LITMIR.BIZ

      In Practice

      There are four basic emotions – mad, sad, glad and scared. And if you touch those emotions then you can grab your audience, your reader. – Larry Winget

      Put ‘W. Gerrod Parrott’s group of emotions’ into a search engine. You’ll see that Parrott suggests there are six basic emotions and that all other emotions stem from these six basic emotions. For example, both guilt and disappointment stem from the basic, primary emotion of sadness. Pride and relief come from the basic emotion of joy.

      Put ‘Robert Plutchik’s wheel of emotions’ into a search engine. You’ll see that Plutchik has created a ‘wheel of emotions’ as a way of categorising emotions and seeing how they are related. The wheel consists of eight basic, primary emotions and eight ‘advanced’ emotions. Each ‘advanced’ emotion is made up of two basic ones; for example, contempt is created from anger and disgust. Optimism is a blend of joy and anticipation.

      Plutchik’s idea is related to a colour wheel; in the same way that primary colours blend to create other colours, primary emotions combine to create a spectrum of human emotions. He suggests that each primary emotion has a polar opposite. For example, surprise is the opposite of anticipation.

      Understand emotions; make links. Does Parrott’s way of categorising emotions give you a clearer understanding of the intent, motivations and behaviour underlying those emotions? Does it help you to better understand emotions such as remorse and regret, by tracing them back to the basic emotion of sadness. Or jealousy and envy back to the basic emotion of anger?

      Does it make sense? Do you agree?

      Looking at Plutchik’s wheel of emotions, does the combination of sadness and surprise suggest disapproval to you? Is love the combination of joy and trust? Do you think fear is the opposite of anger?