DICTIONARY OF EMOTIONS

PROPOSITION:
Fuzziness in words helps keep us off-track on emotions.
For example, FEAR, SADNESS, ANGER, and HAPPINESS are not just pure
EMOTIONS, but also they are used to refer to categories of EMOTION.

Revising our definitions helps get us on track with our emotions.

Every EMOTION, FEELING or SENSATION can be defined in relationship to the
Alphabet of Emotion (the 22 Primary Emotions)..

Click for larger image

This leads to a....

Dictionary of Emotions
ALL CAPS = A PRIMARY EMOTION
* = See elsewhere in Dictionary for definition.
NOTE: This dictionary is very much a work in progress.
Any and all questions and comments from readers are welcome.
Emotion or (Feeling) Relationship to the 22
SENSATION or
or (Sensation).
primary emotions, or location of sensation.
four pure emotions.

Tells us...

AGGRESSIVENESS A primary emotion; pure Pushing, advancing; . Move ahead.

ANGER dominating
pure FEAR.
Aloofness

AVOIDANCE,
INDIFFERENCE.

Numb pulling away.

Detach.

(Ambivalence)

Part of COURAGE.

Shoulder, neck and

jaw push-pull.

Internally process
pros and cons of
avoidance versus
aggressiveness.

Pure ANGER (1)

A primary emotion; one Stationary tightening; Some form of reof the four pure
strength.
directing action is
emotions.
needed.

Anger (2)

Any emotion in which

the emotion of pure
ANGER is dominant.

Any feeling in which

tightening or strength
is the dominant
sensation; often felt as
pressure.

Annoyance

AGGRESSIVENESS,
SELFISHNESS.

Pushy, grabby tension Move in and hold

onto situation.

Anxiety

EXICTEMENT,
VIGILANCE,
AVOIDANCE,
PESSIMISM.

High lightness
Deal with a situation
agitation, also pulling with both good and
away, heaviness.
bad possibilities.

Apathy

INDIFFERENCE,
HELPLESSNESS.

Numb contraction.

Apprehension

VIGILANCE,
AVOIDANCE.

Tingling pulling away. Watch out for danger.

Arrogance

Pride*, IMPATIENCE, Barely smiling with Accomplished,

SELFISHNESS.
lift of chin, pressured superior, disregard for
and grasping.
opposition.

Ashamed

SURPRISE,
AVOIDANCE, PAIN,
HELPLESSNESS,
PESSIMISM.

Hunching, hiding,
Have broken a rule
breaking, contracting, and dont know
resisting.
enough to follow it.

(Assertiveness)

Intuition; soul level in

feeling (1)* in
AGGRESSIVNESS

Pushing forward of
jaw.

AVOIDANCE

A primary emotion; pure Pulling back;

Retreat from situation.
FEAR dominating pure vibration dominating
ANGER.
strength.

Bliss

Pure HAPPINESS,
OPTIMISM, JOY.

(Body) (1)

Source of drives*.

Peripheral nervous
Respond internally to
system (arms and
rate energy available
legs, feet and hands); for basic action.
also meridians
through little fingers
and little toes.

Body (2)

Source of drives*,

Complete matter of a Respond internally

Re-directing action is
needed: the particular
anger tells the
particular action.

Tune out situation.

Process internal issues

on moving forward.

passions*, intuitions*,
perceptions* and
expectation*.

living being.

and externally, head

to toe.

Boredom

Fatigue*,
AVOIDANCE.

Partially numb
breaking and pulling
way.

Tune out on situation.

Carelessness

INDIFFERENCE,
IMPATIENCE,
UNSELFISHNESS.

Numb striking out and Inattentively strike

letting go.
away interference and
let things go.

Chaos

Intense PURE FEAR.

Intense shaking, head Stop thinking.

to toe.
Nothing makes sense.

Coldness

INDIFFERENCE,
AVOIDANCE, pure
ANGER.

Numb pulling back

with added strength.

COMPASSION

A primary emotion; a
virtue; balance of
UNSELFISHNESS and
SELFISHNESS;
balance between pure
ANGER and pure
HAPPINESS.

Win-win
Safely help out to
manipulation; balance mutual good.
between grabbing and
releasing.

Condescension

Pride*, disdain*,
SELFISHNESS.

Moderate smile, lifted Accomplished,

chin, moderate
superior, rejecting.
pressure, mental sense
of not me, grasping.

Confidence

COURAGE, JOY.

Touching, jumping.

(Confusion)

A feeling (1)*; the

Shakiness in temples Internally dislodge
mind-spirit part of pure and forehead; may be perceptions and
FEAR
felt as pressure
expectations.

Contempt

Irrational hate*,
disdain*.

Contracted, nauseous Extra, misguided

with extra expulsive expulsion in hated
action in upper lip and situation.
lower nose area.

Controlling

AGGRESSIVENESS,
SELFISHNESS,
VIGILANCE.

Tingling pushing
forward and holding
on.

Advancing and
grabbing on in
forcefully continued
attentiveness.

COURAGE

A primary emotion; a
virtue; balance of
AVOIDANCE and
AGGRESSIVENESS;
balance between pure
FEAR and pure

Touch; balance of
pushing toward and
pulling away from .

Youre in balanced
contact with situation.

Stay strongly
detached.

In contact, free of
encumbrance,
energized.

ANGER.
Depression (agitated) Simple depression*,
hostility*.

Explosiveness within Depressing situation

swamped feeling.
ready for constructive
action; handle anger
and simple depression
components
separately.

Depression (simple)

SADNESS, PAIN,
INDIFFERENCE,
PESSIMISM,
HELPLESSNESS.

Quiet, breaking,
numb, sluggish,
swamped.

Stop, draw in more

information, limp,
slowed, pulled
inward.

Despair

Simple depression*,
panic*.

Hotly swamped.

Depressing situation
agitating for
mobilization; separate
depression from fear.

Desperation

Despair*,
AVOIDANCE, pure
FEAR, IMPATIENCE,
AGGRESSIVENESS.

Breaking, swamped
startled struggling.

Depressing situation
needing immediate
action even though
reactions not
sufficiently sorted.

Dignity

COURAGE,
HUMILITY,
COMPASSION.

Touching, absorbing
manipulation winwin.

Continue best
behavior toward
situation with
emphasis on
balancing expectation
of good versus bad
process.

(Disappointment)

Intuition; soul level

feeling (1)* in
PESSIMISM.

Pouting very briefly.

Didnt connect with

something you were
going toward.

(Disdain)

Soul-Mind level feeling Curling of upper lip

(1)* in irrational hate*. up to nose.

Something is not
you.

(Dread)

Heart-Soul feeling (1)* Pulling back in

in AVOIDANCE
shoulder and neck.

Process internal
holding back on
addressing issues of
importance and
timing.

(Drive)

Feeling (1)* of Body

(1)*; 50% of emotion.

Effort immediately
available for survival
actions.

Felt in arms, legs,

hands, feet
(corresponding to
peripheral nervous
system); also felt in
meridians through
little fingers to little
toes.

Embarrassment

SURPRISE,
AVOIDANCE,
VIGILANCE,
OPTIMISM.

Startled, sustained
tremor and tingle,
grinning and pulling
back yet stretching
forward.

You broke or are

breaking a rule, you
know it, and you care
and can handle it.

Emotion

Head-to-toe feeling with Felt by entire nervous Call to action; forms

both physical and
system; felt through memory.
psycho-social meaning; entire Body (2).
drive* + passion* +
intuition* + perception*
+ expectation*.

Envy

PAIN, lust,
AVOIDANCE.

Euphoria

OPTIMISM,
Expansive without
UNSELFISHNESS,
pressure.
pure HAPPINESS, JOY.

EXCITEMENT

A primary emotion*;
Wiggling; lightness Readiness for
pure HAPPINESS
dominating vibration. successful action, in
dominating pure FEAR.
intended direction.

Exhaustion

Intense FATIGUE

(Expectation)

Feeling (1)* from

Cerebrum above brow Plan for outcome.
Spirit*; 3% of emotion*. ridge (upper head
above brow ridge);
also meridian through
thumbs to big toes).

Fatalism

PESSIMISM,
UNSELFISHNESS,
INDIFFERENCE.

Fatigue

INDIFFERENCE, PAIN Breaking

limpness/numbness.

Seek information
unconsciously, stop
caring consciously.

Pure FEAR (1)

A primary emotion*;
one of the four pure
emotions.

Energize on anything
relevant in the
situation; go in no
direction yet.

Fear (2)

Any emotion* in which Any feeling in which Energize, and react in

the emotion of pure
the sensation of
direction dictated by
FEAR is dominant.
vibration is dominant. form of emotion.

(Feeling) (1)

The largest category of The psychological

We are experiencing
emotional experience. meaning of physical something.

Breaking, gutSomething important,

grabbing, and pulling not activated toward
away from.
getting it.
Extend and expand
going with the flow.

Intense breaking and Stop caring

numbness.
immediately; turn
over entirely to
unconscious
processing.

Letting go, moving

forward while
resistant.

Vibration.

Go along with
undesired outcome.

sensation.
(Feeling) (2)

The largest category of

experience; the sixth
sense which is actually
the first sense,
evolutionarily.

Both the physical and We are experiencing

the psychological
something.
meaning of
sensations.

Fright

SURPRISE,
AVOIDANCE,
VIGILANCE, pure
FEAR.

Startle, retreat, heated, Energize to prepare

poised to react further. for possibly
dangerous new
project/situation.

Grace

HUMILITY, JOY,
COMPASSION,
COURAGE,
PATIENCE.

Jump, in slow,
Stay on course, in
touching, waiting
tune with project, in
motion, into breaking balance.
feeling with win-win
balance.

Grief

PAIN,
Breaking jump,
HELPLESSNESS,
contracting, poised
VIGILANCE, JOY, pure and still.
SADNESS

Experience the loss

and the memory of
the value before loss.

HAPPINESS (1)

A primary emotion*;
one of the four pure
emotions.

Lightness.

Go the same
direction.

Happiness (2)

Any emotion in which

the emotion of pure
HAPPINESS is
dominant.

Any feeling in which Go in generally the

the sensation of
same direction, with
lightness is dominant. modifications made
according to the other
emotions in the
mixture.

Rational Hate

Disorganized blend of Nausea; sensation of

all 22 primary emotions. wanting to expel
through mouth.

(Heart) (1)

Source of passions*.

Spinal cord; also

Assess importance to
meridians from ring quality of life.
fingers to fourth toes.

heart (2)

Blood pump of body.

Energy center for

Control energy
vibration in the trunk dispensed to body.
(spinal cord).

HELPLESSNESS

A primary emotion*;
pure SADNESS
dominating pure
ANGER.

Contraction;
slumping; stillness
dominating tension.

(hesitance)

Intuition*; Soul* level

feeling (1)* in
AVOIDANCE.

Pulling back through Pull back on inner

neck.
timing.

Get rid of something

toxic in the situation.

Pull inward, away

from dealing with
situation.

Hostility

AGGRESSIVENESS,
IMPATIENCE,
SELFISHNESS, pure
ANGER.

Pushing, flailing,
grabbing strength.

Attack situation.

Hypervigilance

NERVOUSNESS*,
VIGILANCE.

Lively, alert, wiggly

dodging with extra
tingle.

Watch out intensely

and dodge, despite
ready, set aspects of
current situation.

HUMILITY

A primary emotion*; a
virtue; balance of
OPTIMISM and
PESSIMISM; balance
between pure
HAPPINESS and pure
SADNESS.

Swallowing,
incorporating; balance
of stillness and
lightness.

Immersed in situation,
in now; not tug
toward present or
past.

IMPATIENCE

A primary emotion*;
pure ANGER
dominating pure
SADNESS.

Flailing, striking out

of the way; tension
dominating stillness.

Clear the way

INDIFFERENCE

A primary emotion*;
Numbness; limpness; Stop caring.
pure SADNESS
stillness dominating
dominating pure FEAR. vibration.

Insecurity

VIGILANCE, PURE
FEAR, AVOIDANCE

Tingling, shaky
Constantly take
feeling of dodging or evasive action.
retreat.

Integrity

COURAGE,
COMPASSION.

Balanced touch with

win-winmanipulation.

Conduct activity
balancing interests of
you and other(s).

Intimidated

AVOIDANCE,
VIGILANCE,
HELPLESSNESS.

Dodging, wary
contraction.

Full retreat outwardly

and inwardly, but stay
alert.

(Intuition)

Feeling of the Soul*;

10% of emotion*.

Sensation in neck and

jaw (brain stem and
upper spinal cord);
also meridians from
middle fingers to
middle toes.

Sort through
information between
Body and Herat
versus Mind and
Spirit.

Irritability

AGGRESSIVENESS,
IMPATIENCE.

Pushing flailing.

Advance, moving
something out of the
way.

