How Do You Feel?

THIS is psychologist Robert Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions.

It is set up like a colour wheel with the eight primary emotions being JOY, TRUST, FEAR, SURPRISE, SADNESS, DISGUST, ANGER, and ANTICIPATION.

You can see how the opposite of joy is sadness, the opposite of trust is disgust, the opposite of fear is anger (I don't quite get that one), the opposite of surprise is anticipation.

The degrees of these emotions are likewise illustrated with the  mild emotions on the periphery and the intense emotions in the "core" of things.

• Serenity -->  JOY  -->   Ecstasy
• Acceptance   -->  TRUST  -->   Admiration
• Apprehension   -->  FEAR  -->   Terror
• Distraction  -->  SURPRISE  -->  Amazement
• Pensiveness  -->  SADNESS  -->  Grief
• Boredom  -->  DISGUST  -->  Loathing
• Annoyance  -->   ANGER  -->  Rage
• Interest   -->   ANTICIPATION  -->   Vigilance

We often hear the term "mixed emotions," well this wheel suggests the combination of two emotions creates a third.  Examples include

• ANGER  + ANTICIPATION    =    AGGRESSIVENESS
• ANTICIPATION  + JOY         =    OPTIMISM
• JOY +  TRUST                      =     LOVE
• TRUST + FEAR                    =     SUBMISSION
• FEAR +  SURPRISE             =      AWE
• SURPRISE  + SADNESS       =       DISAPPROVAL
• SADNESS  +  DISGUST       =      REMORSE
• DISGUST + ANGER           =      CONTEMPT

Going beyond these equations, I found an article where someone felt there were even MORE mixed emotions to be equated involving the mild and intense emotions.

For the mild emotions:

• Interest + Serenity                  = Bemusement
• Serenity + Acceptance           =  Acknowledgement
• Acceptance + Apprehension  =   Acquiescence
• Apprehension + Distraction    =  Wariness
• Distraction + Pensiveness      =   Dismay
• Pensiveness + Boredom         =   Listlessness
• Boredom + Annoyance           =  Impatience
• Annoyance + Interest           =   Disfavour

For the intense emotions:

• Vigilance + Ecstasy               =  Zeal
• Ecstasy + Admiration            =  Devotion
• Admiration +  Terror            =   Subservience
• Terror +  Amazement           = Petrifaction
• Amazement + Grief              =  Horror
• Grief + Loathing                  =  Shame
• Loathing + Rage                   =  Hatred
• Rage + Vigilence                  =  Domination

In spite the documentation of all these emotions, I still can't put a finger on how exactly I am feeling these days.