Second that emotion5/6/2023 Although love and hate, for example, are often conceived of as polar opposites, it is worth noting (as the plots of so many novels and dramas have made clear) that they frequently coexist not as opposites but as complements. The great variety and abundance of emotions suggest that the category of emotion may not be a single class of psychological phenomena but a large family of loosely related mental states and processes.įor the sake of simplicity, researchers and laypeople alike often divide the emotions into those that are “positive” and those that are “negative.” (Scientific researchers call those qualities of an emotion its “ affective valence.”) But the complexity of emotions renders such oppositions suspect. All of those emotions are interestingly different in their structure and in their appropriate contexts, as are members of the “self-critical family,” which includes shame, embarrassment, guilt, remorse, and regret. Or consider the huge family of hostile emotions akin to anger: rage, fury, hatred, resentment, contempt, loathing, and scorn, to name just a few. Terror and horror, two other kindred emotions, are nevertheless distinct from fear. Panic and fear, for example, are often thought to be kindred emotions, but there is a significant difference between the panic that is manifested in an irrational fear or a phobia and an intelligent fear-such as the fear of nuclear war-which requires a good deal of information and analysis. It may even be socially obligatory-e.g., feeling remorse after committing a crime or feeling grief at a funeral.Īccordingly, there is an enormous range of emotions, and even within the same “emotion families” there is considerable variation. An emotion may be socially appropriate or inappropriate. An emotion may be profound, in the sense that it is essential to one’s physical survival or mental health, or it may be trivial or dysfunctional. An emotion may involve conscious experience and reflection, as when one “wallows” in it, or it may pass virtually unnoticed and unacknowledged by the subject. An emotion may have pronounced physical accompaniments, such as a facial expression, or it may be invisible to observers. Others, such as long-lasting love or simmering resentment, are protracted, lasting hours, months, or even years (in which case they can become a durable feature of an individual’s personality). Some emotions are very brief and barely conscious, such as a sudden flush of embarrassment or a burst of anger. Others, such as distress, joy, or depression, are very general. Some emotions are very specific, insofar as they concern a particular person, object, or situation. Such are anger, pity, fear and the like, with their opposites.” Emotion is indeed a heterogeneous category that encompasses a wide variety of important psychological phenomena. “Emotions,” wrote Aristotle (384–322 bce), “are all those feelings that so change men as to affect their judgements, and that are also attended by pain or pleasure. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!Įmotion, a complex experience of consciousness, bodily sensation, and behaviour that reflects the personal significance of a thing, an event, or a state of affairs.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.
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