EI: Which emotions are positive or negative?

Which emotions are positive or negative?

Traditionally, people have spoken about "positive" and "negative" emotions. The implication has been that some emotions are good and some are bad. This is still current in some people's minds.

I would like to challenge this thinking. Can emotions accurately be separated into positive or negative ones? I think feelings are just that, feelings. Emotions are not negative or positive, they just are.

Why do I say this? Because there is no one way to respond to emotions, rather it is what we do with our emotions that matters. Having an emotion is not a problem. Dealing with it in an emotionally unintelligent way is.

Which of these emotions are bad?

Confidence may be considered a positive emotion, yet being confident when you are unskilled could lead you to take risks. Some teenagers who feel confident driving a car may kill themselves in a car crash. Does this make confidence positive or negative? It depends on what we do with our confidence, doesn't it? If only the confident drivers felt more concerned or vulnerable they might drive more safely and stay alive.

Happiness is a positive emotion but it may lead to complacency. Anger may lead you to correct an injustice. Does this make them positive or negative?

I know some people, who having been depressed, have changed their lives for the better, much better. Does this make depression a negative emotion? It certainly may be in the short term but it may be helpful in the long term. In contrast, the same feeling in someone else may lead to suicide. It's the response to the emotion that makes it intelligent or unintelligent, helpful or unhelpful.

Who cares how emotions are labelled?

When we label emotions as positive, it can also produce problems. For example, we may invest a lot of time, and even money, trying to find and feel them. We may even risk our lives when we want to feel excited, stimulated, challenged or "on a high". Excited, stimulated, challenged or on a high are all emotions.

EMOTIONS ARE NOT POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE. IT'S WHAT YOU DO WITH THEM THAT MATTERS.