I was thinking about our ability to have more than one emotion at the one time. Then I realised that I don't really understand the difference between emotions and feelings. So like the little geeky seeker that I am, I did some research.
Philosopher, John Voris summarises that feelings identify our true identity, while emotions reveal how we been taught to respond to events in our life. Experts in many fields of behaviour agree that our deep feelings come from an unchanging belief about life that holds our identity together, while our emotions are purely physically based, subject to change and are basically reactions to life events. It is also suggested that being able to learn the difference between feelings and emotions is crucial in understanding ourselves and initiating personal long-term change.
John Voris further defines feelings as our true nature – our Authentic Identity – something that remains stable throughout our life. This Authentic Identity is the essence of who we are, regardless of our personality, or the social and cultural influences of our life. Our subconscious beliefs about the world and our moral view of it come from the Authentic Self. They are responsible for the formation of our feelings of identity – our gut instincts, our intuition, our inner compass.
So I have never truly understood the difference between feelings and emotions because I have not been listening to my Authentic Self. I have ignored red flags in relationships. I have spent a long time listening to the social and cultural influences in my life (for example, that you need a husband and children to be truly fulfilled). And now having been catapulted from the safety of my old life, I feel I am finally starting to listen to my own inner compass. Yay.
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