Emotions as a Means of Communication
- Facial expressions are an integral part of emotional expression. In primitive societies and even among animals, facial expressions communicate just like words do! Even in modern societies, facial expressions convey a message much faster than words.
- When it’s important for us to communicate something to others, it becomes very difficult to hide what we feel.
- Whether we like it or not, the way we express our emotions influences those around us.
Emotions Organize and Motivate Behaviour
- Emotions drive our behaviour. Often, certain urges are closely tied to the emotions that trigger them. In that sense, emotions prepare us for action.
- Emotions help us save time—we don’t always need to think long and hard before making important decisions.
- Strong emotions can help us overcome obstacles—both mental and environmental.
Emotions as a Means of Self-Validation
- Our emotional reactions to people and events give us useful information about a situation. They act as signals or alarms, warning us that something is going on.
- When this emotional signalling occurs in an extreme form, we may start to interpret our emotions as facts and believe things that may not be objectively true. For example:
- “If I feel incapable, then I must be incapable.”
- “If I feel depressed when I’m alone, then I should never be alone.”
- “If I feel that I’m right, then I must be right.”
- “If something scares me, then it must be dangerous.”
- “If I love someone, then they must be a good person.”
- Because we experience emotions in such a deeply personal way, we often fall into the trap of treating our subjective experiences as objective truth—even when they’re not.
