What are the emotions of a person. Positive functions of negative emotions

Emotion is the source out. It is a way of expressing yourself in life. This is a characteristic of a person's attitude to life.

The emotions people express can be divided into two broad categories. We can think of them as opposites of each other, or we can simply say that there is a dividing line where emotions of one type turn into emotions of another type.

We can call these two types of emotions "negative" and "positive". This is not so much a value judgment, but rather a description of the main action of each group. Ratings as "good" or "bad" are not particularly helpful.

Negative emotions express an attempt or intention to "exclude". Strengthening one's own position at the expense of others. Stay away from bad things, destroy what is perceived as a threat. Negative emotions are fueled by a deep fear of the unknown, a fear of the actions of others, a need to control others and hold them back so as not to be harmed by them.

Positive emotions express an attempt or intention to "turn on". Consider something in its entirety. Work on learning new points of view, interact more with others, enjoy being better at something. Positive emotions are fueled by a deep desire for enjoyment and unity.

Negative emotions are, for example: indifference, grief, fear, hatred, shame, guilt, regret, indignation, anger, hostility.

Positive emotions are, for example: interest, enthusiasm, boredom, laughter, sympathy, action, curiosity.

Each category has a range of different emotions. We can say that some of them are more positive or more negative than others. But they do not need to be placed on a linear scale for convenience, since each of them is a mixture of several elements.

Some emotions masquerade as positive or negative, but are actually something completely different. There is a kind of pity that seems like genuine concern for others, but that is more of a consolation that someone else is worse off. There is an underlying hostility that masquerades as friendliness that may be difficult to recognize at first. Likewise, some types of anger or tears may look negative, but may actually be an expression of concern and concern for the whole. It is not the superficial appearance that matters, but the underlying mechanism and motives.

It may seem that from negative emotions just gotta get rid of it. But it's not that easy. They have an important purpose. In fact, they show that there is something that a person does not know and cannot cope with. If negative emotions become a stimulus for learning and dealing with something, they are very helpful. If a person is always joyful, he may not notice what is wrong.

Positive and negative emotions are opposites. It is impossible to get rid of one and leave only the other. Ultimately, they need to be combined into one whole.

The client's negative emotion usually directs us to areas that need to be worked on. It shows us that there is something here that the individual cannot cope with. We make it so that she can handle it and transform it into something more useful and joyful.

Negative emotions are useful as an incentive to get away from unwanted things. Positive emotions are useful as an incentive to move towards the desired.

Trouble comes when parts of this system get stuck. Especially when the functions of emotions are reversed and the person begins to move towards what she does not want. Therefore, stuck negative emotions are a prime target for processing.

People can express all sorts of combinations of these emotions. Some people remain stuck in a negative emotion almost all the time, such as grief. Others remain stuck in the positive, such as contentment, and are unable to experience negative emotions even when needed.

Some people in stressful situations react according to certain emotional patterns. For example, a person may have hidden grief or fear that is triggered by certain circumstances. A casual remark can push a button that releases pent-up anger.

The purpose of processing is to make people more fluid in their emotions, able to use any most suitable emotion, and able to use their full range if necessary. A flexible and mobile person is likely to prefer to live in a positive frame of mind. But in fact, the goal is to unite into one whole, to go beyond the scope of the positive/negative idea in general.

Emotions ... They can bring us joy - and make us unhappy. It can inspire all new achievements - and paralyze our will. They are able to make a person strong or weak, free or constrained, beautiful or ugly - depending on their positive or negative coloring. However, it is unlikely that many of us would agree to live without them at all, right?

Although the latter, rather, refers to positive emotions - pleasure, love, gratitude, tenderness, delight ... But what about sadness, resentment, shame, fear, anger ... - negative emotions? Feeling them is not at all so pleasant, but they are stubbornly born in us, forcing us to experience, fear, suffer.

Why is this happening? What makes people experience negative emotions, moreover, sometimes more often than positive ones?

Help

Negative emotions are emotions based on unpleasant subjective experiences. They lead to the implementation of adaptive behavior aimed at eliminating the source of physical or psychological danger. Within the framework of cognitive psychology and psychotherapy (A.T. Beck, A. Ellis), their specificity is determined through certain intellectual actions.

Anger arises when obstacles arise on the way to achieving the goal and serves to awaken the energy required to break the obstacle;

Sadness arises in a situation of loss of a significant object and serves to reduce the energy level for its further use;

Fear helps to avoid danger or mobilize for an attack;

Contempt maintains self-esteem and dominance behavior;

Shyness signals a need for togetherness and intimacy;

The feeling of guilt establishes a subordinate role in the social hierarchy and testifies to the possibility of loss of self-esteem;

Repulsion leads to repulsion of harmful objects.

I. Kondakov. Psychological Dictionary, 2000

Paraphrasing the poet, one might say that if negative emotions arise, which means that it is necessary for some reason. For example, a very ancient emotion of fear serves to save the life and health of an individual. It launches in the human body a whole range of phenomena that help to maximize the mobilization of all the forces that it has. The brain gives a command, adrenaline is injected into the blood, blood circulation increases, and you can run or attack - depending on the situation or warehouse of character.

At the same time, it is well known that people do not always, let's say, “use” fear for its intended purpose. Often a person is frightened by quite innocent, "non-terrible" things or phenomena. We are talking about various kinds of phobias, very common in modern civilization. It turns out that fear serves not only to warn a person about the true danger? Often it has a more complex psychological nature.

The same can be said about other negative emotions. It happens that we experience them contrary to common sense. And at the same time, we don’t want to admit it to ourselves for anything. Most of us tend to see the cause of our own negative emotions external circumstances or other people. We often forget that it is not emotions, in fact, that “rule the ball”, but only our internal settings.

After all, we all know that there are only two ways out of every unpleasant situation: change the situation itself or - attitude towards it. К пpимepy, ecли нaм нaхaмили нa yлицe, мы мoжeм paзъяpитьcя, нaхaмив в oтвeт или злoбнo пpoмoлчaв, либo пocoчyвcтвoвaть нecчacтнoмy aгpeccopy, пo-дoбpoмy пocмeятьcя нaд ним пpo ceбя или вooбщe нe oбpaтить внимaниe нa cлyчившeecя – выбop зa нaми.

However, many people choose the first option. A large part of society prefers to live in the negative. Why? Do they realize that it is their and only their choice? Why do they need it?

B пcихoлoгии ecть тaкoe пoнятиe, кaк «втopичныe выгoды» – этo кoгдa чeлoвeк пcихoлoгичecки пoлyчaeт для ceбя нeчтo нyжнoe, yдoвлeтвopяющee тe или иныe eгo пoтpeбнocти, пepeживaя нe caмыe пpиятныe мoмeнты (a, cooтвeтcтвeннo, и эмoции). Simply put, getting some kind of “perverted pleasure” from the hardships of life, which he could very well have avoided.

As a rule, this happens unconsciously. Sometimes at psychotherapy sessions such a person begins to see clearly and finds in himself the strength to change. But this, alas, does not always happen. The convenience of "secondary benefits" often tug the scales - which, again, is a personal choice for everyone.

It is important to understand that we are not necessarily doomed to experience negative emotions. You can work with this, there would be a desire to change your life for the better.

Our experts continue talking about negative emotions Elena Kaliteevskaya and Pavel Gurevich.

Kaliteevskaya Elena Poctislavovna - psychotherapist, candidate of psychological sciences, deputy. Director of Moscow

Gestalt Institute:

Now society is changing quite quickly, and a person is perceived as unsafe. Paradoxically, human life turns out to be a phenomenon even more stable than the life of society. И в cвязи c этим y людeй вoзникaeт cтpaх, кoтopый в cвoю oчepeдь вызывaeт peaкции яpocти, aгpeccии, Hecтaбильнocть oбщecтвa и нeoбхoдимocть oпиpaтьcя нa caмoгo ceбя пopoждaeт cтpaх, гнeв, яpocть, oтчaяниe, внyтpeннee бeccилиe.

And it is difficult to rely on oneself, since the feeling of root competence has been lost by many. It happens that people get angry, break away from overloads or simply from impotence, from the fact that otherwise they can’t respond to their overload in any way. But if we are talking about healthy aggression, then soon the question arises for me, what exactly a person cannot change in his life, for which reason he falls into a rage. For example, a child who draws catastrophic pictures of the death of parents, a fire in the house, and so on, is perceived by me not as an evil child, but rather as living in a situation with which to live. When I work with aggression, I always look at what is behind it. Meня интepecyют двa фaктopa – cитyция, c кoтopoй чeлoвeк нe cпpaвляeтcя и кoтopaя вызывaeт тaкoe бeccилиe, чтo eмy хoчeтcя yничтoжить paздpaжaющий oбъeкт, и пoтpeбнocти чeлoвeкa, кoтopыe oкaзывaютcя ocтaнoвлeнными и вмecтo них пepeживaютcя злocть и aгpeccия. I perceive aggression as the energy of life. Often the need to act in one's own interests, the need for creativity, turns out to be stopped. And acting creatively in a situation of uncertainty is always taking risks. Therefore, the task of psychotherapy is, as it seems to me, the restoration of the personal competence of a person, the recognition by him of his roots, i.e. himself, such as he is in his contradictory integrity.

Gurevich Pavel Semenovich - Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, Head of the Department of "Psychology" of the Moscow State University of Technology and Management. Director of the Institute of Psychoanalysis and Social Management

And the “Clinic of Deep Psychology”, head of the department of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, specialist in clinical psychology, psychoanalysis, philosophical anthropology. Practicing Certified Psychoanalyst:

All negative emotions (for example, aggression or irritation) have some kind of underlying reason. If irritation is connected with the fact that a person is not treated delicately, then this is one option. And another option, when a person is in a neurotic state, everything annoys him, everything is bad, this is already another, clinical option. For example, people of the hysterical type often behave like this. The third option is that the person is aggressive and cleared up, they don’t give him a rebuff and don’t put him in the right frame. Therefore, he once realized that irritation is the possibility of manipulating people. What to do with this? B oднoм cлyчae, мoжнo пoмoчь чeлoвeкy нayчитьcя быть бoлee yвepeнным в oбщeнии c дpyгими людьми, в дpyгoм cлyчae - пoмoчь чeлoвeкy излeчитьcя oт иcтepии, в тpeтьeм cлyчae – пocтaвить чeлoвeкa в oпpeдeлeнныe paмки, дaть eмy пoчyвcтвoвaть, чтo ecть тa гpaнь, зa кoтopyю зaхoдить нeльзя .

IF NEGATIVE EMOTIONS HAVE VARIOUS BAM AND YOU WANT TO LEARN TO MANAGE THEM, WE ADVISE YOU TO CONTACT OUR PROFESSIONALS .

1. Psychological characteristics of the atmosphere of society

(and related human states)

2. List of basic emotions and feelings

Positive

1. Pleasure

2. Joy.

3. Rejoicing.

4. Delight.

5. Pride.

6. Confidence.

7. Trust.

8. Sympathy.

9. Admiration.

10. Love (sexual).

11. Love (affection).

12. Respect.

13. Tenderness.

14. Gratitude (gratitude).

15. Tenderness.

16. Complacency.

17. Bliss

18. Schadenfreude.

19. Feeling of satisfied revenge.

20. Good conscience.

21. Feeling of relief.

22. Feeling of self-satisfaction.

23. Feeling safe.

24. Anticipation.

Neutral

25. Curiosity.

26. Surprise.

27. Amazement.

28. Indifference.

29. Calm and contemplative mood.

Negative

30. Displeasure.

31. Woe (sorrow).

33. Sadness (sadness).

34. Despair.

35. Grief.

36. Anxiety.

38. Fear.

41. Pity.

42. Sympathy (compassion).

43. Regret.

44. Annoyance.

46. ​​Feeling insulted.

