Two Valuable Aspects Of Emotions

Emotions are one of the most important parts of our psychological life. They are universal and have the ability to condition our thoughts and physiological processes. They can change our heart rate, our breathing breaks and and even the conductivity of our skin.

Emotions are also vital because they help us recognize them in other people. All people experience happiness, pain, and surprise. In general, people are similar here, but when it comes to small details, we are all different. There are no two faces with exactly the same wrinkles and expressions. The same goes for our feelings.

The first half of emotions: messages

In the title of this article, we said that emotions have two sides. Both of these sides are equally valuable, but they can both be twisted or turned against us. What’s on the first side? On the first side of emotions is their message: what they are telling, or what they are trying to tell.

Joy tells us, “Hello! If you haven’t noticed yet, something good has happened! ” This pushes us, as it’s time for us to enjoy our stay, and we’re sure to have fun. A smile emerges and our faces glow. We are as delicate as a flower because we want to share what is happening to us while embracing that feeling.

Joy also tells us that we were right about some of the decision we made. It appreciates and reinforces the action we have chosen. So whenever we face a similar dilemma, it is likely that we will choose the same option again.

In addition, joy makes us more generous and less skeptical. Then when we understand the message it conveys, we may begin to feel like we’ve been a little “stupid” because we’ve been worried about everything so much.

Depression and disgust

Sadness also has a message for us. It tells us that we have lost something important to us. It could be a friend, an opportunity, or even an object we loved a lot.

Grief is also a call to stop for a moment and think. Usually it says there is something that doesn’t fit our story. We have to spin it a few times to see if we could make it fit something without it poking us with its sharp corners hurting us.

The feeling that conveys the strongest message is probably disgust. This is a clear and direct exhortation to ask us to leave anything that has caused this feeling. It’s not so different from the fear that prompts us to escape a dangerous situation, even though we don’t have to consider so many different reactions. The most common reaction is avoidance.

Mixed feelings

These three feelings are examples of the first side of the coin: the message. They should make it clear why emotional intelligence is so important. It’s about knowing how to listen and figure out what each feeling is trying to tell. But if this is so simple, then why is it so difficult?

This is because very often we don’t experience just one feeling at a time. How often have we felt joy and fear at the same time? Let’s think about the time when we started a new and exciting project, and then suddenly we started to doubt if we would be able to do it anyway.

Or let’s think about it when we have some new opportunity, but it would mean saying “no” to many other opportunities we would like to take… or when we move forward and get certain people close but different from others.

The other side of emotions: energy

We just got home, completely tired, we go to the kitchen and eat something, and suddenly we see black thick smoke coming from the downstairs apartment. At that moment, all our fatigue disappears and we are full of energy.

The same thing happens to students when they have an exam the next day, and suddenly they can spend several hours studying. Many of the emotions we feel can give us much more energy than any caffeinated energy drink. 

The stronger the feeling, the more energy it gives us. This can be a really good thing if we are in the jungle and run into a lion. But in the modern world, where we live now, we need to handle energy much more intelligently. For example, we can do a lot of damage with the energy we get from anger or rage, both for ourselves and other people.

We may say or do something we regret later, causing damage that is as uncomfortable as it is difficult to wipe out. For example, exercising can be really good for regulating emotions. It offers us a way to release energy without hurting others or ourselves.

Crown or clave? As we can see, emotions are both of these. Information and energy. They are really powerful elements that can bring a lot of joy if we know how to channel them intelligently.