Emotions are relatively fleeting and more or less conscious experiences that are characterized by intense mental activity that generates a high degree of pleasure or sorrow. We all experience emotions, but not all of us are able to recognize and manage them.
Indeed, there are people who have a very limited emotional knowledge of themselves, and although they experience many emotions, they are not able to recognize them with precision. The problem is that not knowing what emotion we are feeling prevents us from managing it in the most appropriate way.
Conversely, knowing all the emotions and feelings will allow us to refine our emotional awareness. If you only know one or two musical notes, it will be the only ones you will listen to as you will pay them more attention. If you know all of them, your musical universe it will expand. The same thing happens in terms of feelings and emotions.
Neither feelings are so emotional nor thoughts are so rational
We tend to think that emotions and thoughts are opposing processes that exclude each other. But the truth is that in every emotion there is a bit of reason and in every thought there is a bit of feeling.
Although we are guided by the emotions we are experiencing at the moment, we are also reacting to a complex mental process that has occurred in the background: the cognitive interpretation we have made of the event.
The truth is that we do not react to reality, but to the meaning we give to that reality, and in that way our expectations, needs and thoughts are influencing. Therefore, emotions are not simply reactions to the environment but also the evaluation of what is happening to us.
For example, if a person overflows a glass of water on us, the most consistent emotional reaction would be the surprise because it is an unexpected event. However, when we begin to think about the person’s intentions and our rational mind starts to wotk, we can react with anger, thinking that he did it with purpose. So anger is not an emotional reaction to what has happened, but to our interpretation of the event.
Difference between emotions and feelings
Knowing the difference between emotions and feelings is not a mere epistemological or linguistic exercise, it will help us to better understand our reactions and behaviors, allowing us to regulate our affective responses to achieve a greater well-being.
What are emotions? They are reactions of affective valence before certain stimuli, which can be external, something that we see or live, or internal, as a thought or a memory. Emotions unleash a set of hormonal and neurochemical responses that produce a state of activation, impelling us to immediate action.
What are feelings? Feelings generate the same physiological and psychological responses as emotions, but have a conscious evaluation incorporated. That is to say, they involve the awareness and appreciation of emotion and the affective experience that we are living.
Therefore, the main differences between emotions and feelings are:
- Duration. Emotions are transient states that come and go relatively quickly. Feelings, on the other hand, are more stable affective states over time. Joy, for example, is an emotion, while love is a feeling.
- Order of appearance. Feelings are the result of the emotions, so that usually precede them. Joy, for example, can be transformed into happiness and attraction into love.
- Intensity. Emotions are usually more intense than feelings since their main objective is to predispose us to action. The complex processes of assessment that usually intervene in the feelings subtract a little intensity.
- Processing level. Emotions are given unconsciously, generating an almost immediate response, while feelings, by demanding more time for their formation, are processed in a conscious manner.
- Degree of regulation. Emotions are affective states difficult to control because they generate automatic psychophysiological reactions. We cannot completely contain emotions such as fear or joy, for example, and as soon as we experience them, they will manifest through microexpressions. Feelings, on the contrary, can be better managed over time, looking for strategies to express them in a more assertive way.
However, emotions and feelings are often difficult to separate in practice because where there is a feeling there are usually different emotions and vice versa.
Understanding the differences between emotions and feelings helps us, however, not to feel guilty for our first emotional reactions. It also teaches us not to cling to them, so that those unpleasant can disappear as naturally as they have appeared.
How many emotions are out there?
In psychology there is a general consensus that refers to 6 types of basic emotions: fear, anger, disgust, sadness, surprise and joy. However, recent research has shown that human face can create more than 7,000 different expressions that reflect a wide range of emotions.
Therefore, basic emotions are simply the basis for building more subtle and complex feelings and emotions that blur our experiences.
List of basic and complex emotions
Positive emotions
Cheerfulness
Love
Affection
Compassion
Generosity
Enjoyment
Festivity
Hope
Admiration
Freedom
Realization
Justice
Gratitude
Acceptance
Accompanying
Goodness
Appreciation
Benevolence
Pride
Kindness
Relief
Empathy
Integrity
Humility
Attachment
Approval
Concentration
Sufficiency
Harmony
Honesty
Temperance
Tolerance
Motivation
Happiness
Endurance
Force
Autonomy
Honorability
Solidarity
Optimism
Satisfaction
Security
Understanding
Simplicity
Affection
Passion
Esteem
Enthusiasm
Respect
Peace
Pleasure
Compromise
Fervor
Glamour
Competition
Fullness
Omnipotence
Euphoria
Extasy
Illusion
Support
Contentiveness
Interest
Confidence
Joy
Care
Dignity
Energy
Vitality
Complacency
Negative emotions
Sadness
Melancholy
Abandon
Boredom
Abuse
Necessity
Absence
Demotivation
Frightening
Bitterness
Anguish
Aggressivity
Oppression
Hesitation
Anxiety
Disgust
Revenge
Courage
Nuisance
Shame
Emptiness
Distaste
Hostility
Humiliation
Disapproval
Meschinity
Awe
Obstinacy
Terror
Betrayal
Harassment
Fasticity
Piety
Manipulation
Fear
Phobia
Failure
Fragility
Frustration
Fury
Loneliness
Imperturbability
Paralysis
Rancor
Anger
Suspicion
Modesty
Deprotection
Misery
Pavor
Concern
Bullying
Pessimism
Incongruence
Pain
Laziness
Dolour
Hate
Wrath
Deception
Stress
Perdition
Prosecution
Alteration
Envy
Offense
Surprise
Saddening
Stupor
Impatience
Confusion
Impotence
Bewilderment
Inability
Incompatibility
Misunderstanding
Misadventure
Indignation
Instability
Unhappiness
Inferiority
Injustice
Destruction
Disillusionment
Unsatisfaction
Insecurity
Insufficiency
Intolerance
Wrath
Irritation
Jealousy
Blame
Censorship
Choler
Contrariness
Dependency
Depression
Defeat
Discouragement
Abandon
Dejection
Unrest
Thoughtlessness
Abatement
Disconsolation
Misery
Remorse
Disenchantment
Despair
Listlessness
Disappointment
Desolation
Petrification
Disorientation
Disdain
Famine
Discredit
Devaluation
Pain
Dysphoria
Exasperation
Remorse
Complaint
Obnubilation
Affliction
Variable emotions
Nostalgia
Lust
Unity
Alienation
Attraction
Alarm
Surprise
Courage
Alteration
Arrogance
Vulnerability
Validation
Temptation
Patience
Ambivalence
Tenderness
Desire
Shyness
Tranquility
Regret
Paranoia
Perturbation
Frenzy
Confusion
Serenity
Submission
Calm
Rebellion
Refuse
Belonging
Commitment
Repugnance
Resentment
Confidentiality
Persecution
Obbligation
Obsession
Excitement
Domination
Strangeness
Incompatibilities
Incredulity
Resignation
Indifference
Intrepidness
Intrigue
Invasion
Impulsiveness
Calm
Consolation
Restlessness
Correspondence
Curiosity
Closeness
Hesitancy
Disdain
Exaltation
Condescension
Equanimity
Apathy
Inspiration
Seriousness
Trance
Obstination
Audacity
Perplexity
In this list of emotions and feelings we refer to positive, negative and variable emotions, but in reality all emotions and feelings can become negative or positive depending on how we live and express them. Moreover, these are not all the emotions that exist because there are also other emotional states we have experienced but in our language do not have a literal translation like pronoia and awumbuk.
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