Five Emotions You Never Thought You Had

The magazine New Scientist, vol. 205 no 2743, reports that they are more than the six basic emotions, one never knew they had. Psychologists agree on the fact that there are the six basic emotions: joy, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust. All of them are expressed in and by our face and have been thought to be important for survival.

Since times are changing, new emotions come under researchers' radar. Such emotions mostly do not have an immediate facial expression, but serve a purpose in our lives: that of motivating activities that help us thrive. Those new emotions are: elevation, interest, gratitude, pride, and confusion. Elevation is for uplifting and linked to the release of oxytocin, which makes people feel more open and trusting, just what is needed for strengthening and repairing relationships. Interest is for curiosity and learning for the own development. Gratitude is said to be the relationship-boosting emotion. It moves us to return kindness and also helps us find individuals who want us well and be there for us in the future. It activates the give-and-take cycle. Pride is the ambiguous emotion: arrogant and noble at the same time. It is important because it makes us look and evaluate ourselves and motivates is to do well and gain respect. Finally, confusion is the emotion indication it is time for change. Still, some psychologists do not accept it as a basic emotion. Nonetheless, this one has a distinctive facial expression, unlike the others, and proves that the way our brain is working does not work at the time of assessment. It motivates us to adjust our activities and, ultimately, brings new knowledge and encourages new relationships.