Jealousy

Lust*, PAIN, hostility*, Breaking, pushing,

JOY.
flailing, grabbing
tension with extra
grab sensation in
trunk (Heart) and

Take immediate,
strong action to find
the important part that
is missing.

strong jump of
completion.
JOY

A primary emotion*; a
virtue, balance of
EXCITEMENT and
SURPRISE; balance
between pure
HAPPINESS and pure
FEAR.

Jump; upward lift

with sensation of
staying up.

Something is
good/great for us.

Laziness

Fatigue*,
AVOIDANCE,
UNSELFISHNESS.

Breaking, limp
pulling back and
letting go.

Dont put much effort

in.

(lust)

Passion*; Heart level

feeling (1)* in
SELFISHNESS.

Grabbing or holding
feeling in gut and/or
trunk.

Hold on internally to
issue that is important
to quality of life.

Magnanimousness

UNSELFISHNESS,
OPTIMISM, PURE
HAPPINESS

Stretching, releasing, No hold whatsoever,

flowing.
only giving and
letting go.

Martydom

Fatalism*, bliss*,
AGGRESSIVENESS.

Sustained lift and

glide letting go with
limp, contracted,
resistant sensation,
pushing forward.

Undesired outcome is
great.

(Mind) (1)

Source of perceptions.

Cerebellum and
lowest parts of
temporal lobes and
occipital lobes; also,
meridians through
index fingers and
second toes.

Organize sensory
input.

mind (2)

Source of expectations
and perceptions.

Cerebellum and
cerebrum.

Organize sensory
input and output.

Nervousness

SURPRISE,
AVOIDANCE,
EXCITEMENT,
VIGILANCE.

Startling, pulling
back, staying alert
while wiggling in
readiness.

Set to deal, but extra

problem-solving
energy needed.

OPTIMISM

A primary emotion*;
pure HAPPINESS
dominating pure
SADNESS.

Tasting, stretching
Stay oriented toward
into through inertia
good outcome.
(object in motion
tends to remain in
motion), not through
effort.

Outrage

Hostility*, euphoria*.

Pressured expansive. Take immediate

action to change the
situation or issue in

the direction you feel.

Overexcitement

EXCITEMENT,
OPTIMISM,
AGGRESSIVENESS,
SELFISHNESS.

Wiggling, tasting
stretching pushing
forward grasping
pressure.

Getting ahead of
situation.

Overwhelmed

Intense PURE FEAR,

PESSIMISM.

Intense vibration,
resistance.

Energy high without

direction.

PAIN

A primary emotion*; a
virtue*; balance of
VIGILANCE and
INDIFFERENCE;
balance between pure
FEAR and pure
SADNESS.

Breaking, yawning,
opening emptiness
that feels like a
vacuum.

Summons or draws in
information.

Panic

Fright*,
aggressiveness*,
irritability*, pain*.

Dodging, tuned in,

startled vibration with
pushing and flailing,
in reaction at least
partly to a breaking
sensation.

Energize and seek

immediate action to
reduce an at least
partially unknown
danger.

PATIENCE

A primary emotion*; a
virtue*; balance of
HELPLESSNESS and
IMPATIENCE; balance
between pure
SADNESS and pure
ANGER.

Waiting; balance
between flailing and
contracting; stillness
and tension in
balance.

Stay engaged in
action at slowed pace.

Paranoia

Fright*, confusion*,
pure SADNESS,
hostility*.

Hot, mentally
Watch out for serious
jumbled, pressured
harm from
and physically slowed unpredictable sources.
but moderately
explosive in feeling.

(Passion)

Feeling (1)*of Heart

Felt in trunk
Rates importance to
(1)*; 30% of emotion*. (corresponding to
you of an
spinal cord and spinal issue/situation.
nerves); also felt in
meridians through
ring fingers and fourth
toes.

Passivity

INDIFFERENCE,
PESSIMISM.

Numb resistance.

(Perception)

Feeling (1)* of Mind

(1)*; 7% of emotion*.

Felt in segment of
Organizes experience.
head from under nose
to brow ridge
(corresponding to
cerebellum, and lower

Dont care to move.

parts of temporal and

occipital lobes of
cerebrum); also felt in
meridians through
index fingers and
second toes.
PESSIMISM

A primary emotion*;
pure SADNESS
dominating pure
HAPPINESS.

Pouting, slouched;
Stay back; expect a
resistant through
bad outcome.
inertia (object at rest
tends to remain at
rest), not through
effort; stillness
dominating lightness.

