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Two Emotions

I was listening to the Science of Happiness podcast — the episode with the director of Inside Out — and Dacher Keltner mentioned that humans experience 21 or 22 distinct emotions.  So my first question:

Is that more or less than you thought there would be?

I assumed that there were many more emotions, but when I tried to list them in my head, I didn’t come close to hitting 22 (so I’m not sure why I thought there would be more).  I looked it up when I got home, and it turns out that Keltner has a piece on Greater Good stating that there are 27 emotions.

[I put the list below because while that last link is fine to click on (it takes you to the study), the study contains a link to an emotional hypermap that shows the videos people watched to chart their emotional response and arrive at the list.  And I really really really wish I hadn’t clicked on the hypermap because I saw some disturbing images/videos.  So, just a warning that if you do read the study, don’t click willy-nilly on the hypermap link embedded in the article.  It seems a little irresponsible that the study didn’t give this warning, so I’m giving it to you.]

  • Admiration
  • Adoration
  • Aesthetic Appreciation
  • Amusement
  • Anxiety
  • Awe
  • Awkwardness
  • Boredom
  • Calmness
  • Confusion
  • Craving
  • Disgust
  • Empathetic pain
  • Entrancement
  • Envy
  • Excitement
  • Fear
  • Horror
  • Interest
  • Joy
  • Nostalgia
  • Romance
  • Sadness
  • Satisfaction
  • Sexual desire
  • Sympathy
  • Triumph

So those are the emotions.

THEN I listened to Guy Winch as a guest on Note to Self, and he had this great point about how people only list one emotion/sensation when people ask them how they are.  They don’t say that they’re joyful with a little bit of envy mixed in and a sprinkle of excitement as they think ahead to weekend plans.

They say they’re sad.  Or they’re happy.  Or everything is fine.  I realized that I often answer that I’m tired — mostly because I am tired — but tired isn’t an emotion.  Though I don’t know why it isn’t an emotion if calmness is an emotion (and… if calmness is an emotion, why isn’t impatient or agitated?).  But anyway… I just thought it was an interesting idea to state two or more things the next time you’re asked how you’re feeling.

As I’m writing this, I feel anxious and content with a bit of satisfaction thrown into the mix.

How are you feeling?

7 comments

1 a { 03.07.18 at 7:56 am }

Well, I suppose tired is more of a physical state than an emotion, but where are cranky, irritable, or tense on that list? Those are my most frequently emotions and none of them fall under the listed descriptions. (Tense is not worried enough for anxious and not happy enough for excited, to me.). My response to “how are you?” is generally”tired and cranky.”

2 Beth { 03.07.18 at 11:35 am }

Well my question is, if calmness and awkwardness are emotions, why not annoyance? Because righ now I am feeling happy, satisfaction and annoyance.

3 Working mom of 2 { 03.07.18 at 1:00 pm }

I don’t insider some of those things, e.g. admiration to be emotions. So 21 is more than I expected and as it turns out inflated.actual emotions are more like 6-7.

4 Jill A. { 03.07.18 at 4:19 pm }

Usually when someone asks how I am, I say, “Fine.” I don’t get into one emotion, let alone two or three. Talking with myself or close friends, then I might open up.

It is an interesting list, but that it doesn’t list Grief as an emotion makes me wonder about what he was trying to get at. I suppose it depends on how how “emotion” is defined.

5 Brid { 03.07.18 at 7:16 pm }

I agree with the tired / calm idea… I suppose one can be emotionally calm and emotionally exhausted, but on their own, are they just states of being… or are they just things that lead to emotion? Like curiosity?
Currently… nervous (also not on the list) due to winter highways..

6 knottedfingers { 03.07.18 at 8:15 pm }

I’m feeling really emotional. Like super so. I just finished Thor Ragnarok and it’s the best Marvel movie I have seen in a long time. I’m feeling overwhelmed, sad, happy, proud, and just all kinds of fluffy feels right now.

I never feel just one emotion at a time. I always have a mix going on. Also of my above mix I have some grief going on. I feel bad for the characters they lost and just lots of feels.

7 Lori Lavender Luz { 03.08.18 at 4:20 pm }

I have been way too deep in emotions lately, so I am feeling too overwhelmed to spend much energy with this map, though I think it is really cool, and may one day be a helpful tool. I was surprised there were that many emotions.

(c) 2006 Melissa S. Ford
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