Everybody has a rich inner landscape contoured by emotions; they not only give meaning and color to everyday experience, but emotions commonly influence decision-making . They may be humanity’s earliest guide to how to get basic needs met.
The Roots of Emotions
Many experts today believe that emotions are brief, felt mental states that arise from the mind’s conscious interpretation of bodily sensations that occur automatically and unconsciously in response to stimuli in an ever-changing environment as a way to regulate arousal, direct attention , and motivate behavior. Typically reflected in posture and facial expressions, they are even thought to function as a silent communication system to others in the service of getting one's needs met.
Emotions are a fast-track, inescapable source of information about how to stay safe, survive, and thrive in an ever-changing environment. Emotion is closely linked to motor activity—both are mediated by the autonomic nervous system —and is thought to motivate a behavioral response. The emotion of fear , for example, stimulates a withdrawal response without any thought required.
Emotions are thought to originate in the amygdala, as it codes the nature of incoming stimuli. Through bundles of two-way circuitry, the prefrontal cortex, the seat of decision-making , receives and interprets emotional signals coming from the amygdala, orchestrating a response and influencing the general state of reactivity of the amygdala.
While all emotions are important and serve as a source of information, emotions are generally classified as positive or negative. Positive emotions include happiness , love, and pride; they foster a sense of expansion and psychological growth. Negative emotions include fear, anger , sadness, and disgust; they create discomfort as a way to warn us to attend to something important.
Explore More About Emotions
For a comprehensive understanding of emotions, read our complete guide: