How does the way a person experiences emotion impact the way one navigates them?

I think that a lot of frustration that people experience comes from not being able to correctly identify emotions. Starting in childhood, by not being able to identify what the emotion is, parents guide their children towards suppressing emotions. Tantrums and acting out are often the result of not being able to correctly identify or articulate being tired, hungry, frustrated, bored, jealous, sad, etc. as opposed to “being bad.” As a result, many individuals grow up without being able to manage emotions effectively.

Hmmm. Sounds like something I need to add to my reading list.

How do we define an emotion in a way that we can use it to compare with others?

How do I know if the way I experience “happy” is the same as other people?

How does my “happy” compare to others? Am I getting gypped? LOL

There is not enough room in Fluther to even scratch the surface on how people experience emotions let alone add in the twist and turns of navigating emotions. I think the biggest curve ball is how people internalize their emotions which is part of that process of experiencing emotions and learning the cause and effect of those experiences and then using those experiences as part of a data base for future run ins with similar situations. Add in the compounding effect of internalizing and or externalizing these emotions and then mix in drugs and alcohol and HS where do you start???!

Be true to yourself.

It took me a bit to really understand the question, so that must make it good. I think a person’s emotions is dependant on their experiences with that emotions. People who’re angry a lot, that’s the first one they go to usually. People who feel “the victim”, find it easy to use that emotion.
I agree with PandoraBoxx on supresssing emotions. It’s important to ride and experience an emotion so that you can recognize it and deal with it accordingly.

I’m sure there are major differences, especially when experiencing them through a filter such as depression or Aspergers Syndrome. Sometimes you can compare the two, such as in depression where you can recall a time when things “felt” differently. In other conditions, such as AS, you have no point of reference since you’re born with the condition and it can’t be altered (the brain being hardwired differently from “neurotypicals”). Trying to explain “normal” emotions to an autistic may be like trying to explain color to a person blind from birth.

I’ve read something like this before. Like fear is a primary emotion and anger is secondary. I believe this, it makes sense, but I’m still trying to sort through my own tangle. I’m just trying to not feel anger or irritation at people. It’s more difficult than I though, and I’ve been working consciously on this for about four years now.