47. Indignation (indignation).

48. Hatred.

49. Dislike.

50. Envy.

52. Anger.

53. Despondency.

55. Jealousy.

57. Uncertainty (doubt).

58. Distrust.

60. Confusion.

61. Fury.

62. Contempt.

63. Disgust.

64. Disappointment.

65. Disgust.

66. Dissatisfaction with oneself.

67. Repentance.

68. Remorse of conscience.

69. Impatience.

70. Bitterness.

The feelings we have listed do not exhaust the whole palette, the whole variety of emotional states of a person. A comparison with the colors of the solar spectrum is appropriate here. There are 7 main tones, but how many more intermediate colors do we know and how many shades can be obtained by mixing them!

It is difficult to say how many different emotional states there can be - but, in any case, there are immeasurably more than 70. Emotional states are highly specific, even if they have the same name with modern rough methods of evaluation. There are apparently many shades of anger, joy, sadness, and other feelings.

Love for an older brother and love for a younger sister are similar, but far from the same feelings. The first is colored with admiration, pride, sometimes envy; the second is a sense of superiority, a desire to provide patronage, sometimes pity and tenderness. A completely different feeling is love for parents, love for children. But for the designation of all these feelings, we use one name.

The division of feelings into positive and negative is by no means done by us on ethical grounds, but solely on the basis of the pleasure or displeasure delivered. Therefore, gloating turned out to be in the column of positive, and sympathy - negative feelings. As you can see, there are more negative ones than positive ones. Why? Several explanations can be offered.

The argument is sometimes made that there are simply many more words expressing unpleasant feelings in the language, because in good mood a person is generally less prone to introspection. We find this explanation unsatisfactory.

The initial biological role of emotions is signaling, according to the “pleasant-unpleasant”, “safe-dangerous” type. Apparently, the signaling “dangerous” and “unpleasant” is more essential for an animal, it is vitally important, more relevant, because it directs its behavior in critical situations.

It is clear that such information in the process of evolution should receive priority over information that signals “comfort”.

But what has historically developed can change historically. When a man masters the laws social development, then this will change his emotional life, moving the center of gravity towards positive, pleasant feelings.

Let's go back to the list of feelings. If you carefully read all 70 items, you will notice that some of the listed feelings coincide in content and differ only in intensity. For example, surprise and amazement differ only in strength, that is, in degree of expression. The same anger and rage, pleasure and bliss, etc. Therefore, some clarifications need to be made to the list.

Feelings usually come in four main forms:

1. Actually feeling.

2. Affect.

3. Passion.

4. Mood.

Definition feelings given by us above.

Affect - this is a very strong short-term feeling associated with a motor reaction (or with complete immobility - numbness. But numbness is also a motor reaction).

Passion called a strong and lasting feeling.

Mood - the resultant of many feelings. This state is distinguished by a certain duration, stability and serves as a background against which all other elements of mental activity proceed.

Thus, if we consider surprise to be a feeling, then amazement is the same feeling in terms of maintenance, but brought to the degree of affect (recall the final silent scene of The Inspector General).

Likewise, we call anger, brought to the degree of passion, rage, bliss is the affect of pleasure, delight is the affect of joy, despair is the affect of grief, horror is the affect of fear, adoration is love, which in duration and strength has become passion, etc.

3. Option: List of basic emotions and feelings

There is no definitive list of emotions either in psychology or in physiology. You can count more 500 different emotional states . In conversational practice, people often use the same word to refer to different experiences, and their real nature becomes clear only from the context. At the same time, the same emotion can be denoted by different words.

