How can we understand our emotions? Emotions are said to be the compasses of our lives. Unfortunately, when they arise in our lives, we feel more like we’re dealing with a tsunami than with the messengers that are supposed to help us be happier. What if we began by understanding each of our emotions, so that we could live more serenely?

Understanding emotions: the origins

Our emotions accompanied our cave-dwelling ancestors. In fact, they enabled them to survive among the many dangers of that era.

How did they do it? Basic emotions such as fear, anger and surprise can be read immediately on the face, indicating to mates that a predator is on the prowl.

It was some time before language developed, so our ancestors relied heavily on emotions to survive.

Disgust, for example, which is also considered a basic emotion, enabled our ancestor to notice that this food was not for him. His body reacted to indicate this.

Joy and sadness also helped them to survive. Joy strengthens the bonds of belonging that are so important when you’re surrounded by a thousand and one dangers. Sadness, on the other hand, also strengthens these bonds. In fact, tears are a signal we send to others to be comforted.

In other words, the basic emotions are :

joy
sadness
anger
disgust
surprise
fear
And it was these emotions that helped our ancestors survive when they didn’t yet have a language for communicating.

Understanding emotions today

Today, everything is different. For a start, we no longer live under the threat of a thousand and one dangers. What’s more, language has become more powerful than ever.

As a result, we no longer really know what to do with our emotions. Worse still, now that we can “hide” behind words, our emotions are no longer welcome.

Unfortunately for us, our emotions just won’t go away, and the less we listen to them, the stronger they become.

This leads to irritability, aggression and depression.

Understanding our emotions is essential if we are to live happier, more serene lives.

Find out more about managing your emotions

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover How to welcome your emotions: 3 things to do
Discover Negative emotions: 3 tips for dealing with them on a daily basis

I recommend this inspiring book on the subject:

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer
If only I’d been able to read The Untethered Soul when I was younger… This book explains in easy-to-understand terms who we really are – consciousness. Everything we do is the result of past experiences we want or don’t want to relive, and how we make them happen again or prevent them from happening again. It’s these experiences that end up directing our lives. It’s a quick read and worth every second. I’ve read it several times and learned something new each time. The first time I read it, I was literally blown away to learn that you are not your thoughts and who that voice in your head really is and how to deal with it. I am incredibly grateful for this book.
It’s a brilliant book for people who overthink, like me. It will change something deep inside you.
This is no ordinary self-help book. It’s one of the best books I’ve read recently. If you’re a spiritual person, it will touch you even more.
A must-read!

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself.