Difference Between Emotions and Feelings
Emotions and feelings are often spoken of as being one and the same, and it’s easy to get them mixed up and confused. Although related, there is a difference between emotions and feelings, and they both serve us in their own unique way.
So, why should you be concerned with the difference between emotions and feelings anyway? Because the way you behave in this world, is the end result of your feelings and emotions. Learning the difference can provide you with a better understanding of not only yourself, but of the people around you.
What are Emotions?
According to Carl Jung, objects draw and invoke emotions. This is a natural phenomenon, and is essential for human survival. When you encounter an unknown, you may have a range of sensations such as: curiosity or fear. When you give that unknown a name, it becomes a significant symbol of meaning. It is through this process that emotions become attached to every object in the universe. When some object is given a name, it not only becomes a “thing”, it also becomes something of “meaning”. On a daily basis these emotions can be as subtle as: “like”, “dislike” or “ambivalence”. Even a state of ambivalence is nevertheless a state of meaning. Therefore, to put it simply: Nothing, is ever meaningless.
Emotions offer the sense of life itself. Emotions deliver the message: “The external world (beyond your body) matters”. It delivers a sense of life as an abstract, metaphysical idea. Art is a solid example of this. A work of art represents the artist’s own emotional perspective of life. What you value in life, and the choices you make are the results of your likes and dislikes, understood by their emotional attachment.
Your sense of life is an emotional form, in which your world experience finds value, your reason for existence and defines your relationship with other things that exists. Emotions are an abstract, metaphysical state of mind; they are essential impressions of the world, and your relationship with it. Emotions establish your attitude toward reality, and provides your drive for all of life’s pleasures.
Additionally, these emotions are connected to your biological systems, and are designed to alert you of danger, or to draw you to something pleasurable. If you did not possess emotions, you would carelessly walk right up to a lion in the Savanna wilderness. If starving, you would not have the motivation needed to climb a tree, and pick it’s fruit to eat.
Protection of Body Identity Through Emotion.
To illustrate this principle, lets use the encounter with a lion in the Savanna wilderness.
- Awareness. You must first be aware of an objects presence. Your awareness of the lion is an emotional eliciting stimulus.
- Body Change. These changes are in the form of innate body signals. In this example it is fight or flight. Adrenaline begins coursing throughout the blood stream, your muscles are ready for action. Your heart rate and breathing also increases.
- Interpretation. You must interpret the correct reaction in order to preserve your identity. Based upon all the available information in your surroundings, as well as any previous learned knowledge or skill, will you take flight, or will you stay and fight?
- Action. Now you execute your decision.
Change of Context, Change of Emotion.
Imagine the same scenario except now, you are in the zoo, and there are bars between you and the lion. Your sensations may range anywhere from curiosity, to appreciation or admiration over the beauty of the animal. More than likely, fear would not be present. Your new awareness now includes the bars, which provide the emotional idea of separation, and protection.
Protection of Mind Identity Through Emotion.
To illustrate, imagine that you found a love letter in your spouses coat from a co-worker in the office.
- Awareness. You become aware that a life altering situation exists by reading the content of the letter. Your awareness of a “love letter” to your spouse is an emotional eliciting stimulus.
- Body Change. You feel your body react. Adrenaline begins coursing throughout your blood stream, your muscles tense up for action. Your heart rate and breathing drastically increase. You begin to perspire, and feel sick to your stomach.
- Interpretation. You must interpret the correct reaction in order to preserve your identity. You begin to process the situation cognitively, drawing on all of your knowledge that applies to the moment. You become angry due to the betrayal. Based upon your personal beliefs, life goals, and the degree of importance of the betrayal, you make a decision on how to confront the situation.
- Action. Now you execute your decision.
Change of Context, Change of Emotion.
Now, imagine that you discover that the letter was in fact given to your spouse by a distraught co-worker, who found it in their spouses coat. Your interpretation of the meaning of the letter has now changed. Anger gives way to relief.
Your sense of identity is physical but at the same time mental. Both of the above example illustrate how emotions serve as a trigger to ensure survival of self, but it is the second example that illustrates a far more important point.
You have a sense of mental identity in the form of unchanging beliefs that you identify with. It is this cluster of ideas that are essential in order to preserve your sense of “self”. It is the: “who you are” in the world that you must protect at all costs.
As a spouse living in a particular culture and economic environment, you must preserve the dignity of self as defined by that culture. Dignity comes in the form of an Authentic state of wholeness, with all its frailties and inadequacies. Regardless of the errors you make in life, you must maintain a sense of a single self.
Finally, emotions are intense but temporary. To have them be any other way would be far too stressful on your body! The constant stress would eventually lead to some very serious physical, and mental ailments.
What are Feelings?
As the objects in your world induce emotions within you, they are collected in the subconscious and begin to accumulate. This is especially so when the events are repeated. Ultimately they form a final emotional conclusion about life, how to live it, and more importantly, how to survive physically and mentally in a world of chaos. When this happens a feeling is born. In this way, emotions serve as a sort of, “Feelings Factory”.
Once feelings are established, they often feed back into your emotions to produce the appropriate result to ensure survivability.
Imagine you observe your child approaching an electrical outlet with a paper clip in hand. Your sustained feeling of love for your child, will generate the temporary emotion of fear, and you quickly act by yelling “No!” and swatting your child’s hand away from the outlet. Perhaps your child responds with surprise and anger, and defiantly attempts to insert the paperclip into the outlet again. Your sustained feeling of love for your child, may generate the temporary emotion of anger because your child is expressing stubbornness, and disrespect to your attempts at preserving his or her life.
Here is another example. Imagine that a professional snake handler offers you an opportunity to hold a snake. You may project the “Joy”, of touching the snake, because you really want the experience and the sensations that go along with it. However, you have difficulty moving past the”Fear”, of potentially getting bit. Your solution? To approach the situation with great caution. Caution is a sustainable feeling that is the balance point between two temporary, emotional potentialities. Namely, that of “Fear”, and “Joy”.
Feelings are products of emotions. But unlike short term, intense emotions, feelings are: low-key, stable and sustained over time.
The Differences of Emotions and Feelings in a Nutshell:
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Feelings:
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Emotions:
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Feelings tell us “how to live.”
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Emotions tell us what we “like” and “dislike.”
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Feelings state:”There is a right and wrong way to be.“
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Emotions state:”There are good and bad actions.”
