Feelings

7/29/2021

Feelings are complicated. Not only complicated to define, but complicated to pinpoint. Complicated to acknowledge. Complicated to distinguish. Complicated to get across. Complicated to react upon.

Some feelings are assumed when looking at someone’s face: Smiling is associated with being happy and crying with being sad. But at the same time, one could smile to hide sadness and laugh to the point of tears. Expressions are therefore not always the true indicators of what we are feeling inside. Whenever I experience happiness, I feel light-headed. Not dizzy, but a freeing sensation. Whenever I experience intense sadness, a hollow feeling starts rising from the pit of stomach. Whenever I am stressed or angry, my breathing accelerates. In the past when I have experienced moments of shock, I have stopped breathing altogether for a few seconds.

I read a quote the other day by Aashish Bardia: “No one is more powerful than the person who knows how to carry a smile even in pain”.

I do not know whether I agree with the powerful part. In my opinion, this statement contradicts Marc Brackett’s work on the power of emotions he discusses in his book “Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive”. He describes feelings as “a form of information” (Brackett, 2019:17) we need to access to figure out what message this information is conveying.

An awareness of how our body reacts upon different feelings does not necessarily mean that we are able to accurately express these feelings through our facial expressions.

But there might just be another way that connects how we feel in’ to how we show out…

11 Comments

Wilhelm Meyer

2/21/2022 01:30:38 am

I believe feelings is a way to communicate with others and also express the depth of that specific feeling ... I also believe feelings have a few basic recognisable features for all to enjoy and is therefore a universal language, however there are some psychology points that may vary in certain parts of the globe ... I believe that feelings are in some instances automatic responses created by habit, and in some instances a deliberate point on which we need to ponder.

Dehan

2/21/2022 03:01:48 am

I agree that feelings are complicated. I for one also struggle to understand my own feelings sometimes, especially sadness and anxiety.

Bernice

6/12/2022 11:03:17 pm

Feelings is a reflection of our emotions. It is an emotional state or reaction. We associate or experience feelings in different parts of our body. For example when you're feeling stressed, there is a knot in your tummy or people often say 'there is butterflies in my stomach'. When you are in love, there is a warm feeling around your heart the moment you think of the person you're in love with. When you feel anxious, your throat feels like it shrank and you struggle to breathe. When you are heartbroken or sad, your heart literally aches. Or when you are angry, it feels like the blood in your head is boiling.

Feelings is influenced by circumstances or people and is basically a reaction to what someone says or does, or what you are experiencing in a moment. When someone is rude to you, you will experience anger. When someone bought you a present, you will experience joy and will react to what you are feeling for example you will start to laugh or cry. When you have an important audition or exam, you will experience anxiety or stress and your body will react to that which you are experiencing.

Most of us makes decisions based on feelings. When you are feeling convinced to do something, you will do it. If you are angry, you will most probably react to that what you are feeling and might just say something that you will later regret...

Niki

8/18/2023 02:23:48 am

Very insightful!

Mongloid72

8/18/2023 02:27:23 am

Feelings are complicated , 100%

Cara

8/18/2023 02:27:29 am

I believe it is important to work through our emotions, especially since it is so difficult to pinpoint at times. When we understand what we feel, we are able to use that feeling in a positive way. When we are frustrated, acknowledging it helps us to find the problem, the root of it and how to bring change. Singing feelings is a wonderful idea and helps me especially to work through what I feel.

Mongloid73

8/18/2023 02:28:21 am

I agree that feeling are complicated. It is also sometimes difficult to express your feelings or emotions.

Dilon

8/18/2023 02:30:25 am

Feelings are very complicated. Most of the things we do as humans either fall into subconscious or conscious things. Feelings, and thinking, are a sort of an in-between reaction. I wonder how much of what we feel is controlled and how much is a reaction. I wonder to what extent what we feel is selfish or selfless. Then, thinking about the above, strength in feelings, how much of what we feel and what we hide and what we do is motivated by wanting to protect ourselves or to protect others.

Sesoma

8/18/2023 02:32:02 am

I 100% agree with Aash Bardia's point of view about feelings. Feelings are really complicated and sometimes it is not easy to explain what are you really feeling inside and sharing your feelings is a little bit tough that's why pretending to be happy when sad works all the time.

Moratwa

8/18/2023 02:33:10 am

I think of feelings as both physical and mental expressions of oneself. They encompass every single reaction to life, be it one in jubilant or sorrowful fashion. I also think that most of the time people fear expressing themselves because there often is a lining of judgement afterwards.

Many of the things we do are dependent on feelings, waking up and deciding to go out because you feel you'll be able to do things a bit better...

Carrying a smile while in pain is not exactly powerful, I don't agree with the statement. I think one should try to be honest with themselves about how they feel without assuming a position of "powers" that hides what they are truly feeling.

Lamees

10/6/2024 03:23:12 am

I agree that feelings are difficult to convey to others and even to comprehend.

After reading this I understand feelings as a way to express what one is feeling in that moment as well as to hide what one is feeling due to embarrassment or shyness. Feelings are also not only felt in one's mental state but can be felt in one's physical being as well.

When reading Aashish Bardia's quote I was first impressed as it is quite a challenge to hide what one is truly feeling. However, I was saddened by the fact that, that is what is considered "powerful."

I do not believe that the ability to hide one's pain by putting on a smile is powerful as it is rather an unhealthy coping mechanism that could lead to further pain.

A healthy way to cope with one's feelings would be to be mindful. According to the online Oxford Dictionary (2024), mindfulness is when one is presently hyper-aware of oneself including one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. This is a therapeutic technique that is ideal when wanting to connect and express one's feelings.

Feelings

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