Pride

Pure HAPPINESS,
OPTIMISM,
AGGRESSIVENESS.

Smiling closemouthed lift of chin.

Superior in some way.

(Pushiness)

A passion*; part of
AGGRESSIVENESS.

Pushing forward
sensation in sternum
and from between
shoulder blades.

Pushing forward on
processing something
important.

Rebelliousness

AVOIDANCE,
Pressured, driven
hostility*, OPTIMISM, dodging jump.
JOY.

(Reluctance)

A passion*; part of
AVOIDANCE.

(Resentment)

The passion*, intuition* Pressured and

and expectation* part of expansive, but
outrage*.
without mental
organization.

Respect

COURAGE,
PATIENCE,
COMPASSION.

Balanced contact with Continue best

slowly active
behavior toward
participation.
situation, with
emphasis on moving
slowly enough.

SADNESS (1)

A primary emotion*;
one of the four pure
emotions.

Stillness.

Sadness (2)

Any emotion* in which Any sensation in

Digest information
the emotion of pure
which the sensation of with added action as
SADNESS is dominant. stillness in dominant. dictated by other
emotions in mixture.

Scared

Fright*, PAIN.

Moderately explosive
righteousness and
strong drive to do
something about it.

Pulling back between Pulling back on

shoulder blades.
processing something
important.
Seek to organize
situation/issue better
in your mind; high
importance for
reaching action level.

Digest information.

Startle, retreat, heated Energize to prepare

up and poised to react for painful

further, with breaking project/situation.
sensation.
Security

COURAGE,
PATIENCE.

Touching, waiting.

Perfectly okay with

just now.

SELFISHNESS

A primary emotion; pure Grab, grasp, hold;

ANGER dominating
tension dominating
pure HAPPINESS.
lightness.

Self-sacrifice

OPTIMISM,
AGGRESSIVENESS,
fatalism*.

Stretching and
Something good will
pushing into, resistant come of going along
letting go, moving
with something bad.
forward.

(Sensations)

The physical aspect of

feelings and emotions.

Felt anywhere in the

body (2).

The physical and

emotional aspects of
your reaction are
making bid for your
conscious attention.

Shame

SURPRISE,
AVOIDANCE,
VIGILANCE,
HELPLESSNESS,
PESSIMISM.

Startled hunching
contracting, pulling
back, breaking.

You have broken a

rule.

Soul

Source of intuition*.

Brain stem; also

meridians from
middle fingers to
middle toes.

Balances input from

Body and Heart with
input from Mind and
Spirit.

Spirit

Source of expectation*. Cerebrum above

Plans reactions.
horizontal plane
through top of brow
ridge; meridians from
thumbs to big toes.

SURPRISE

A primary emotion*;
Startle; vibration
Re-orient in situation
pure FEAR dominating dominating lightness. that is still systems
pure HAPPINESS.
go.

Stubbornness.

AVOIDANCE,
PESSIMISM,
SELFISHNESS,
IMPATIENCE.

Pulling back, digging Exert yourself against

in, flailing opposition proceeding.
out of the way.

Terror

SURPRISE,
VIGILANCE, pure
FEAR, PAIN, intense
pure ANGER.

Startled, hotly frozen Intense danger:

orienting to unknown freeze!
danger.

UNSELFISHNESS

A primary emotion*;
pure HAPPINESS
dominating pure

Release, let go;

No need to keep.
lightness dominating
tension.

Keep something.

ANGER.
VIGILANCE

A primary emotion*;
Tingling; vibration
pure FEAR dominating dominating stillness.
pure SADNESS.

Weakness

HELPLESSNESS,
PESSIMISM

Contracting, resistant. Cant move.

Whining

PAIN,
HELPLESSNESS,
PESSIMISM,
IMPATIENCE,
SELFISHNESS.

Breaking contracting Need information,

with resistance,
struggling to get it.
flailing grabbing.

Wisdom

PATIENCE,
HUMILITY,
COMPASSION.

Waiting, absorbing,
win-win
manipulation.

Perfectly in touch
with perfect
manipulation of the
moment.

Worry

VIGILANCE,
AVOIDANCE,
PESSIMISM,
AGGRESSIVENESS,
SELFISHNESS.

Tingling backing off,

resistant, pushing and
grabbing in another
direction.

1. Active monitoring
(e.g. toward toddler
by adult.
2. Suspended
monitoring (as of love
one at a distance, or
upcoming situation).

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