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Feelings state:“your emotions matter.”
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Emotions state:”The external world matters.”
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Feelings establish our long term attitude toward reality.
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Emotions establish our initial attitude toward reality.
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Feelings alert us to anticipated dangers and prepares us for action.
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Emotion alert us to immediate dangers and prepares us for action
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Feelings ensure long-term survival of self. (body and mind.)
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Emotions ensure immediate survival of self. (body and mind.)
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Feelings are Low-key but Sustainable.
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Emotions are Intense but Temporary.
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Happiness: is a feeling.
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Joy: is an emotion.
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Worry: is a feeling.
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Fear: is an emotion.
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Contentment: is a feeling.
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Enthusiasm: is an emotion.
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Bitterness: is a feeling.
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Anger: is an emotion.
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Love: is a feeling.
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Lust: is an emotion.
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Depression: is a feeling.
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Sadness: is an emotion.
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What Does This All Mean For You Personally?
The difference between emotions and feelings is crucial to your personal growth. If you are dissatisfied in your life, know that there is really nothing wrong with you, and there is nothing to fix. Rather, there is only something to discover about yourself. Authentic Systems can aid you in that discovery. The uniqueness of your feelings can provide you with a new understanding, that can lead to many positive changes for you.
Click here if you are ready to bring about more peace, contentment and balance into your life.
Click here if you are ready to take back control and gain mastery over your life.
How can happiness be a feeling while sadness is an emotion?
Dustin Harper…This was exactly my question!!
Dia,
I wanted to apologize to you directly for not getting back earlier. As I explained to Dustin, we have had many changes taking me away from time to respond.
I hope my response to Dustin satisfies your curiosity.
I look forward to any response you may have as well.
John
Dustin,
Sorry for taking so long to get back. We have had many corporate changes. Thanks for your patience.
With the word “happiness” as we are using it here, there is no single focused cause.
Ask anyone if they are happy and they usually say; well, I guess so; yea, things are OK; sure I’m getting by etc. There is nothing specific.
When you ask someone why he or she is sad, there is always a very different response. This person will be able to identify the exact reason for their sadness.
Divorces, deaths, catastrophes and much more, can make any mentally healthy person sad.
Therefore, sadness is event driven and temporary, making it an emotion.
Keep in mind, sadness is very different from clinical depression.
I hope this has helped.
I look forward to any comment you may have.
John
Because even if you are sad, you can mentally choose to change your attitude in regards to how you respond to sadness. You can indulge it and go deeper, or you can say, “no, I don’t WANT to live in sadness. I want to live another way. What do I need to change in order for that to be true?”
Leif Kemp
Unless pathology is present, our normal feelings and emotions are symptoms of internal reactions to real external causes that need to be addressed.
When we cut our finger, we don’t choose to ignore the pain nor focus on its intensity. We do something to reduce the pain and we dress the wound. Most importantly, we stop doing what caused the cut or if we need to return to that activity, we employ preventative measures.
Self-awareness is the beginning step for solving most of our issues.
I realize your post is over a year old, but I believe the best way to understand this is to look at the relationship between Happiness and Joy. I believe you’re mistaking joy for happiness. In the technical sense at this moment, regardless of how you use it in your personal daily life, happiness is meant as a consistent state of being (despite the ups and downs caused by temporary emotions), whereas joy is something you experience temporarily (even though you may use the phrase “I’m happy” to express your joy in your daily life). From there, it’s pretty obvious how sadness is no longer the opposite of happiness you once thought it was.
Ronnie,
Thank you for your interest.
I would like to know the difference between your statement and the article. Happiness has consistency whereas joy is temporary as I said.
I did not say sadness is the opposite of happiness but rather depression.
Please tell me if my observation is incorrect.
What an interesting discussion.
I agree with RonnieAwesome. I have a personal peeve with the term happiness and our culture of happiness seekers.
I think people today use the word as you may be describing it, but I think our use of it is inappropriate given it’s root meaning. Happiness comes from Hap which means luck or chance. Happenstance and Happen also share that root.
Happiness is something that happens to you, whereas I choose and create my joy and I am joyous even when sad because joy is a state of being.
Rollercoasterider,
Thank you for your interest and bringing yet another reason forward as to why this article is our most popular.
As Shakespeare once said, “ What’s in a name? That which we call a rose would smell as sweet.” I would not be concerned if science wants to call laugher a feeling and our deeper beliefs an emotion if they were consistent. As it is, publications still interchange the meaning of these terms even in one sentence. Unfortunately, the distinction between them is crucial in understanding ourselves and in initiating personal long-term change. Experts in many fields of behavior agree that our deep feelings come from an unchanging pervasive abstract belief about life that holds our identity together, while our emotions are changing physically based, reactionary expressions to life events.
We also consult word sources: The Oxford English Dictionary not only offers the etymology of words but more importantly, it traces how the meaning of words changes throughout history as most do. Today, the word happiness is not used to mean luck as it once did but rather as our inner abstract sense of “well-being.” It is a sustained, general subconscious state of mind like the feeling of loving our children. It is always present and ready to show itself when the time comes.
External events can only trigger these deeper feelings that are already present within us or augment them. For some, receiving an increase in wages can elevate our sense of self-worth while others may feel the increase is insulting. Both attitudes are based on a personal pre-existing biased belief. If external events were the exclusive cause of our happiness, then repeating those events would always cause happiness for us and for everyone else.
Beliefs and our feelings about them are what give meaning to what we value. Value does not occur alone in the physical world but rather we project our internal and individual meaning of value upon the physical world. This explains why some lottery winners rejoice in their winnings and plan on how their lives will now improve, while others believe this money can only cause misery and give it away as soon as possible. Their behavior is based on personal beliefs about money and its value. The emotions they express are more associated with genetic and biological design than social influence. Happiness however, can be both an abstract conscious and unconscious state of mind that we feel from time to time. This is why we can feel content in the absence of a physical event as the cause.
You choose and create your joy. This is what most of us strive to do in life. That is, your inner choosing results from projecting the value of what you call joy upon your career. However, calling joy and sadness a state of being makes happiness and depression a temporary emotion that is counter to conventional thinking.
As a result, happiness is not something that happens to us but rather we have the state of mind to permit happiness to occur given our pre-set beliefs.
Rollercoasterider,
One last point. This frustration with how language is misused has been here for a while. Mortimer J. Adler, Chairman of the Board of Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica express this conflict when he wrote: “In the tradition of Western thought the word ‘emotion’ is generally misused for feelings and sentiments–in general, for affects.”
Hey Dustin its just a play of words or I wud say bit inappropriate to explain.
I believe you got stuck on it.
So hmm..in simple terms sad is an emotion, whereas above depression is nothing but sustained sadness
Swapnil,
I agree. Much of this is the misuse of words but they do have consequences.
And, yes many of our Feelings are sustained Emotions.
Could an emotion be described as a reaction to a stimulus (thing, person, environment etc)that is reasonably temporary, able to be changed by shifting focus, point of view or proximity, and a feeling as something that is deeper, more complex in definition, sometimes less easily understood in relation to immediate situation or environment, and is partly what drives or inspires us into connecting with life more consistently. The fulfillment or otherwise of such a feeling, drive or desire being a source of energy or lack of, and affect those thoughts and feelings about ourselves that lead to how we feel about ourselves and our life, and thus our general wellbeing?
Ian,
All emotional experiences are in reaction to external stimulus first and then stored in our conscious or subconscious memory depending on there importance. Since emotions are temporary, we often shift our focus and rapidly change these emotions to deal with the changing environment.
Feelings however, are based on our inner sustained conscious and subconscious sense of morality and ethics as our ultimate criteria for motivation. That is, our sense of lack ignites our moral and ethical sense of “ought” and “ought-not,” driving our compulsion to desire. This sense of lack and desire, are the catalysts that motivate us beyond what language can describe.
Yes, this continued process is the source of energy affecting our thoughts about ourselves and our wellbeing.
You have a good grasp of how emotions and feelings function as the criteria for our individual purpose and happiness. This understanding alone can change anyone’s life for the better.
My understanding is Feelings are how we are affected from external sources on a day to day basic, how we react to situations ie someone being rude or recieving a compliment, it arrouses a feeling/reaction inside us.
Whereas emotions are deep down inside of us, something that we have buried and only comes up to visit us when we feel fear and or deep love.
Colour,
Your comment is very common which is why I wrote this article. I have researched the definitions of both “feeling and “emotion” in “a psychiatric glossary;” The Meaning of Terms Frequently used in Psychiatry,” and; the “Handbook of Psychological Terms: a compilation of various medical and psychology dictionaries, as well as other texts written by academics. Most of these books do not even list “feelings” as a topic and when they do, they are identified as emotions. Yet, emotions and feelings are very different.
How do you feel about abortions, the death penalty, socialism, patriotism, politics, religion etc? Once you give your reasons, you must finally rest upon your moral and ethical convictions that are beyond our logic. They are our deeper fundamental feelings belonging to our identity.
An external source is not necessary for anyone to feel a certain way about the above topics or any category of ideology. This is one aspect that separates feelings from emotions. Emotions demand external sources whereas feelings are sustained internal states.
Emotions are hard-wired through our neural and chemical systems. An emotion can be accessed from body language and inferred from looking at brain scans. Deeper feelings cannot. That is why feelings are often dismissed in academic settings since the Psychiatric Associations demands that the scientific method be used in all psychiatric research.
What if your mother was rude to you? Do you emote and become angry–maybe. Or do you feel she is simply being herself and move on? What you feel about the person, the issue, your intent, their intent etc, usually determines if you will become emotional in the first place.
The best example is a parent’s feelings toward his or her children. The love we have for them is a consistent, stable, and a fundamental feeling of being a parent. We can also be angry with them at the same time. An event is not necessary for us to feel our love for them but, anger for example, demands an event. This innate feeling most parents possess are seldom affected by an external event. How often do parents of serial killers insist their son is a good boy?
So again, emotions are immediately effected by external sources on a day-to-day basis, and it is our feelings that offer a conscious and subconscious foundation.
Your statement, “Nothing is ever meaningless” provoked my thinking.
After pondering your words for awhile, It hit me, naming creates meaning.
Before something is named by me, it is nothing to me and has no meaning for me. Everything in my life that carries any meaning for me, whatsoever, does so because I first named it, whether that something be a “physical” something or it is an “emotional or feeling” something.
That is some powerful stuff right there!!!
Great chart differentiating between feelings and emotions. This is one I’m going to study carefully.
Deborah,
First, thank you for your comment.
This chart is based on information that has been with us for several hundred years. In fact, Authentic System is based on leaving all conventional thinking and initiating a fresh exploration without bias. This approach has lead to new insights by re-connecting old ideas together then giving them a contemporary application.
Also, the foundation of European psychotherapy is far more advanced than here in the U.S. because we are still focused on the Aristotelian perspective. Europe left our structured approach in the 1960′s with Existential Psychiatry. With using this existential approach, definitions such as in this chart is far more accurate and consistent.
Jean,
This realization is why many claim that language creates our reality. While this is true, certain political groups object to this observation because it implies geographically determined mental limitations.
What they do not understand is the dialectic at work whereby each culture sees what the other does not.
No one is in a superior position. Geography forces specialization of linguistic descriptions for survival.
Understanding technical computer systems will not help me living in the Florida swamps.
I find this article very interesting
And i agree with the table organization in which happiness is feeling comparing to sadness which is emotion; mostly because happiness relates to “satisfaction”.
The difference between happiness and satisfaction is very debatable since happiness is actually a sociocultural term (product) of nurture that represents the satisfaction as biologically basic one.
I find this chart one of the most accurate and useful pieces of information I have come across in a long while.
I have worked in the service delivery field for many years and I have tried to convey the vast difference between emotions and feelings on many an occasion.
There are four areas that I have studied and come to conclude that let us know we are experiencing an emotion versus a feeling, they are our cognition (thoughts associated with the event/situation),behavior(how we act out, i.e., tapping of fingers when we become angry, the heart throb from seeing an intimate loved one, crying re: a situation), physical (heart racing, headache, palms sweating) and finally (I drew a bland on the fourth one but I will surely come back with it). Each of these areas are red flag indicators that we are experiencing an emotion.
Lisa,
Thanks for your comment.
Emotions and feelings are very different but as of the 1970s, they were not studied separately within the field of psychology. Apparently, they could not generate empirical demarcations sufficient to study.
However, cognitive manifestations of emotions are driven by our preexisting feelings. This enables us to spank a child through anger because we love them. The love is the sustained feeling antecedent to the consequent emotion of anger.
Biologically induced emotions are of course driven by our preexisting neurology.
For me, it would be hard to place emotions and feelings within the domains you mentioned. It does sound challenging and if you find an adequate solution, please keep me posted.
If you have another comments please don’t hesitate to communicate them.
Thanks again.
good one! my understanding is as follows:
1. the relationship between feeling & emotion is similar to the relationship between temperature and hot & cold(degree of temperature).
2. feeling + meaning(or mind) = emotion.
3. feeling is subtle, emotion is gross.
4. feeling is internal, emotion is external.
pl let me have your views on this
1. The relationship between feeling & emotion is similar to temperature and the relationship between hot & cold.
A: Good insight!
2. Feeling + meaning (or mind) = emotion.
A: Feeling occurs as the result of pre-conditioned meaning generated by past emotional responses.
3. Feeling is subtle, emotion is gross.
A: This is also on the mark!
4. Feeling is internal, emotion is external.
A: You got it! Good perspective.
I was looking for this subject since long time…
Many thanks John
They say LOVE is NOT a feeling…but here it does :O
Mari,
When I talk of “feeling,” I use it as a sustained state of mind as opposed to a fleeting “emotion.”
Love is certainly not driven by logic, rational thinking or cognitive reasoning. Might there be another term we could use?
Here is another example:
A parent can live miles away. In a normal healthy relationship, their children may not think of them very often and when they do, they may have any number of emotions that rise to the surface. Even if they emote anger in the moment, there is still an attachment because of the deeper sustained feeling of love that actually lies beyond linguistic description. In a healthy relationship, parents view their children the same way.
The point is, our deeper feelings are always present which is not the case with our emotions. If what we are experiencing in a given moment seem temporary or fleeting then it is not love we are truly experiencing in the moment but rather an “emotion” like adoration.
I hope this makes it more clear for you. But if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask. I am always open to alternate ideas.
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Thank you for this amazing article .just have a question regarding which part of the body controls feelings and which one does emotions. My galfriend thinks feelings are controled by the heart and emotions by brain, but i think vice versa
Fredrick,
Thanks for your comment.
The emotions can be tracked physically through techniques that record brain functioning. Emotions are designed to have a physical impact on the body in emergency situations and as a means of expressing to others. Imagine if no one could laugh, cry, exhibit excitement, or reveal many other emotions we experience in others? We could never measure the intensity of either joy or misery others are experiencing.
Feelings are the mental blue prints of the human condition. With experience feelings are also strengthened from sustained emotions. Feelings become our inner moral convictions we hold in life that guide us through right and wrong. There are many times in life people ask us to do something that we cannot let ourselves do. It is not just we don’t want to–we can’t.
(The controller of a corporation asked me to steal petty cash with her. She was my boss but still I just couldn’t do it.)
Here is an example of how emotions and feelings can work together. Imagine your child is crawling to an electric outlet with a metal wire in her hand. You the parent, gently reprimand her and tell her No” and to move away. In defiance, she continues to crawl to the outlet. You say “NO” again. She is still moving toward it holding the metal wire. You get angry and shout “NO” again at her. After still another defiant look the wire is now about to enter the outlet. You get off your chair and smack her hand, taking the wire away now shout again “NO.”
Your emotion anger tells her of your displeasure in her actions and places your body in readiness for action. But why do you do this? It is first an aspect of the human condition to naturally care for your child. As parenthood continues and develops this feeling moves to a profound love and dedication.
In that moment of love, you are angry (Temporary emotion) and inflict pain on the very person you’re loving (Sustained feeling) at the moment.
I hope that helped. If there any other questions don’t hesitate to ask.
Wow thank you for this, that brings more understanding. Wat i get from you is that emotions are temporaly but feelings are there to last, is that the fact?
Fredrick.
Thanks for your continued interest.
There has been a great deal of emotion/feeling confusion in the field of psychology for decades. We hold the “Western” view of psychology which is different from Europe and Asia. The West demands physical evidence in order for psychology to be considered a science, and ignores most information that does not fit into specific models. The goal is to have behavior later codified into computer language. Europe and Asia however, have a holistic approach that is humanistic, rather than cold and mechanical like the West. Europe and Asia far also more effective in the area of the humanities.
Feelings design how we should act and emotions design how we want to act. Our sustained morals/feelings about life issues give us attitudinal and behavioral foundational structure. This is where our identity resides whereas our emotions becomes interpreted as our personality.
So, use our own life as a factual test center. Think of all that you want but also notice there are limits on what you are willing to do to get it. So, have you robbed any banks lately because you wanted more money? Do you steal cars off of car lots because you like that model? No one is stopping you–but you. The moral stands you take in life is your inner identity. (You are a cluster of ideas recalled and forgotten over time) These moral clusters stop Fredrick from being John tomorrow and Ted next week. There is a stable and permanent side of you and a creative flexible side that changes with time.
Thanks for your interest. Please don’t hesitate to respond.
Hi John,
I found your article quite interesting. I am currently writing about emotions on my research paper for the school of counseling that I am following.
I would like to ask you about the reference to Carl Jung’s affirmation “objects draw and invoke emotions”. Could you kindly give the reference to the book or article by Jung?
Thank you
Hi Thierry,
Consult the book, “A Dictionary of Symbols” J.E. Cirlot. In the introduction there is a very good overal approach to the formation of symbols.
We are not motivated by the “thing” but rather what symbolic meaning we gave it.
There, Jung reveals the relationship between the rhythm of objects and the symbolic meaning that is designed to trigger emotions.
Seeing a fawn in the near distance is a “thing” of meaning.
Seeing an adult lion in the near distance is a “thing” of meaning.
What they mean to us triggers our emotions which provides the energy to have a passive attitude or a very assertive attitude.
If we did not attach emotions to objects, we would not be able to properly respond to the objects we encounter.
I hope this will help.
John
Can I ask you what are the similarities between emotion and feelings?
Hi Maryam,
According to Carl Jung, everything that has a name, is a symbol. A symbol is any physical thing or idea that represents one or more ideas. Symbols motivate us by the emotions and feelings we project upon them and how they impact us. Their job is motivating us in the moment (emotions) and over time (feelings).
