Core Emotion of Sadness

Sadness is a signal that you have experienced some type of loss. provides energy to grieve losses, heal past woundedness, and recover (feel better). Without identifying and managing sadness you may fail to recover from your losses and/or grieve successfully. Sadness may or may not involve tears.

In many cultures males are socialized to repress loss and sadness, which can result in the development of a slush fund of ungrieved and unresolved loss and sadness. Down the line when a small loss occurs, the male may over-react as the slush fund rushed forward and engulfs them. Females often receive a type of reward for being in a state of sadness (e.g., comfort and attention from their support system).

Unmanaged, sadness can suppress immune system functions, interfere with critical brain functions, decrease levels of serotonin, increase one's risk for depression and/or immobility, and lead to apathy.

Core Emotion of Fear

Fear is signal that you may be facing some type of danger, a situation that may be unsafe. Fear provides energy to take appropriate protective action for yourself and/or for others, especially those you love. Again, in many cultures, males are socialized to avoid fear, exhibiting it often as anger; while females are socialized to be somewhat fearful, exhibiting it as fear or as sadness and expecting someone else to “protect them.”

Without fear you may be unable to protect yourself or your loved ones adequately. When unmanaged, fear can kill ideas, undermine confidence, suppress the immune system, and escalate into phobias and/or immobilization

This is a tricky emotion, however, as imagined danger triggers the stress response in the same way as does actual fear. Imagined fear can create immobility. This points out the importance of identifying imagined fears (and everyone has some!) and resolving/dealing with them. More tomorrow.

Core Emotion of Anger

Used correctly, anger is a very valuable core emotion. It is a signal that one or more of your boundaries have been invaded (e.g., mental, physical, emotional, sexual, spiritual, social, financial…). Anger provides energy to create, implement, reassess/reset appropriate personal limits. Without the ability to identify and manage anger appropriately, you may lack the motivation and energy to take appropriate corrective action, or you may become complacent and begin to tolerate the intolerable. 

Unmanaged, anger can lead to bitterness, suppressed immune system, cardiovascular problems, illness, injury, and even death. 

In many cultures males are socialized to believe that anger is a male prerogative, while females are socialized to repress their anger (because it is not “nice” and is “unfeminine), exhibiting it as fear or sadness. This can lead to females tolerating dysfunctional and abusive environments. More tomorrow.

EQ High-Low Characteristics, 2

Think about the list of characteristics. If you were an employer, who would you prefer to hire? As an individual, who you like to date or marry? One of the reasons for raising your EQ is to reduce the potential conflict in your life. Another is to role-model a more functional way to live to whomever is watching you. A third reason is that living a high level wellness lifestyle that includes high levels of EQ is likely to impact your health in positive ways. Remember: conflict is expensive. In the home, high levels of conflict contribute to illness, stress, violence, addictions, divorce, murder . . . In schools in burns out teachers, triggers misunderstandings, and may exacerbate dysfunctional behaviors on the part of students with mental health problems . . . In churches, it burns out clerics, rips congregations apart, and sets up an environment of anger and retaliation. All excellent motivators to raise one’s own level of Emotional Intelligence.

Euphoria's "Two Faces"

Euphoria is not a separate core emotion. Rather it represents a brief period of intense excitement, bliss, or pleasure that may be genuine or that can be chemically induced. Euphoria provides energy to experience special moments at an intense level but was not designed to be sustained for long periods of time. According to Kent Berridge, an affective neuroscientist, intense euphoria occurs from the simultaneous activation of every hedonic hotspot within the brain's reward system. Substances that can trigger a mild euphoria include tobacco, caffeine, small doses of alcohol (when first ingested), THC, barbiturates and benzodiazepines, amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, and methylphenidate , etc. Euphoria may signal early carbon monoxide poisoning (e.g., “choking game). For some, emotionally arousing music, dancing, intense aerobic exercise, or sexual activities, may induce euphoria. It may also be a symptom of specific neurological or neuropsychiatric disorders, such as mania associated with bi-polar disorder. Intense “romantic love” and portions of the human sexual response are also associated with euphoria. More tomorrow.

Core Emotion of Joy

Core Emotion of Joy

Joy is a natural state of anti-depression that some believe is hard wired into the brain It’s a signal that life is basically going well and can be a choice for how to respond to life. It provides energy to live life to its fullness. It is believed that genuine joy is the only emotion that does not result in negative outcomes when it is maintained over time.

Without joy you may be unable to become the balanced, contented, productive individual you were intended to be.

Pseudo or false joy is an attempt to feel better when genuine joy seems unattainable. It can lead to obsessions, compulsions, addictions, a sense of unreality, frustration, illness, and even depression. More tomorrow.

EQ – 8

Clear scientific evidence exists that facial expressions registering at least joy, anger, fear, and sadness are inborn and may be seen on the face of a fetus during gestation, depending on what the mother is experiencing internally and externally in the environment. You may be able to picture these more easily if you imagine you are standing on a rug on which is written the word Apathy—in front of a set of 5 stairs labeled “The Emotions Staircase.” Apathy is not thought to be an emotion in and of itself. Rather, apathy can result when the brain is in a state of emotional overwhelm due to mismanagement of the three protective emotions or a misunderstanding of euphoria. The first step is labelled “Sadness.” The second step is “Fear.” The third step is “Anger.” The fourth step is “Joy.” And the fifth step is “Euphoria. Metaphorically imagine you climb these step steps until you reach “joy.” Stop on the Joy Step.