These core emotions are the foundation or building blocks for more complex emotions and
feelings. Each core emotion has an emotional family where several similar emotions are included in a hierarchy but are still different and independent emotions. Further, emotions combine to form more complex feelings.
For example, joy + trust = love.
We learn at an early age how to cope with or deal with our emotions. Although we learn many of our coping skills from our parents and other caregivers, we may have predispositions that may affect our ability to handle emotions adequately. Genetics account for many personality traits such as being outgoing, happy, sociable, emotionally reactive, intelligent, and curious. However, each of us is born with a distinct temperament that contributes to what we need from our environment and the way we are treated by others.
For example, a curious or outgoing child may need higher levels of interaction from his environment and people around him compared to a more introverted and content child.
Thus causing each child to be treated differently in the same environment. Moreover, a child who has a predisposition to aggressive behavior may invoke negative responses from parents who also have an aggressive predisposition. This causes a snowball of negative responses from parents towards the child which causes the child’s brain to grow differently. In contrast, a child who has been severely abused can overcome the negative wiring if he is raised by caregivers who are loving and kind. Human behavior seems to be determined by environmental stimuli and not genetics.
According to Nigel Barber, Ph.D., “Personality may be genetically heritable to some degree, but human behavior never is.”
Emotions are instinctive and normal reactions to life situations and circumstances. Learning how to cope with negative feelings and embracing positive feelings are important tools that will help us in our journey for emotional wellness.