[...] Love: is a feeling. Lust: is an emotion. Depression: is a feeling. Sadness: is an emotion. Difference Between Emotions and Feelings – success motivation – Authentic Systems Reply With Quote [...]
hi john, this is really good.. hope this would be so beneficial for all the readers.. thanks.
God bless,
sarah
How is love a feeling and sadness an emotion? The root of emotion is ‘mot’ meaning move. Love in its essence is a verb that demands action. I agree that emotions at times can be intense, but I donot temporarily love my spouse, parents, children, etc…
Both feeling and disease share the same Greek root ‘path’, showing disease can be clisely related to our feelings. The ‘temporal feeling’ of saddness which can in some cases be the precursor to depression, has in itself bondage toward movement yet, to a lesser degerr than depression. The ‘disease’ of depression tends to leave one stagnant or immobile.
Depression is a devastating disease, and my intent is in no way to make lite of it. Yet, depression is a ‘temporary feeling.’ A disease that has psychological and physical effects.
Nnjeri
How is love a feeling and sadness an emotion? The root of emotion is ‘mot’ meaning move.
Yes, an emotion refers to physical agitation as agitation of the body. We can look at someone and see the physical manifestation of sadness for example.
Love in its essence is a verb that demands action.
Love standing alone, is in essence an abstract noun and not a verb. When commenting on another person it is a verb. A parent can demonstrate anger toward a misbehaving child yet; still love that child on a deeper and hidden inner level.
I agree that emotions at times can be intense, but I do not temporarily love my spouse, parents, children, etc.
Early in my article I state that, “ Emotions and feelings are often spoken of as being one and the same, and it is easy to get them mixed up and confused.” You’re right that emotions can be intense which is why they are physically temporary. Consider: How long can you sustain laughing or crying?
Both feeling and disease share the same Greek root ‘path’, showing disease can be closely related to our feelings.
Disease comes from the word “desaaisier” meaning to deprive of ease. Its etymology indicates that it is not necessarily related to feelings or emotions. Much of a population can for example, have the disease called “diabetes” yet victims are often completely unaware of its early presence.
The ‘temporal feeling’ of sadness which can in some cases be the precursor to depression, has in itself bondage toward movement yet, to a lesser degree than depression.
When an attitude is temporary it is an emotion. It is not accurate to call a feeling temporary. Also, depression is a serious issue often involving pharmaceutical treatment. Depression can have a major impact on the ability to function in society whereas we all succumb to moments of sadness.
The ‘disease’ of depression tends to leave one stagnant or immobile.
Depression is a devastating disease, and my intent is in no way to make lite of it. Yet, depression is a ‘temporary feeling.’ A disease that has psychological and physical effects.
Sadness is the temporary reduction in mood whereas depression is far more chronic often requiring medical intervention. For example, we can easily experience sadness when being denied entry into our primary college of choice. However once denied, we move on with our second choice and eventual acceptance, erasing our initial sadness. This is why sadness is defined as temporary whereas depression refers to a state that can last for the rest of one’s life.
Dear John
i found your article on the difference between feelings and emotions very interesting. I still find it difficult to understand the difference but I think I’m getting there.
I have been involved in coaching men for 20 years.
My basic philosophy is that men have been taught consciously and unconsciously, by their parents, society and the media, that displays feelings/emotions are not manly. Men have been raised to consider their feelings/emotions as weaknesses to be hidden. Men are taught to be stoic, to endure and not to overtly express their feelings/emotions. This results in repression and emotional detachment from one’s self and others. The biggest consequence of not knowing how you feel, as you so deftly illustrate, is that you lose touch with not only the world but yourself.
Men develop other external means of making and rationalizing their decisions like logic, religion, politics, cultural mores, public opinion, etc.
Emotional repression results in stress which creates the potential for any number of physical, psychological and behavioral problems. A recent study suggested that emotional repression may be the chief reason that men die younger than women.
It is my belief that if men could be more aware of their emotions, and have the freedom to express them as they chose they would be happier, more confident and more successful, because they would know who they really are.
When you read about a man lifting a car to save his child is that power the result of emotion?
Would you agree with the basic idea of this philosophy, not necessarily in every detail, and am I using emotions/feelings in a context that you would agree with?
I look forward to reading your thoughts.
Robert
I guess my question is whether the “difference” between feelings and emotions matters?
If you look at other languages for example Romanian, the word “emotion” is a synonym for “feeling”. There is no differentiation between the two words.
You can definitely experience conflicting emotions AT THE SAME TIME. You can be angry at a loved one and still love them. Does it matter if we label these “emotions” or “feelings”?
Isn’t the REAL question whether we can live AUTHENTICALLY and act from that place of being genuine at all times?
Rosa,
In everyday life it probably doesn’t matter. However, it does make a profound difference if you are researching topics such as human motivation, career selection, intimate and business inner-office team compatibility etc. For example, personality profile test centers admit their results are based on “observables.”
That is, the subjects base their answers on recalling their visible actions and the attitudes accompanying them. Testing observables measure surface moods, current attitudes and event-driven emotional reactions. These are all effects of the hidden cause generated by our sustained feelings that form our identity found beneath the level of personality. Knowing the difference between an emotion and deep life-motivating feeling is very important.
Pop-psychologists have relied on this lack of distinction between feelings and emotions to distort and manipulate what can and cannot be changed in people. People often seek out these “change-agents” thinking that everyone can change anything about him or herself.
In truth, an emotion, learned habit or pattern, is changeable whereas a deep feeling reveals our moral convictions stabilize our identity that cannot change. These feelings enable us to retain our lifetime sense of self as sustained clusters of beliefs that are often beyond our awareness. This is why we often surprise ourselves by our reactions to new situations.
The fact is, you cannot have conflicting emotions: try to be angry along with the conflicting sense of joy at the same time. That’s why anger is understood as an emotion and love is a feeling. They can be experienced at the same time.
_________________________
Isn’t the REAL question whether we can live AUTHENTICALLY and act from that place of being genuine at all times?
_________________________
I agree. However, you cannot answer your question without first learning what living authentically looks like for you. If you are reasonably happy and feel that your potential is fully realized, then living authentically is possible for you. If you are like most however, your feeling of happiness is sporadic and you seldom feel your full potential expressed in daily life: this is what our clients report to us as inauthentic living.
“When you encounter an unknown, you may have a range of sensations such as: curiosity, fear, or even ambivalence.”
