Types of Feelings (with examples)

The feelings They can be considered as those states of mind that a person experiences in the face of a certain situation or event. For example: An employee who feels angry when it is announced that she will be fired from her job.

Feelings provoke actions and lead people to make decisions, that is, they can affect behavior and reason when behaving or undertaking a task. For example: A man who is moved by the difficult situation of the war and sends donations for the victims.

Various theories explain the origin of feelings. Biology explains that a feeling is made up of the body's chemical response to circumstances that cause it to occur. neurotransmitters that promote some states of mind, such as dopamine or serotonin, and the interpretation that the individual makes of it, taking into account previous experience and knowledge of it.

• See also: Difference Between Feelings and Emotions

types of feelings

There are many types of feelings and classifications that group them. Neurologist Antonio Damasio specifies the following classification:

• Feelings based on emotions. They are those considered primary feelings. It refers to the feelings that are generated as an affectation in the person from an external stimulus, these being: happiness, sadness, anger, fear and disgust.
• Feelings that are variations of the primaries. They are those that have a primary feeling as a framework, but with different nuances. For example, joy gives off euphoria and ecstasy; from sadness come melancholy and sorrow; of fear we find variations such as panic and shame.
• background feelings. They are those that originate in bodily states instead of emotional ones, this means that they would be pleasant or unpleasant feelings, instead of qualifying them as positive or negative. In other words, they are the feelings of life itself, more subtle and more regularly present. It is the bodily state that prevails between one emotion and the next.

General types of feelings

As has been noted, there are many feelings that can be differentiated and the typologies vary, for example, one can speak of good or bad feelings; productive or pleasant; constructive or destructive. Hundreds of feelings have been determined.

Here is a brief explanation of the most common feelings:

• Euphoria. It is to feel intensely and overflowing good news or event, with physical and mental demonstrations. For example: A woman who jumps and screams when she receives the news that she has won the lottery.
• Admiration.It is the recognition that another person has qualities and traits that are considered positive or that they have achieved things that they dream of achieving. For example: An employee who sees her boss as an example to follow.
• Affected. It is feeling consideration and affection towards another person. Affection is shown through actions and promotes good and long personal relationships. For example: A woman who has become very close to a neighbor from twenty years ago.
• Optimism. It is the feeling that denotes that a person is convinced that something good is going to happen to him or that he is going to achieve what he has fought for. For example: A student who studied hard and knows that she will have a high grade on the exam.
• Gratitude. It is the acknowledgment of a person who has received help from another, that he considers that it improved his life and that it was a positive action towards him that he will not forget and that he wishes to give back. For example: A woman who always takes into account her friend who helps her take care of her children when she can't.
• Satisfaction. It is feeling that something has been done in the best way and the work has given phenomenal results, or at least what was sought has been achieved. For example: A couple when they buy the apartment for which they have saved many years.
• Love. It is considered the maximum positive feeling that someone can feel towards another person or towards anything that they value and desire intensely, and that makes them feel very good. For example: Parents who feel deep love towards their children.
• Compassion. It is the feeling that denotes the affectation of a person when he sees another who is going through a bad experience or a bad moment in life, and identifies with her suffering. For example:A friend who feels bad for another who has lost her partner in an accident.
• Rage. It is the feeling that is experienced when being the victim of a negative action of another person in whom one trusted, or when an injustice or wrong is committed. For example: A young woman who arrives at her house and notices that she was robbed.
• Commitment. It is the obligation contracted by a person who feels that he must give his best in a project or in any action that he undertakes, and work to the best of his ability. For example: A father who cultivates himself in respectful parenting to give the best to his children every day.
• hopelessness. It is a negative feeling that is experienced when you think that nothing can be done to solve something, or that a goal or dream is impossible to achieve. For example: An athlete who is injured and believes that he will never be able to compete again.
• Happiness. It is when a person feels that her life is going in a very good direction and the things that happen to her are all very good and positive. For example: An old woman who goes on a trip together with her friends.
• Liking. It is the feeling that denotes that a person feels good with another or with a situation in her life. For example: An employee who likes his job.
• Fear. It is the perception of danger that a person acquires when they feel that something can harm them. For example: A group of children walking through a cemetery.
• Vulnerability. It is the feeling of believing that you do not have enough tools to face a situation or that you are exposed to danger. For example: A young man who loses his parents at a very young age and his obligations are radically transformed.
• Concern. It is the state in which an individual is not sure that something is going to be right and wants to know the result or the future at each moment. For example:A parent whose child has not returned home at the appointed time.
• Hatred. It is the negative feeling that expresses rejection or absolute disagreement with a person or thing, to the point of believing it to be the most negative thing that exists. For example: A man who hates the school where he studied because it made his life impossible.
• Hope. It is feeling that things are going to be solved and that everything is going to have a positive result. For example: A student who feels that when she graduates from university she will be able to work in a big law firm.
• Shame. It is the feeling of discomfort that a person has of making a fool of himself in front of others and for what he believes that others will make fun of him or think unpleasant things. For example: A woman who sings on stage for the first time.
• Frustration. It is the feeling that is experienced when performing an action and never having a successful result despite the effort invested. For example: A man who studies English for years and is not able to hold a conversation in that language.
• Doubt. It is the feeling that occurs when a person is not clear about which alternative to choose when there are several options and they do not know which one will be the best for them. For example: A worker who receives the opportunity to work in a foreign headquarters of his company, but does not know if he prefers to try his luck there or stay.
• Fault. It is the annoying experience that a person feels when he has done something wrong and does not know how to remedy his fault. For example:A young man who has broken a promise to his friend.
• Sadness. It is the negative feeling that is experienced when something bad happens in life. For example: A politician who loses the elections after having put all his effort into the campaign.
• Stress. It is the pressure and overexertion that a person feels in a critical situation in any field. For example: A businessman who has to close an important business to avoid bankruptcy and does not know how to do it.

Examples of feelings

1. A woman who receives a promotion at work will feel elated.
2. A man who is assaulted in the street will feel hatred towards his assailant.
3. A young woman who applies to the company she has wanted to work for for a long time will feel hopeful.
4. A tennis player who has passed the first round of an international championship will feel optimistic.
5. A child who has been scolded by his teacher for his bad behavior will feel resentful.
6. A woman who sees a man cheat in a game of poker will feel anger.
7. A man who returns to see his girlfriend after many months living in another country will feel satisfaction.
8. An accountant who receives the news that his co-worker got a better position than he had applied for will be envious.
9. A woman who has been calling her elderly mother for hours without being able to reach her will feel concerned.
10. A man who loses his house in a fire will feel sadness.

Interactive exercise to practice

Follow with:

• Types of attitudes
• Difference Between Attitude and Aptitude
• types of emotions

References

• Damaso, A. 1994. Descartes' error. the reason of the emotions. Buenos Aires: Editorial Andres Bello.
• "The 24 types of feelings (and what they are for)"in Doctor Plus.