One human being can experience 34,000 human emotions. 34,000!!!! With so many emotions, how can one navigate the turbulent waters of feelings, without getting lost?
The answer: With An Emotion Wheel.
Through years of studying emotions, American psychologist Dr. Robert Plutchik proposed that there are eight primary emotions that serve as the foundation for all others: joy, sadness, acceptance, disgust, fear, anger, surprise, and anticipation. (Pollack, 2016)
So while it’s hard to understand all 34,000 distinct emotions, we can learn how to identify the primary emotions and act accordingly. It’s especially useful for moments of intense feeling and when the mind cannot remain objective as it operates from an impulsive “fight or flight” response. (Watkins, 2014)
The emotion wheel or wheel of emotions, created by Robert Plutchik, offers a visual representation of primary emotions, displaying the varying degrees and complexities of different feelings.
As a tool, it can help people grapple with, put a name to, and come to terms with their emotions in many different contexts, including simply developing greater self-awareness.