These are not sensations. The 5/6 senses create sensations. eg hot/cold,loud/quiet…
Cyborg,
We are not talking about feeling hot or cold. We have been talking about the difference between internally generated “feelings” such as the love a mother has for her child.
When you encounter an unknown, it is because you have come to this conclusion through your senses. For example, seeing a rattlesnake in your car will trigger your adrenaline and induce action. If it is dark and you open the door you may see “something” moving but not immediately know what it is. Of course you come to this conclusion through your sense of sight.
These discussions have been focused on internal structures and reactions drawing distinction between these terms on a cognitive level.
I suppose that I would define ones pervasive emotional pattern as their personality/identity (which is not fixed but rather affixed).
Feelings, could also a term to describe ones subconscious emotional state. eg intuition.
The body creates sensations.
The body-mind (conscious awareness) creates emotions relative to our unconscious ‘feelings/personality’.
The mind then creates the decisions.
This loops around in a feedback system.
Cyborg,
Emotions are here as a biological mechanism to generate action and are always temporary like laughing and crying. Obviously, crying, laughing, and joy, do not constitute your identity but may reveal it. Also, emotions cannot be sustained to form any identity and your personality is simply the “style” in which your identity finds expression.
Associating feeling, subconscious and emotion, confuses these terms which is why I wrote the article. They are very different and have different functions.
Finally, “decisions” may be triggered by our emotions and feelings but constitute an entirely different structure called thinking or intuiting.
There’s an old saying, “The trick is to be simple enough to be good”. This wasn’t. It’s a lot of what I like to call needless “mind clutter”. Trying to attach some labels to things and create categories. The important thing is that a kid or an adult has too much of whatever it is, and it’s negatively impacting his/her life, and it ultimately comes from what he/she thinks, or how they choose to look at what happens, themselves, others and life. There’s a lot that can be done to help them with that without going through this dissertation on the difference between a feeling and an emotion.
Ray Mathis,
I am always appreciative when I receive a response from an acting academic in the field of discussion–thank you for your interest.
There is a much older saying, “Know thyself.”
The article was in response to the confusion and need for an accurate explanation between emotions and feelings and it has become our most popular. When these terms are separated, their individual functions become revealed and real magic begins. My clients learn who they are on two levels: the observable and the unobservable.
It is very important to know if the desired change is of an emotionally induced and alterable learned belief, or a sustained innate criteria of an inalterable feeling. For example, a loving parent will want to protect their child from harm. This type of love is a natural compulsive sustained feeling. When this parent sets boundaries of behavior for the child, it is done out of this feeling of love and the need to protect the child. When the child disobeys, the parent can become emotionally angry and spank the child. However, this action is still coming from the inner motivating feeling of love.
Changing a learned belief can be done but only if it is not the manifestation of an innate sustained feeling. It is this innate sustained and encompassing feeling, that the western approach to psychology tends to miss. This is also where trained professionals can miss an opportunity to enhance the quality of life for their clients.
So, before change can occur, it must be made clear if what is targeted for change is or is not tethered to the unchangeable.
I am interested in this discussion as I am writing a self-help book on communication, feelings and relationships. I am especially interested in your label of “pop-psychologist” and wonder what one has to do or not do in your eyes to be or not be one?
My models that I write from are system’s theory. Gestalt therapy and Transactional Analysis.
For me, “Pop-psychology? is understood as books written exclusively for financial gain (popularity) without concern for internal intellectual integrity.
These author’s goal is to alter very well known and even obsolete material in a clever way then sprinkle it with pseudoscience to make it appear as innovative, promoting attractive yet unlikely results.
So, it is not necessarily what theories are being advanced that makes it pop-psychology but rather the obvious manipulative intent inferred by very sloppy research, usually coupled with emotionally packed language.
Unfortunately, the demands of the scientific method on human behavior has the habit of committing self-sabotage.
What can be measured physically is always the result, and not the cause. However, empirical evidence is essential to qualify as science.
Recently the emphasis has been on computability and the codification of the human condition. While science measures the visible, we live and die for the invisible.
______________________________
Lastly, I feel that systems theory, Gestalt and Transactional Analysis in the hands of an experienced professional with integrity is something to be admired.
So interesting, so real and there is no two ways about it. It enlightens me all the more to teach my congregations based on this topic. Thanks for this wonderful explanation. Bye.
Pastor P. Blessed Isaac Onuetu
Pastor P. Blessed Isaac Onuetu,
Thank you for your generous comments. How people choose to look at life is often inconsistent because we are not taught to separate the significant differences between our feelings and emotions. Personality Profile Exams for example, have been criticized for reporting someone’s emotional responses as their inner identity. That means many people have failed to be hired for a job simply based on their emotional state while taking these tests. The employer still has no idea of their inner motivation.
I am happy that my information was helpful.
Hello John, I found your article very clear to understand the difference between emotions and feelings, but my question is what to do with this information. Ok now I know the difference but how can we improve them, or control them (Emotions/Feeling) so we can create a more fulfilled life?
Thanks in advance for your response.
Mariel,
Power is found in these linguistic distinctions regardless of the topic.
Because these terms are often melded together as if “feelings” and “emotions” mean the same, it is easy to see the inaccuracy of much of our personal psychological self-assessment. Also, without these distinctions made in most scientific articles, the authors point loses the credibility it deserves upon closer examination.
We all teach our young children not to run across a busy street, try to grab pot handles on the stove, explore electrical outlets with a piece of metal like a paperclip etc. The internal feeling of love we have for our child is simply present, always ready to come to the surface. This feeling is either expressed or dormant based on the situation.
What happens when they disobey us? We express the emotion anger not just for their defiance but because we know of the possible horrific consequences that can occur; hit by a car; splash boiling water on their face; or suffer from an electric shock and burn themselves.
The feeling of love we have for our child is simply an internal presence; always ready to come to the surface. Anger is triggered by external events, and are temporarily experienced.
Guilt and shame are feeling reactions for behaving or being someone in conflict with their core inner identity. Separating decisions based on our inner feelings from external emotions begins the process of avoiding both guilt and shame and directs us toward expressing our natural gifts.
Through this process, my clients are able to see their inner motivations and avoid emotional distractions. This is done by following our inner feelings, which many report as their intuitive sense.
