are energy and energy moves through us. If you don’t want to believe me, look at this: according to the science (physics or even quantum physics), everything is made out of small particles called electrons. Those are made out of protons and neutrons. And if you put them under special devices, you can see that there is space between them… and that is energy. So in the big picture, it shows us that if we are made out of electrons, we too are energy! Ok, let’s move on!
In psychology, the term emotion refers to both conscious and unconscious (or subconscious) mental processes involved in experiencing and reacting to stimuli. Although there is no consensus on how many distinct types of emotions exist, most theories agree that emotions fall along a spectrum of intensity, from mild to intense.
Psychologists generally distinguish between emotions and affective states. Affective states include anxiety, depression, elation, and happiness; whereas emotions involve particular subjective experiences of pleasure, displeasure, or neutrality. In everyday language, however, people often use the terms interchangeably. For instance, someone might say he felt angry during the argument, rather than saying he had an emotion of anger.
Emotion is sometimes used synonymously with affect, although it is important to note that affect is a broader category that encompasses emotions. Some theorists argue that emotions are always accompanied by an accompanying affect.
Some philosophers believe that emotions are necessary for rational thought. They claim that without emotions we could not make decisions because we lack knowledge about our future selves.
Emotions are central to human experience and behavior. They play a major role in human communication, motivation, development, and social interaction.
Emotion researchers have identified six basic emotions: anger, fear, sadness, joy, disgust, surprise. These six emotions are universal because they represent our most fundamental needs. They are also very powerful. When you understand what each emotion feels like, you can better understand why you do what you do. You can also use that knowledge to help control your behavior.
There are many different types of emotional states, including anxiety, depression, stress, and even boredom. Some of these emotions have been studied less than others. For example, there are some studies about the impact of happiness on relationships, while others have examined empathy.
Brene Brown has also done an extensive research on emotions and when she asked people how many emotions they have, to everybody’s surprise, there were only 3 – happy, sad and angry. But if you look into how many expressions we have for emotions, there are hundreds! So the question is, why aren’t we more aware of them? Why can’t we identify with them? And my answer is, likely because we don’t pay enough attention to them and to ourselves. If you were curious to explore more about your emotions, I have a great exercise to help you identify your emotions and feelings, to discover more about who you are and what you may be going on inside of you without you noticing! Just email me and refer this blog post.
Why do we have emotions?
Throughout history, philosophers have pondering whether humans truly benefit from emotions. They ask questions such as: What does it mean to say that I am happy? Is happiness really beneficial to me? And what about sadness? Shouldn’t I try to avoid feeling sad? These types of questions have been asked since ancient times. Some people even believed that emotions could cause disease.
However, there are many cases in which powerful emotions clouded our judgment and made us do things we later regretted. For example, if you feel love, you might fall in love with someone else. If you feel anger, you might throw something at someone. Or perhaps you feel fear because you think that someone is coming to harm you. All of these emotions can lead to problematic decisions.
Would it not be better to simply rely on logic? Many researchers argue that emotions motivate us to take action. This helps us survive. So why don’t we just use logic? One reason is that emotions help us deal with uncertainty. When we’re uncertain about something, we often turn to emotional cues. But emotions aren’t always reliable. For instance, we might feel angry when we see a car accident. Yet, sometimes we’ll actually witness a crash.
In addition, emotions give us motivation. Without emotions, we wouldn’t have much incentive to work hard. Most jobs require some amount of effort. If we didn’t care about getting paid, we’d probably never go to work.
So while emotions can be harmful, they also play a role in motivating us to act.
Emotions are not good or bad
A lot of people think emotions are either good or bad. But what do you really feel? Do you know how you really feel? If you don’t know how you really feel, it’s very easy to confuse yourself into thinking something is true when it isn’t. You might even think that something is good or bad when it isn’t. For example, you might say “I’m angry about my boss,” when actually you’re just frustrated. Or you might say “I love my family,” when in fact you hate them (it’s just a polite to say it).
The truth is, there are no good or bad feelings; there are just feelings. And we often confuse ourselves because our feelings aren’t always accurate reflections of reality. We tend to believe things that make us happy, sad, mad, etc., when those beliefs aren’t necessarily true. So let me ask you this question: Are you feeling happy? Sad? Mad? Frustrated? Scared? Happy? Angry? Jealous? Proud? How did you answer? Did you choose one emotion over another? Maybe you chose several – maybe some positive ones, like happy and proud, and others negative ones, such as angry and jealous.
But here’s the thing: Emotions are not good or evil. They just are. There’s nothing wrong with having an emotional reaction to something. In fact, emotions help us understand and interact with the world around us. Without emotions, we’d probably never learn anything.
So next time you start thinking something is good or bad, remember that it’s just a feeling. And most importantly, try to identify how you really feel. If you don’t know, ask someone else.
There are many ways how to deal with emotions. And it all starts with awareness. Coaches are here to see what you can’t see. You’re feeling and sensing many things but you may struggle to describe them. And it very well might be because no one has shown you what to do and how to do it. That’s why it’s important for us as parents to teach this to our kids. They’re not being taught this at school. And if you’re like most, we were not taught that by our previous generations either. So let’s take it this way. We can be the trailblazers for our kids. If we are aware or know someone who is aware, accept the help. Be a better version of yourself every single day. And that’s how you can impact the world. And that’s what my mission is.
So if you are ready to grow, to recognize what thoughts, feelings and emotions are ruling your life and how you can change that, connect with me. You will be surprised what potential is hiding inside of you! Glow from the inside out! Reinvent Yourself!