Emotions

Explanations > Emotions

So what? | See also

Emotions are our feelings. Literally. We feel them in our bodies as tingles, hot spots and muscular tension. There are cognitive aspects, but the physical sensation is what makes them really different.

Articles on emotion include:

Association and emotion: when we associate with people and events, we feel emotions.
Basic emotions: there are lots of emotions, but what are the basic ones?
Purpose of emotion: what is the real value of emotions?
Emotional arousal: The process of getting emotional.
Emotion and decision: our decisions are largely emotional.
Emotion and rationality: which often seem to be mutually exclusive.
Emotional Intelligence is to emotions what IQ is to cognitive intelligence.
Empathy: the ability to feel what others feel.
Facial emotional indicators: Detecting emotions through their expressions.
Modalities of emotion: Different dimensions that indicate emotion.
Primary and secondary emotions: Those that are key drivers and others.
Temperament, Mood and Emotion: Emotional states of different duration and cause.
Theories about emotion: deeper stuff about emotion.
The Seven Deadly Sins are all emotions, as are The Seven Virtues.

A basic of much emotional arousal is that there is a goal at stake somewhere. Our emotions thus cause us to want and not want. And when we have what we wanted, we then have emotions about owning it.

Emotions of wanting: anticipation, greed, hope, envy, desire, love
Emotions of not wanting: fear, shame, repulsion, contentment, anxiety
Emotions of having: happiness, pride, guilt, jealousy
Emotions of not having: anger, sadness, distress
Other emotions: surprise

Some emotions are discussed in more detail here:

Happiness: Pleasure, joy and hedonism.

Emotions often lead to coping activities. When we feel something, we consequently respond to that feeling. This can be both in the immediate (and often subconscious) response to the feeling and also in the more thoughtful handling of the aftermath. Where this has been a negative feeling, the response may range from vigorous justification of our actions to conciliatory apologies and other 'making up'. A common response to the repression of unwanted emotions is displacement, where we act out our frustration in other ways. Thus a reprimanded child, knowing they cannot answer back, may go and 'punish' their toys.

Emotions affect and are a part of our mood, which is usually a more sustained emotional state. Mood affects our judgment and changes how we process decisions.

So what?

So manage emotions, both yours and theirs. In negotiations, the person gets their way is often the person who has greatest emotional control.