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The Nature of Emotion

Distinguishing between emotions, feelings, and moods

Take a moment and recall the most recent “emotion” you felt. What comes to mind? For most people, it’s a “hot” emotion—that is, a physically and mentally intense experience like joy, anger, or grief, during which your palms sweated, your mouth felt dry, and your heart pounded (Berscheid & Regan, 2005). When we are asked to translate these emotions into words, we use vivid physical metaphors. Joy makes “our hearts leap” while anger makes “our blood boil.” Grief is “a living hell” (Frijda, 2005). Understanding what emotions are and how they differ from feelings and moods are the first steps in better managing our emotions.