The 6 Basic Emotions and How They Shape Our Everyday Life 

“He is so emotionally sensitive” – you may have heard such comments from someone about someone. Having emotions is a wonderful thing in human life. Each day we encounter different persons, things, or events. We often associate some emotional connection with them. What different things come to your mind when you think about happiness? Which is the last moment in which you get angry? What made you cry recently? 

There will be so many things in your life that give you different emotions. Sometimes same thing can give different emotions in different circumstances. So, how you perceive them also matters. 

Understanding Emotions 

According to the American Psychological Association, emotion is “a complex reaction pattern, involving experiential, behavioral, and physiological elements, by which an individual attempts to deal with a personally significant matter or event. The specific quality of the emotion (e.g., fear, shame) is determined by the specific significance of the event.” 

In Psychology, emotions are classified into two: basic emotions and complex emotions. Basic emotions are automatic and can be recognized through facial expressions. It was Charles Darwin who first recognized the universality of emotion-induced facial expressions. Thereby, pointing out emotions as adaptive and biological and important for survival. 

Paul Ekman classified basic emotions into six that can be identified through facial expressions. This includes happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust. This article will discuss these 6 basic emotions and their influence on your daily life. 

Happiness 

Everyone needs to be happy which involves joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment. People engage in different plans and activities to make them feel happy. Aristotle divides happiness into 2 types: hedonia and eudaimonia. Hedonia is associated with pleasurable activities. In contrast, eudaimonia can be obtained through understanding meaning and purpose in life. Which among these will make you happier? Research shows happy people rate higher in eudaimonia than hedonia.

Happiness has several impacts on your life. Research shows happiness is associated with life satisfaction. Happiness facilitates you to develop better-coping skills and resilience. This will also result in better health and increased life span. You can increase your happiness by taking some little measures. 

• Creating good social connections: having good social support gives you the feeling of belongingness and facilitates you to deal with stress and other life events. Research also supports that people with good relationships have a happier life. 
• Gratitude journaling: While being busy in life, we often forget to think about grateful things in our lives. Daily give some time to gratitude journaling. It’s a proven technique to improve happiness. Each day, write five things you are grateful for in your life. This may be things, people, events, achievements, or anything. 
• Getting regular exercise: You know that mind and body are interrelated. Making exercise a habit will improve both your physical and mental health. 
• Try to find some purpose in life: If you believe your life has some purpose and meaning in life, then you feel more positive than being uncertain about life. Think about ways you can make better out of your life. 

Also keep in mind, that achieving something you are longing for will not make you happier forever. Several things can make you happy but for a limited time. Then, you get adapted to it. Your efforts are what matters. 

Sadness 

The second basic emotion is sadness. It is a very normal and necessary human emotion accompanied by negative experiences. How many of you really like sadness as an emotion? Have you ever thought about its importance in your mental health? Most people do not like sadness. They try whatever they can to avoid them or suppress them. 

In reality, sadness is very important for you to be healthy. If you are a cinephile, you can watch ‘Inside Out’. The significance of sadness is very beautifully portrayed in it. Sadness helps you to currently process the effects of negative importance and prevents its long-term impacts in your life. So, how to cope with sadness in healthier ways: 

• It is okay to be sad: Allow yourself to experience the emotion. If you need to cry, don’t hesitate. Focus on the relief after that. Suppressing sadness may lead to mental health issues in later life. 
• Journal your thoughts: Try to write down your experience, related thoughts, and feelings. This will enable you to understand and process them better. 
• Go outside: staying locked within a room for a long time also exacerbates them. So go outside and get some fresh air.
• Talk to your close ones: call or meet someone you are comfortable with. Share your concerns with them. This helps you ventilate your emotions. 

Experiencing sadness is not a weakness. Suppressing them is problematic. Choose ways which suit to cope with them. 

Fear 

Do you like fear? Fear is another underestimated emotion. Fear is actually a healthy emotion. Fear prevents you from falling into threats and has a significant role in your survival. For instance, fear of snakes will distance you from them. Fear of heights enables you to take safety measures. Now you can perceive fear as a protective emotion. 

Fear can be caused by either actual events or imagination of a perceived threat. If the fear is irrational, more intense, and affects your daily life, then it’s problematic. In such conditions, you should seek professional support to manage with them. If you are facing fears and they are not very severe, but you want to deal with them. Follow some of the coping methods to alleviate them: 

• Seek social support: supportive people help you deal with your fears. They make it more understandable and let you analyze them more clearly. Our fears can bias our thinking patterns. So, seeking support often helps to create a safe environment. 
• Mindfulness: regular practice of mindfulness is an effective strategy to increase your focus and let you observe your fears without falling into them. 
• Relaxation: Practicing relaxation can calm your nervous system. You can make use of different relaxation techniques like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or grounding techniques. 

Anger 

Anger is another basic emotion you all experience. Anger is an antagonistic reaction to someone who hurt you or can be a result of frustration or irritation. It is a very normal emotion but becomes problematic depending on its intensity and resultant reactions. Think about the last time you became angry and the way you reacted to it. 

You may express your anger either verbally or non-verbally. Generally, anger is of three types:

1. Passive-aggressive: In certain circumstances, you can’t directly express your anger. So, you may use indirect ways such as ignorance, sarcasm, etc. 
2. Assertive anger: this involves expressing anger in a healthier and non-threatening way.
3. Openly-aggressive: here, anger is shown directly and in a threatening way.

You can cope with anger in various ways: 

• Understanding the cause: here, you need to identify what’s the exact cause of your anger. Understanding and resolving the root cause is the best solution to deal with them.
• Practice Meditation 
• Regular physical exercise 
• Deal with triggers: identify the triggers and deal with them. If they are beyond control, then avoid them. 

Surprise 

You often like surprises. According to the APA, surprise is an emotion typically resulting from the violation of an expectation or the detection of novelty in the environment. While compared to other emotions, surprise only lasts for a brief period. But it’s a universal emotion. It may be either pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. 

• Positive surprise: this is the type of surprise you often like. It is accompanied by joy and happiness. For example, your long-distance friend gives you an unexpected visit or you get some unexpected gifts from someone. 
• Negative surprise: Surprises can also be negative. For instance, some sudden scary scenes in horror movies result in fear and shock. 
• Neutral surprise: this doesn’t give you any specific feelings. This may include surprises like any sudden change in plans you already make or alternative plans added nearby. 

Disgust 

What are the instances that make you disgust? Disgust is a universal emotion that involves an aversive or repulsive feeling. It may range from mild to intense. You may experience this in connection with an unpleasant smell, taste, or sight. This protects you from infections and pathogens that may be fatal. 

Disgust is not only associated with dirt but can also be associated with immoral behaviors. Just like we keep our distance from contamination, we also keep our distance from the environment which is uncomfortable for us. So, disgust plays in several ways in our lives. 

Conclusion 

As humans, emotions play various roles in our lives. These basic emotions are universal irrespective of culture and locality. Emotions allow us to connect to different elements in our environment. They also protect us from threats and fatality. Understanding emotions is important to avoid myths and manage them. You can use different strategies to enhance your positive emotions. Start practicing meditation and different relaxation exercises to better deal with your emotions and resolve the underlying causes. Use your emotions wisely and regulate them from controlling you. 

FAQs 

1. Why are these emotions considered “basic”? 

These emotions are considered basic because they are innate, shared by all humans, and are tied to specific facial expressions and physiological responses. They are not learned but rather part of our biological makeup. 

2. How do these emotions influence our decision-making? 

Emotions play a crucial role in decision-making by influencing our perceptions and guiding our actions. For example: 

• Fear alerts us to danger and helps us avoid risky situations. 
• Happiness motivates us to pursue experiences that bring joy. 
• Anger can drive us to confront issues or set boundaries. 

3. Can we feel multiple basic emotions at once? 

Yes, it is possible to feel multiple emotions simultaneously. For instance, you might feel both sadness and anger after a conflict or happiness and surprise when receiving good news. 

4. How can anger be both positive and negative? 

Anger is often seen as negative, but it can also be constructive. While uncontrolled anger may damage relationships, channeling it effectively can help resolve issues, set boundaries, and advocate for justice. 

5. How can understanding basic emotions improve relationships? 

Recognizing and understanding emotions in yourself and others fosters better communication, empathy, and conflict resolution. It helps build stronger, more meaningful connections in personal and professional relationships.