List of Human Emotions

When we are feeling something, we don't really stop to define that emotion or think about the
exact emotion that we are experiencing. We just feel and go through it; may it be sadness, anger
or happiness. As human beings, we experience a plethora of feelings and emotions in our
lifetime that range over several forms and types. This article is an attempt to list down an
extensive list of those emotions.
TAGGED UNDER: Psychology
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The word 'emotion' encompasses a broad range of feelings, behavior and changes in the body
and mind. Noted professor and psychologist, Robert Plutchik listed the six primary or main types
of emotions as follows - fear, joy, love, sadness, surprise and anger.
These, he said, can be classified as primary, secondary and tertiary emotions. Along with the
primary emotions, we also experience secondary emotions which are a direct reaction of the
primary emotions. For instance, a person may feel ashamed or guilty after experiencing the
primary emotion of fear.
Plutchik also stated that humans experienced not only primary and secondary emotions, but
tertiary emotions as well. These basic emotions along with the subsequent secondary and
tertiary emotions are mentioned below.
Basic Human Emotions
Fear
Fear is a response to impending danger. It is a survival mechanism that is a reaction to some
negative stimulus. It may be a mild caution or an extreme phobia. If the fear is trivial it is called
"trifling fear" or if the danger seems formidable it is a "serious fear".
One secondary emotion in this category is "nervousness". The various tertiary emotions relating
to this sub-category are:
anxiety
apprehension

distress
dread
tenseness
uneasiness
worry
Another secondary emotion in this category is "horror". There are various tertiary emotions in
this sub-category. The list of emotions is as follows:
alarm
fright
horror
hysteria
mortification
panic
shock
terror
Joy
Joy or happiness has shades of enjoyment, satisfaction and pleasure. There is a sense of wellbeing, inner peace, love, safety and contentment. There is an existence of both, positive thinking
and positive activities.
The first secondary emotion is "cheerfulness". This comprises a myriad of tertiary emotions like:
amusement
ecstasy
gaiety
euphoria
bliss
elation
delight
happiness
jubilation
Zest is another secondary emotion encompassing different tertiary emotions like:
enthusiasm
excitement
exhilaration

thrill
The other emotions included in this category are contentment, relief, optimism, pride and
enthrallment.
Love
Love arises from a feeling of profound oneness. Love can be platonic, romantic, religious or
familial. There are certain nuances to love regarding bonding, friendship, altruism and
philanthropy. As per psychology, love is to lend self-esteem to another.
There are three secondary emotions - affection, longing and lust.
Affection includes the following tertiary emotions:
fondness
attraction
adoration
sentimentality
caring
Lust is related to different tertiary emotions like:
arousal
desire
passion
infatuation
obsession
Sadness
Sadness is necessarily related to a feeling of loss and disadvantage. If this feeling drowns the
individual it may lead to a state of depression. When a person can be observed to be quiet, less
energetic and withdrawn to himself it may be inferred that sadness exists. Such an individual
usually has a sloping body, stuck out lips and a downcast appearance of the head.
Directly related to sadness, the following tertiary emotions can be displayed:
depression
unhappiness
misery
melancholy

gloom
despair
The secondary emotion "suffering" includes agony, hurt and anguish. Another secondary
emotion"disappointment" comprises tertiary emotions like dismay and displeasure. "Shame" is a
secondary emotion that can be linked to tertiary emotions like guilt, remorse and regret.
The secondary emotion "neglect" can be understood by the following tertiary emotions list.
insecurity
alienation
homesickness
embarrassment
humiliation
Feelings of sympathy and pity are also included in this category.
Surprise
Surprise means the showing up of an unexpected result. When one experiences surprise, it is
accompanied by raising of the eyebrows, horizontal lines on the forehead, open mouth,
stretched skin below the eyebrows and wide open eyelids. Depending on the intensity, the
mouth may not open, but only the jaw may drop. A momentary raise in the eyebrows is the most
common evidence of surprise.
There are related tertiary emotions like:
astonishment
amazement
Anger
Anger is evoked due to injustice, conflict, humiliation, negligence or betrayal. If the anger is
active, the individual attacks the target, verbally or physically. If the anger is passive, the person
silently sulks and feels tension and hostility. Often, when one empathizes with another, anger
may be displayed. If the purpose of the source of pain is known, the magnitude of anger is
altered.
One secondary emotion "rage" is further differentiated into tertiary emotions like:
fury
wrath

bitterness
loathing
resentment
hate
Frustration and exasperation are similar types of tertiary emotions.
The secondary emotion "irritation" involves tertiary emotions like:
agitation
aggravation
grouchiness
Another secondary emotion "disgust" comprises tertiary emotions like:
revulsion
contempt
Some other tertiary emotions include jealousy and torment.
List of Human Emotions
acceptance
affection
aggression
ambivalence
apathy
anxiety
boredom
compassion
confusion
contempt
depression
doubt
ecstasy
empathy
envy
embarrassment
euphoria
forgiveness
frustration

gratitude
grief
guilt
hatred
hope
horror
hostility
homesickness
hunger
hysteria
interest
loneliness
love
paranoia
pity
pleasure
pride
rage
regret
remorse
shame
suffering
sympathy
Due to the sheer vastness and complexity involved, it is difficult to exactly define and enlist all
the emotions experienced by humans. Ask any person on the street and he will say that emotion
is a spontaneous feeling about any person, thing, or experience. Emotions are subjective, based
on perception and unique to each individual. Some people may have more of one or some may
lack in others. It is said the more emotions one experiences, the more colorful life is. Emotions
help us humans to communicate what we feel toward certain situations, people, things, and
cope with everyday life situations.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/list-of-human-emotions.html