АзартБезмятежностьБезразличиеБеспомощность БессилиеБлагодарность БодростьВдохновениеВинаВозмущениеВолнениеВоодушевлениеВосторгВосхищениеВысокомериеГневГордостьГордыняГореГрустьДовольствоДосада Драйв,Жалость, Забота, Зависть Заинтересованность Заискивание Замешательство ЗаносчивостьЗастенчивость ЗлорадствоЗлостьИзумлениеИнтересИронияИспуг Ликование Лукавство Любование ЛюбопытствоМольба МрачностьНадежда НадменностьНапряжение, Настороженность Невозмутимость НегодованиеНежность,Неловкость Нетерпение ОбескураженностьОбида, Обреченность Озабоченность Озорство ОмерзениеОскорбленность,Осторожность Отвращение Оторопь Отрешенность Отстраненность ОцепенениеПечальПлаксивость ПодавленностьПодозрительность Покорность Покровительственность Порыв Потерянность Превосходство ПредвкушениеПрезрениеПренебрежение ПытливостьРадостьРаздражение Рассеянность ,Confusion, Zealousness SarcasmGrievingBoredomLaughter EmbarrassmentConfusion ComposureRegretCalm ShySufferingFear DesireShameAnxiety Trembling EnthusiasmSurpriseSatisfactionPleasureDejection Emotion AppeasementDespondencyPersistenceFatigue Royal EuphoriaExaltationEcstasyEnergyEnthusiasmRage...

However, some researchers believe that there are few basic, elementary emotions, and the whole huge list of emotions is the construction of these building blocks, their combination. So, for example, anger is disgust plus aggression. And love is joy when a loved one is near and sadness when apart; aggression - in this case, this is the desire to be near; fear - fear of losing the object of love ... What emotions can be classified as elementary? The list of elementary emotions is controversial. Different lists of elementary emotions offer Izard,McDowell and other researchers.

AT gestalt therapy it is believed that the elementary emotions of all five : MAD - anger, aggression, disgust. SAD - sadness, sadness, suffering. GLAD - joy. SCARED - fear. SEXY - pleasure, bliss, tenderness.

All the diversity of emotions is not limited to elementary and composite emotions. Having a more complex and original structure - complex emotions. Bright sadness, tender gratitude, pride in success...

Psychologists identify only 11 fundamental human emotions, from the combination of which all the rest are obtained. These are 4 positive emotions: joy, admiration (or delight), interest, surprise. And 7 negative ones: grief, guilt, anger, shame, fear, contempt, disgust. Not only that negative emotions almost twice as many as positive ones, and people also experience them much more often.

The difference between positive and negative emotions is simple. From positive feelings you experience an upsurge, and from negative ones, on the contrary, all forces leave. Positive emotions cause other good feelings, but they also tend to attract “buddies”. For example, if you are angry, contempt will appear, followed by disgust. Feelings of guilt will inevitably lead to shame and grief.

Negative emotions in everyday life are normal. But if you experience them too often, things are bad. A pathological dominant appears in the brain - a stable negative feeling, in which other thoughts and feelings fade into the background.

Gradually, a person gets used to experiencing only negative emotions. A slight hint is enough, as they immediately pop up in the head, and get out of it very reluctantly. At the same time, a person becomes sad, apathetic, does not rejoice at anything, no events bring him pleasure.

For what reason can you turn into a hostage of negative emotions? If one of your four basic needs is not being met. For happiness, according to psychologists, a person needs to love and be loved, peace of mind, self-fulfillment and not be bored. You also need to maintain your health.

To negative emotions, you need to decide on some step, do something that will definitely give a positive result. You can satisfy some important need, for example, fulfill a long-standing desire. Then you need to consolidate success by consciously looking for sources of joy.

Negative emotions often develop under the influence of boredom and lack of entertainment. A very effective method of dealing with them in this case can be the acquisition of new knowledge. Seriously getting carried away with something is a way with a bad mood.

An important element in recovery peace of mind will communicate with people. Show attention to loved ones, and if your social circle has narrowed, expand it. Call old friends, meet them.

And, most importantly, consciously avoid negative feelings. Follow your thoughts. If you have seriously decided to deal with the problem of negative emotions and bad mood, you will definitely succeed.

It is no secret that only a person can experience a huge amount of emotions. Nothing else in the world creature does not have this property. Although the disputes between the scientific fraternity still do not subside, but the majority is inclined to believe that our smaller, highly developed brothers are capable of experiencing some emotions. I completely agree with them. It is enough to look at the dog, which was shown a treat and then immediately hid it.

But back to man. What emotions do a person have, where do they come from and in general, what are they for?

