How does my mind craft my feelings ?
Unveiling the Theory of Constructed Emotions
Have you ever wondered why certain situations make you feel a particular way ? Why does a compliment from a friend boost your mood while a harsh critique can leave you feeling down? Emotions have been viewed as innate, instinctual responses to external stimuli. But what if emotions aren’t just reactions to external events? What if they’re actually constructed by your mind? Recent research has led to the development of the “theory of constructed emotions”, which challenges the traditional beliefs and offers a new perspective on how emotions are formed and experienced.
The Foundation of Emotions: Perception and Interpretation
Emotions aren’t simply reactions to what’s happening around us; they’re heavily influenced by how we perceive and interpret those events.
Consider this scenario: You’re waiting for a friend who’s running late. As minutes tick by, you start to feel frustrated and annoyed. But what if you knew that your friend had a valid reason for being late, such as unexpected traffic? Your perception of the situation changes, and so does your emotional response. In essence, emotions are constructed based on our interpretation of events rather than the events themselves.
The Role of Past Experiences and Societal Influences
We need to bid adieu to the presumption that every emotion is hardwired in us since birth. Emotions are not only a result of our present surroundings but also a manifestation of our past experiences, societal conditioning, and expectations from the future.
According to the theory of constructed emotions, the brain is always playing a guessing game called ‘prediction’. Instead of just reacting to stuff happening around us, our brain uses what it has learned from past experiences to guess how we should feel about things. So, whenever we come across situations that kind of remind us of something from before, our brain takes a guess and adjusts how we react based on what it thinks. It’s always learning and getting better at guessing. Basically, our brain is like a creative artist, using a mix of past experiences and a bit of imagination to paint how we feel about things.
Consider, for instance, the emotion of ‘fear’. Traditional views might suggest that seeing a venomous snake near you could induce fear. In contrast, the theory of constructed emotions would state that this fear is a predicted emotion and depends on one’s past experiences and societal influences. For example, a snake charmer might not experience fear upon sight of the same snake but might feel a workmanlike anticipation or excitement instead.
The Role of Emotional Granularity
Nature didn’t just hand us a simple set of emotions when we were born, it rather gave us the tools to build and understand our own complex feelings. This means we can develop a wide range of emotions based on our past experiences and how we think about the future. The ability to recognise and understand these emotions is called “emotional granularity”.
Think of it like having an artist’s palette with a ton of different colours. If you only know basic colours like red and blue, you’re missing out on a whole spectrum of shades. For some people, their emotional palette is pretty limited, and they can only tell if they’re feeling good or bad. This is like being emotionally colourblind, making it hard to navigate life’s challenges because they can’t see the nuances in their feelings.
If you have high emotional granularity, it’s like having every colour in the crayon box at your disposal. You can pinpoint exactly how you’re feeling, which is a huge help in dealing with life’s ups and downs. It’s like being equipped with the best tools to paint your life’s picture, making it much easier to handle whatever comes your way.
The important thing to understand is that going through different experiences in life like collecting new colours for your emotional palette. Every time we go through something — good, bad, or in-between — we’re kind of adding a new shade to our feelings. It’s like we’re getting a deeper understanding of ourselves, our soul, and our mind. This process is us expanding our emotional granularity, making our emotional colour palette richer and more varied. Taking some time to look back and really think about our experiences helps us get even better at this and helps us handle life with a bit more finesse.
Wrapping it up
The Theory of Constructed Emotions offers a fascinating perspective on the intricate nature of human emotions. By recognising that emotions are not fixed reactions but rather dynamic constructions of the mind, we gain greater insight into our emotional experiences. As you navigate through life, take a moment to reflect on how your perceptions, memories, cultural influences, and language shape your emotions. By engaging with the theory of constructed emotions, you embark on a journey of self-discovery and understanding.
