The Purpose of Our Emotions

_Elsa_

A little while later the two of them meet up with @PrettyBubbles who is spreading hearts and love to all the flowers.

Tiffi notices that PrettyBubbles has shown up. Teresa is just about to introduce the two of them when Tiffi tells her that she already knows PrettyBubbles from all the fun messages that she’s been posting with Elsa. Teresa continues sharing her thoughts on emotions.

‘Emotions can play an important role in how we think and behave. The emotions we feel each day can compel us to take action and influence the decisions we make about our lives, both large and small. In order to truly understand emotions, it is important to understand the three critical components of an emotion.

There are three parts to an emotion:

• A subjective component (how you experience the emotion)

• A physiological component (how your bodies react to the emotion)

• An expressive component (how you behave in response to the emotion). 

These different elements can play a role in the function and purpose of your emotional responses.

Emotions can be short-lived, such as a flash of annoyance at a co-worker, or long-lasting, such as enduring sadness over the loss of a relationship. But why exactly do we experience emotions? What role do they serve?

Emotions Can Motivate Us to Take Action - When faced with a nerve-wracking exam, you might feel a lot of anxiety about whether you will perform well and how the test will impact your final grade. Because of these emotional responses, you might be more likely to study. Since you experienced a particular emotion, you had the motivation to take action and do something positive to improve your chances of getting a good grade.

Emotions Help Us Survive, Thrive, and Avoid Danger - Naturalist Charles Darwin believed that emotions are adaptations that allow both humans and animals to survive and reproduce. When we are angry, we are likely to confront the source of our irritation. When we experience fear, we are more likely to flee the threat. When we feel love, we might seek out a mate and reproduce. 

“Hey Tiffi, when did you get here?” questions Pretty Bubbles. “It’s nice to see you again.” 

Tiffi shares her story of how she arrived and then the three of them continue walking together. Teresa finishes talking about emotions. 

Emotions Can Help Us Make Decisions - Our emotions have a major influence on the decisions we make, from what we decide to have for breakfast to which candidates we choose to vote for in political elections. Researchers have also found that people with certain types of brain damage affecting their ability to experience emotions also have a decreased ability to make good decisions.

Emotions Allow Other People to Understand Us - When we interact with other people, it is important to give clues to help them understand how we are feeling. These cues might involve emotional expression through body language, such as various facial expressions connected with the particular emotions we are experiencing.

Emotions Allow Us to Understand Others - Just as our own emotions provide valuable information to others, the emotional expressions of those around us give us a wealth of social information. Social communication is an important part of our daily lives and relationships, and being able to interpret and react to the emotions of others is essential.’ (Source)

Let’s continue – The 6 Types of Basic Emotions

Start at the beginning - Tiffi ends up in the town of Wellspring