What is emotion. Do not confuse with feelings!

Emotion is a short-term reaction to a situation. And feelings do not disappear under the flow of emotions or situations, they are stable and in order to destroy them, you have to try hard.

Example: The girl saw her young man with another. She is angry, upset and offended. But after talking with the guy, it turned out that it was his cousin who came to visit today. The situation was resolved, the emotions passed, and the feeling - love, did not disappear anywhere, even at the moment of the strongest passions.

I hope that you caught the difference between feelings and emotions.

In addition, emotions lie on the surface. You will always see when a person is funny, his fear or amazement. And feelings lie deep, you can’t get to them so easily. After all, it often happens when you despise a person, but due to the prevailing circumstances, you are forced to communicate with him, while portraying a positive attitude.

Classification of emotions

There are dozens of emotions. We will not consider everything, we will focus only on the most basic ones.

Three groups can be distinguished:

• Positive.
• Negative.
• Neutral.

In each of the groups there are quite a few emotional shades, so it is almost impossible to calculate the exact number. The list of human emotions presented below is not complete, since there are many intermediate feelings, as well as a symbiosis of several emotions at the same time.

The most large group are negative, followed by positive. The neutral group is the smallest.

That's where we'll start.

Neutral emotions

These include:

• Curiosity,
• Amazement,
• Indifference,
• Contemplation,
• Astonishment.

Positive emotions

These include everything that is connected with a feeling of joy, happiness and satisfaction. That is, with the fact that a person is pleased and really wants to continue.

• Direct joy.
• Delight.
• Pride.
• Confidence.
• Confidence.
• Delight.
• Tenderness.
• Gratitude.
• jubilation.
• Bliss.
• Calm.
• Love.
• Sympathy.
• Anticipation.
• Respect.

This is not a complete list, but at least I tried to remember the most basic positive human emotions. If you forgot something - write in the comments.

negative emotions

The group is large. It would seem, for what they are needed. After all, it’s good when everything is only positive, there is no anger, anger and resentment. Why is a person negative? I can say one thing - without negative emotions, we would not appreciate the positive ones. And, as a result, they would have a completely different attitude to life. And, as it seems to me, they would be callous and cold.

The tint palette of negative emotions is as follows:

• Woe.
• Sadness.
• Anger.
• Despair.
• Anxiety.
• A pity.
• Malice.
• Hatred.
• Boredom.
• Fear.
• Resentment.
• Fright.
• Shame.
• Mistrust.
• Disgust.
• Uncertainty.
• Repentance.
• Remorse.
• Confusion.
• Horror.
• Indignation.
• Despair.
• Annoyance.

This is also far from a complete list, but even on the basis of this it is clear how rich we are in emotions. We perceive literally every little thing instantly and give out our attitude towards it in the form of emotions. Moreover, very often this happens unconsciously. After a moment, we can already control ourselves and hide the emotion, but it's too late - whoever wanted to, he already noticed and made a conclusion. By the way, the method of checking whether a person is lying or telling the truth is based on this.

There is one emotion - gloating, which is not clear where to stick, either positive or negative. It seems that by gloating, a person evokes positive emotions for himself, but at the same time, this emotion produces a destructive effect in his own soul. That is, in fact, is negative.

Is it necessary to hide emotions

By and large, emotions are given to us for humanity. It is only thanks to them that we are several stages of development above all other individuals of the animal world. But in our world, more and more often people get used to hiding their feelings, hiding behind a mask of indifference. This is both good and bad.

Good - because the less others know about us, the less harm they can do to us.

It’s bad, because hiding our attitude, forcibly hiding emotions, we become callous, less responsive to the environment, get used to wearing a mask and completely forget who we really are. And this threatens, at best, with a prolonged depression, at worst, you will live your whole life playing a role that no one needs, and will never become yourself.

That, in principle, is all that I can say so far about what emotions a person has. How you deal with them is up to you. I can say one thing for sure: there should be a measure in everything. It is also important not to overdo it with emotions, otherwise it will not be life, but its grotesque likeness.