Keep in mind we are not talking about physiological feelings like I feel cold. Nor the emotion fear for example when we are confronted with danger. These are essential for our physical survival.
Your inner Feelings ensures you will be Mariel for the rest of your life while emotions let you find various ways to express this inn core.
Mariel,
Knowing the difference between emotions and feelings is also knowing what you can and cannot be changed. This separation is very powerful because this also separates your true identity from how you have learned to respond to life situations.
Seldom do we explore if our actions are based on being human, being a male or female, being a member of a specific family, being a member of a country, culture, subculture, profession or if our behavior is based on our true unique Identity. Through this process we begin to learn what is the essence of self as our core motivation?
Just by being aware of our real self anyone can begin to live a more fulfilled life.
Does the above chart contain a complete list of emotions or a short list representing an example of emotions? Are there specific chemicals released in the brain attributed to each emotion? Are feelings induced by electrical impulses, chemical reactions or a combination of both?
Tyler,
This list is a brief treatment of only those terms that are most used and misunderstood by the public.
As to your second question, the components of emotions are very complex including adrenaline and epiphenepherin.
A feeling is very different. How do you feel about your favorite vacation spot? This feeling is a mental cause that the brain registers as a chemical/electrical effect. The brain cannot reveal where you vacationed nor accurately describe your feelings about the events that occurred.
Feelings are subtle and sustainable whereas emotions are intense and temporary. How long can you laugh, cry or be in a state of fear? These types of electrical impulses and chemical reactions have a very narrow restricted scope of activity and duration.
Thanks for this beautiful article. Am just doing a research on that topic,and i cannot understand how come such an impotent word EMOTION that have such a significant meaning in our self description doesn’t have a proper terminology,there is no way to say i emotion sadness,i can only say i feel sadness or joy or anger etc.so way this difference is not accessible to us humans??? this difference is so basic and critical for our “know thy self”,did you know that every year are added to the dictionary 2000 new words?! how come something that must be so elementary stays as a top secret, because lacking of language. i will appreciate very much your response.
Deirdre,
Many share your frustration, which is why this article is the most popular. While this topic is a very complex one with many competitive theories, I recognized that the ultimate result for the consumer is misinformation reported from academia.
Notice that a psychotherapist on the other hand, will ask a patient after a 20 minute highly emotional tirade: “Ok, what do you really feel about your mother?” A trained professional knows the difference between surface emotion and the internal cause. This question could have also been transformed into “what do you believe about your mother?” The word “feeling” is confusing because it refers to emotions, touch and cognitive reasoning.
Ludwig Wittgenstein, a very famous philosopher of the 20th century believed, believed that all of psychology is a matter of language and word definition. In fact, the term insane is dependent on: time, country, culture, political climate, religion, science and many other factors. Each perspective is caused by shifting in definition. The people never change.
Thanks for your intrest.
Thank you so much for a great article!
I’ve been contemplating this issue for quite a while, your article clarifies many aspects of traditional, most typical behaviors. I still couldn’t figure out some unorthodox behaviors:
1. going from awareness of feeling to action
2. going from awareness straight to action
3. using awareness of emotion to revert back to awareness
there are few more abnormalities where thoughts, emotions, even feelings can be bypassed, allowing awareness to feed on senses without going any further. Can’t see much practicality in such en-devours, except for academical interest.
Again, thanks a lot!
Serge,
There has always been a gap between abstract awareness and the physiological quality of action. After assessing over 2 thousand people over the last 33 years, we are confident that this gap is filled by the process of choice. That is, awareness offers internal meaning while external events offer opportunity to be in action. The act of choosing is the manifestation of our internal identity bringing meaning and action into an actual cause and effect process when fulfilled.
I hope this helps.
I am enjoying reading this article so much. I think I get it that feelings are set up by initial responses to Emotion … So if someone was in a Fear mode for a long time and this has made them feel worry and has made them into a worrier. Can this feeling of dread and worry ever be changed. Or is this now set in their personality forever… I ask as I am looking into CBT and want to work on things that are changeable. Thank you for any help you can offer.
Jay,
These are several great questions. Basically, common fears can be broken into two very different categories: 1 biological fear is the tool to avoid sensory pain to our physical expression of identity; 2 cognitive fear is the tool to avoid abstract pain to our mental expression of identity.
We are biologically driven away from fire for example, so as to avoid damaging our physical identity. This is easily understood.
We are cognitively driven away from personal humiliation for example, so as to avoid damaging our mental identity.This needs further explanation which is below.
All emotions are event driven. That means when the event is passed the emotion dissipates.
When a physically abusive father continuously hits a child instilling fear, that accumulation may build into the sustainable Feeling of mistrust and loathing. Each time the father now enters the room, this sustained feeling of mistrust ignites the emotion of fear barring any counter signals.
When a verbally abusive father continuously humiliates the child instilling fear, that accumulation may build into a sustainable Feeling of mistrust and loathing as well.
Fear is a tool that protests both our physical identity as body and self and mental identity as mind and self.
Public speaking is the number one fear in this country because we fear being humiliated. In fact we learn today, of children who have committed suicide by other students posting humiliating (attacking their mental identity) photos of the victim on facebook. Their self image is so damaged they feel it is beyond repair and fear the humiliation of going back to school. Erving Goffman who wrote, Interaction Ritual, discusses the importance of “saving face” and identity development.
So, you’re right, initial emotive responses can generate sustained feelings. However, emotions cannot be held for a long time which is how they are distinct from feelings. For example, how long can you laugh, cry, or be visibly angry? Not long. Now if you enjoy watching comedies on your television set, romantic dramas or plots with an evil villain to be angry at, you may be dealing with Feelings.
As far as the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is concerned, I can only comment on the various Archetypes that we all share and not to the psychology of any one individual.
I hope this helps.
Can this feeling of dread and worry ever be changed?”
Hi. Any book you recommend about this topic? Thank you.
Solovino,
Almost all books on psychology either; fail to give the term “feeling” a definition or; define “feelings” as an extension or production of emotions or; define “feelings” as emotions. This is a major reason why this article is so popular. Here the separation is clear.
The reason for this lack of understanding of feelings points to the dominance of the scientific method demanding physical evidence. Emotions, though transitory, become manifest through measurable, biological mechanisms. A deep and sustained feeling however, is a state of mind that is abstract, non-physical and cannot be measured.
I have never found a book that separates feelings from emotions as demonstrated here. If you know of one, please pass it on.
It is strange that -as you said- there is not any other book that separates feelings from emotions. Unique “theories” smell fishy.
In your biography, you affirm that you “discovered a pattern of behavior which soon lead to a proven…” Do you have any scientific study that validate your claims?
The only source you give in this article is Carl Jung, a guy who only fantasied about how the human being behaves based in Freud’s fantasies. None of them subjected their affirmations to be proved under controlled conditions with a strict protocol. They hurried to sell their method and get rich in the process.
So you do not use the scientific method because it demands physical evidence. What do you use then? Maybe the validity of your claims are based on how popular this article is -as you repeatedly said.
Fittmax,
Thanks for your comment.
Why did you feel the need to comment on this article? Why are you interested in the topic? Regardless of your answers, the cause will always be invisible. You may have been compelled to write in order to express your opinion. What does an opinion look like? How much does it weigh? What does it taste like? What color is it? Does it have an odor? What is its height, width or depth? An opinion cannot be accessed by any recognized science. Rather,opinions are gathered in surveys to find an “ideal average” of others having nothing to do with the specific subject.
Our bodies engage in a visible and physical world but our minds engage with the invisible and abstract world. In fact, we live and die not by the evidence of what is physically evident but by what the physical means and meaning is another invisible.
Science works well in the physical sciences but Europe and Asia both easily demonstrates its inadequacy in understanding the human mind.
As far as sources are concerned, I have over 600 book references from recognized experts in their field including scientific case studies. Jung was one of the first to explore Archetypes, symbology, motivation and psychology which is why I mention him here. This is a very restricted venue.
The validity of my claims are based on information that is basically ignored by the American Psychoanalytic Association. For example, Existential Psychology began in the 1960′s and moved to Europe. These therapists found that demanding computer viable models of the mind in determining mental health absurd: there is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to human behavior. There is also Cartesian Psychology which explains why personality profile tests here in this country still fails to adequately explain motivation.
The definition of feeling is rarely found in books of psychology. In fact books on psychometrics state that “if it exists it can be measured.” So, feelings don’t exist? Nor does, love, desire, pride, relationship, or any other natural motivation. Why? They cannot be adequately measured or codified to the degree of even modest behavior predictability.
I hope this helps
Hi. Thank you for your reply. I have an additional question. In screenwriting, when creating a character, they recommend to find that character’s main “emotional conflict” -one example they give is fear of rejection. I have also read that a conflict in internal values will result in an “emotional conflict”. How accurate do you think this information is and what is the real point behind the term “emotional conflict”?
Solovino,
To paraphrase the philosopher David Hume: logic and reason are slaves to our passions. This is why all dramatic theatrical plots are driven by our sense of morality and ethics in conflict. This conflict can be internal or externally ignited by others. Without conflict there is no audience interest.
That statement by Hume runs our daily life. We have internal values and beliefs that give form to our motivations. For example, one could be in pursuit of balance and symmetry in life, to the exclusion of imbalance and conflict. While this is true for us all, it is an obsession for this type of person. This person is always looking for unfairness which motivates him or her into action to bring the situation back into balance.
This person could take a moral stand of defending and fighting for the rights of victims at all costs. Now imagine this person was a young defense attorney who felt that the legal system was unfair. He or she chose to defend these “victims” in criminal court–and with passion.
Now imagine that after their client swore innocence, the suspect later confesses during the trial of committing the vicious murder. The attorney’s feelings about the law and the pursuit of fairness is now in conflict with the emotionally repugnance of the brutality of the crime.
How does this attorney proceed? We as the audience can sympathize with the attorney’s dilemma. The suspect deserves a fair trial yet, this attorney must now empathizes with the murder victim. This requires a moral an ethical decision.
In screen writing it is common to first reveal the moral internal beliefs and values of the character. Then find a physical emotionally charged situation that contradicts those beliefs. This enables the audience to “sympathize” with the character. This is an essential element contributing to the audience’s ability to momentarily suspend their belief and assists in the plot’s believability. The audience must care for the protagonist.
The fear of rejection however, is the emotion signaling a possible assault on an individual’s sense of self. Rejection, shame and guilt are event driven emotions or mental tools designed to keep identity intact. When you “do” something in conflict with your identity you feel guilt. When you were “being” someone in conflict with your identity you feel shame. Rejection results from another person igniting either your personal sense of guilt or shame.
So, this is good advice. “Emotional conflict” is the visual catalyst bringing the emotions and feelings of the audience into the plot of the drama retaining the entertainment value.
I hope this helps.
[...] effort to take them seriously. I claim that I value feelings more than emotions (as are defined in this article), as they represent my conscious, long-term views. I feel as though emotions, as merely a [...]
“…do you embrace your emotions?”
By definition, emotions only manifest consciously. We can certainly understand how we feel, on a daily basis, however, there are also deeper feelings, that are revealed only upon a motivating event. These feelings are components of our inner moral convictions that often surprise us because prior to the event we were unaware of them.
A common example is coming to the aid of someone in an emergency and later called a hero. After reflection, we find ourselves surprised to the degree we were willing to sacrifice our wellbeing for another. This domain of feeling beyond awareness, is the source of our motivations which is our fucus of study.
Nevertheless, it is our deeper feelings that offer form and direction to our cognitive emotions and should demand a greater value.
Hello,
Can you explain the relationship of thoughts to both emotions and feelings? Are thoughts considered to be the interpretation of awareness, or the awareness itself? Are emotions based on thought alone considered the same as those based on external stimuli?
Thank you for your insights!
Erin,
According to the philosopher David Hume, logic and reason are both slaves of our passions. That is, both our emotions and feelings are energy sources that controls the direction and scope of our thinking about our current awareness.
Imagine a friend drops a spider on your lap. You shriek and jump out of the chair. Then you look down and see that the spider does not move–it is fake.
You first became aware of something that looked like a live spider. Next, you looked at it and began thinking about what was on the floor. You then decided it was fake.
Emotions are not under our control. In fact, how often do we try to cover-up our emotions with thought. Emotions are our first line of defense similar to our nervous system that forces us to automatically jerk our hand from a hot pan. Our deeper feelings are a matter of innate biology and subconscious archetypal development, directing our conscious personality. This is why when our emotions and feelings are drawn to the surface we are often shocked at our reactions to external stimuli.
I hope this helps