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Well-functioning Family - Phenomenal 3 C's » Connect » Manage emotions » Let’s talk about emotions!

Let’s talk about emotions!

    In order to communicate effectively about emotions with our loved ones, we need to have the appropriate vocabulary and self-awareness. Expressing simple emotions can already be taught to young children, as they can recognize when they are happy or sad. However, more complex emotions such as helplessness, unease, gratitude, disgust, or aversion can be difficult to identify even in adulthood. It is crucial for establishing, maintaining, and deepening relationships within the family to be able to detect emotions well and talk about what is going on inside us in relation to events. These are essential components of resolving any conflicts, as understanding the other person's feelings allows us to better understand the reasons for their behavior and accept them. To provide some ammunition for describing emotions, we have compiled a table listing primary emotions alongside secondary emotions and their characteristic behaviors.

    Emotions and Their Expressions

    American psychologist Paul Ekman, famous for his work not only in facial expression analysis and nonverbal communication but also as a scientific consultant for Pixar's animated film "Inside Out", identified 7 universal emotions that are interpretable worldwide: enjoyment, anger, surprise, disgust, contempt, sadness, and fear. In the table below, we have summarized these universal emotions, their associated feelings, observable behaviors, and the physical appearance characteristic of each emotion.

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