Emotion

• Emotions reflect the feelings we experience when we have succeeded or failed in meeting our goals.

• There are five components to emotion

  • Physiological
  • Expressive
  • Behavioral
  • Cognitive
  • Experiential

• A much greater variety of emotions can be identified at the experiential rather than the physiological or expressive levels.

• The James-Lange Theory of Emotion suggests that changes in bodily responses are necessary for emotional experience.

• Cognitive Labelling Theory suggests that emotional experience us determined by a combination of physiological arousal and the labelling or interpretation of the sensations experienced during that arousal.

Listing §

• Acceptance - Letting go willfully, making peace with change to obtain balance and understanding

• Admiration - a feeling of warm approval and appreciation

• Adoration - the act of worship, to view something or someone as divine

• Agitation - feeling upset or disturbed, a state of unrest

• Amazement - overwhelming astonishment or wonder

• Amusement - appealing to the sense of humor, experiencing entertainment or delight

• Anger - strong displeasure or wrath, usually aroused by a perceived wrong.

• Anguish - emotional or mental distress; acute suffering.

• Annoyance - aggravation or mild irritation

• Anticipation - hopeful expectation; to await eagerly

• Anxiety - an intense feeling of unease and worry, sometimes without cause.

• Appalled - an emotionally disturbing shock due to something offensive

• Apprehension - a stress state caused by the anticipation of misfortune or adversity

• Awe - euphoric-like wonder at being in the presence of something vast enough to change one’s perceptions or understanding of the world. It can both enlighten or terrify since it leaves the person feeling small and insignificant.

• Betrayed - a state of wounded outraged at being dehumanized and disrespected by someone of value. When a character feels betrayed, reactions will vary depending on how personal the relationship was. This state often embraces a progression of complicated emotions: shock, disbelief, and denial that eventually turn to acceptance, hurt, or outrage

• Bitterness - deep hostility and unhappiness caused by unfair treatment

• Certainty - a state of absolute belief; to be without doubt.

• Concern - sincere regard for (or having a personal interest in) someone or something.

• Confidence - having faith in one’s influence and ability

• Conflicted - expressing opposing emotions

• Confusion - a state of befuddlement or bafflement

• Connectedness - to experience a meaningful state of closeness with others, the world, or the universe itself

• Contempt - a lack of reverence or respect, to hold in disregard

• Curiosity - inquisitiveness; a desire for knowledge

• Defeat - the feeling of having been mastered, conquered, or bested

• Defensiveness - resisting attack; defending against a perceived danger or threat

• Defiant - boldly resisting an opposing force, even in the face of defeat.

• Denial - a refusal to acknowledge truth or reality

• Depressed - a state of withdrawal; extreme sadness and reduced vitality

• Desire - a strong yearning to initiate or strengthen a relationship with another person.

• Despair - losing all hope; becoming despondent

• Desperation - a state of hopelessness that leads to rashness

• Determination - firm intention on achieving a goal; decisiveness

• Devastation - overwhelming shock and sorrow

• Disappointment - a state of dismay due to being let down

• Disbelief - withholding belief; a refusal to see the truth

• Discouraged - deprived of courage, spirit or confidence

• Disgust - an aversion, usually to something distasteful; revulsion

• Disillusionment - hurt and disappointment upon discovering that one’s belief is false or trust in someone has been misplaced.

• Dissatisfaction - being unsatisfied and discontent

• Doubt - to lack confidence in or consider unlikely

• Dread - a deep fear of a future event or circumstance that leads to a strong desire to avoid it.

• Eagerness - enthusiasm for what is to come

• Elation - in high spirits; a state of exhilaration

• Emasculated - a weakened state due to a perception of being stripped of power, authority, or a role tied to one’s identity

• Embarrassment - a lack of composure due to self-conscious discomfort

• Empathy - to intimately identify with (and possibly experience) another’ feelings through the ability to place oneself in their emotional shoes.

• Envy resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another paired with a longing to acquire that advantage

• Euphoria - a transcendent state of intense pleasure, happiness, and well-being

• Excitement - the state of being energized or stimulated and provoked to act.

• Fear - to be afraid of; to expect a threat or danger

• Fearlessness - feeling dauntless in the face of intimidation, fear, and challenge

• Flustered - feeling overwrought and self-conscious due to confusion, uncertainty or frustration

• Frustration - vexation caused by unresolved problems or unmet needs; the feeling of being hindered

• Gratitude - thankfulness; feeling grateful or appreciative

• Grief - a deep and painful sorrow over a personal loss, often a loved one.

• Guilt - a feeling of culpability over an offense (either real or imagined)

• Happiness - a state of well-being or joyful contentment

• Hatred - to loathe or detest; to feel animosity toward

• Homesick - grief at being separated from the people or places that represent belonging and comfort.

• Hopefulness - a bright, promising outlook; optimism.

• Horror - a mixture of repugnance and fear arising from a negative experience beyond one’s comprehension or imagining

• Humbled - an awareness of one’s lowly or modest status

• Humiliation - feeling degraded or mortified, worthless or cheap

• Hurt - suffering mental pain; feeling wounded or aggrieved

• Hysteria - an excess of emotion resulting in extreme responses and a loss of control.

• Impatience - feeling restless or short-tempered; having a desire for immediate change, relief, or gratification

• Inadequate - a persistent feeling of shame and self-doubt due to the perception that one is inferior to others.

• Indifference - a state of apathy, casualness or disinterest

• Insecurity - feeling unsure of oneself or displaying a lack of confidence

• Inspired - wanting to do or be better, usually because of an external stimulus such as another person, a work of art, a saying or mantra.

• Intimidated - feeling afraid or timid due to a real or perceived threat. When someone is feeling intimidated, their responses will vary depending on whether they lean toward a fight-flight-or-freeze-type response to threats

• Irritation - impatience and displeasure; the sense of being bothered.

• Jealousy - hostility toward a rival or one suspected of enjoying an advantage

• Loneliness - the feeling of being isolated or cut off

• Longing - urgently wanting something that one has yet to obtain.

• Love - deep affection, attachment or devotion to another.

• Lust - an intense sexual craving or longing.

• Moody - experiencing unexpected mood swings; feeling emotionally sensitive or temperamental. It can cause either volatile or reserved behavior.

• Moved - being deeply stirred emotionally

• Neglected - feeling ignored, overlooked or unloved.

• Nervousness - feeling unsettled and being easily agitated.

• Nostalgia - fondly recalling a past period or situation one would like to revisit, often with a bit of sadness or wistfulness.

• Obsessed - being excessively concerned about or interested in someone or something.

• Overwhelmed - to be overpowered or overcome by feelings or circumstances

• Panic - a sudden and incapacitating fear that produces neurotic or illogical behavior.

• Paranoia - excessive or illogical suspicion and or distrust of others

• Peacefulness - a state of calm that is devoid of strife, agitation or commotion

• Pity - feeling discomfort at the distress of others while being grateful one doesn’t have to experience it oneself.

• Pleased - experiencing a pleasurable sense of satisfaction

• Powerlessness - feeling that one lacks the authority, skills, or resources to act.

• Pride - proper self-respect arising from a significant achievement, possession of an item or involvement in a relationship.

• Rage - violent and uncontrolled anger

• Regret - sorrow aroused by circumstances beyond one’s ability to control or repair.

• Relief - the alleviation or lightening of oppressive stressors

• Reluctance - unwillingness; aversion.

• Remorse - distress resulting from guilt over wrongdoing; a desire to undo or fix.

• Resentment - moral-centered anger arising from disrespect, unjust treatment or unfairness.

• Resignation - the state of surrendering, often with little to no resistance

• Sadness - characterized by unhappiness

• Sappy - overly sentimental; feeling an exaggerated sense of happiness, connectedness or romance.

• Satisfaction - the state of being content or fulfilled.

• Schadenfreude - malicious enjoyment from the suffering or unhappiness of others.

• Scorn - extreme contempt or derision; regarding as inferior.

• Self-Loathing - intense dislike or hatred for oneself. It can manifest through seemingly contrasting behaviors.

• Self-Pity - a self-indulgent preoccupation with one’s problems or complaints; feeling sorry for oneself.

• Shame - the feeling that arises from a dishonorable or improper act; disgrace. Not all shame is deserved, but regardless of how it came to be, it presents itself in the same way.

• Shock - lingering upset after experiencing a traumatic or fear-inducing event.

• Skepticism - feeling doubtful or incredulous

• Smugness - supreme confidence in and satisfaction with oneself.

• Somberness - a feeling of melancholy or gloom.

• Stunned - feeling mentally numbed or paralyzed, usually as a result of a shocking revelation or blow

• Surprise - unexpectedly struck with a felling of wonder, joy or fear.

• Suspicion - intuitively suspecting that something is wrong.

• Sympathy - a sensitivity to the circumstances of others that results in a desire to offer support.

• Terror - a state of extreme fear.

• Tormented - experiencing extreme mental distress because of one’s closeness to a possible crisis or disaster.

• Unappreciated - feeling undervalued, as if others don’t see or acknowledge one’s worth or contribution

• Uncertainty - the state of being unsure; unable to commit to a course of action

• Unease - a restlessness of the body or mind.

• Validated - feeling that one’s thoughts or opinions have been accepted or recognized as worthy

• Valued - feeling worthy and cherished.

• Vengeful - vindictiveness; wanting to make someone pay for a past wrong.

• Vindicated - being proven right, absolved of guilt or set free.

• Vulnerability - having one’s guard lowered; feeling emotionally exposed.

• Wanderlust - a desire to explore, travel, and experience the unknown

• Wariness - mistrust marked by caution and watchfulness; being alert to possible danger.

• Wistful - a yearning (tinged with sadness or regret) for change that one believes is likely out of reach.

• Worry - mental distress that arises from disturbing thoughts, usually regarding some anticipated event.

• Worthlessness - feeling devalued, unimportant or insignificant

Links §

• The Emotion Thesaurus — A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression by Ackerman and Puglisi