EPA-1159 – Defining Emotions: Exploring Chaos

Abstract

This essay suggests the need to abandon vernacular terms used for emotions, and a preliminary attempt to define them instead. First described is the massive confusion in popular and scientific conceptions of emotion. Although recently there has been considerable interest, we are still in the flat earth stage. The main problem is a sizeable structure of erroneous assumptions, such as venting anger’gets it off your chest.’ There seem to be at least four defenses against confronting emotions directly: 1. Ignore. 2. Generalize (using only abstract terms: emotions, affect, arousal, etc.). 3. Disguise: use one of the vast number of alternative words that hide emotional content, such as’an awkward moment.’ 4.

Confuse:

especially in English, the most important emotion terms are at least ambiguous and often misleading. A preliminary approach is offered toward defining fear, grief, anger, shame and pride. The elaborate hiding of shame studies by the use of alternative words is described in detail. Approaches to emotion that allow them to be noticed and discussed openly and directly are probably important not only for research but for our whole civilization.