On "new" FEELINGS and emotions..

This unit started as simple practice of feelings vocabulary. I registered the students´feelings when learning a new language from frustration to fluency. Then I learned from Tiffany Watt Smith´s The book of human emotions that there were hundreds of different emotions in various cultures:
RINGXIETY:Anxiety caused by expecting a phone call
HAN:Collective acceptance of suffering combined with a silent wish for things to change
DEPAYSMENT: lack of orientation in foreign places
AWUMBUK: a feeling of emptiness left by guests when they have to leave
HEIMAT: Deep-rooted fondness towards a place to which one has a strong feeling of belonging(German)
TOSKA: Insatiable longing (Russian)
KAUKOKAIPUU: homesickness felt for a place one has never been(Finnish)
YAGÁN: a look between people that expresses unspoken but mutual desire
QUEESTING: to allow a lover access to one´s bed for chit-chat
DADIRRI: a deep spiritual act of reflective and respectful listening(Australian aboriginal)
FENG YUN:personal charm and graceful bearing (Mandarin Chinese)
ILUNGA: being ready to Forgive a first time, to Tolerate a second time, but never a third time.
MBUKI-MVUKI:to shed clothes to dance uninhibited (Bantu)
NGINYIWARRARRINGU: A sudden spasm of alarm that makes people leap to their feet and look about trying to see what caused it.
These examples  come from Tim Lomas´ Positive Lexicography Project and the International Positive Psychology Association, which shows us the cultural nuances and the different shades of meaning of different feelings. Compare the concept of nirvana in Sanskrit to the  joie de vivre or the bon vivant in French.

So let´s plunge into the different standardized feelings:

Thankful appreciative grateful gratified indebted obliged relieved

Thoughtful challenged curious illuminated informed interested pensive reflective deliberative 
meditative ruminative 
Unthinking, thoughtless, heedless, careless, disregardful

Angry aggravated annoyed brooding defiant disgusted enraged exasperated frustrated furious hateful hostile indignant infuriated mad obstinate outraged perturbed peeved pissed off rebellious seething spiteful surly upset vengeful cheesed off about sth

Ashamed apologetic embarrassed foolish guilty humble idiotic mortified regretful remorseful shameful worthless

Confident  hopeful inspired keen optimistic powerful productive strong sure trusting

 

 capable centered eager energetic focused grounded serene peaceful self-confident assured poised

Happy amused cheerful delighted ecstatic elated excited exuberant gleeful high gay merry blithe

joyful mischievous over the moon placid untroubled

Satisfied adequate content mellow peaceful pleased

Healthy, hearty, robust, vigorous, sound

 Friendly sociable, gregarious amicable, affable, chummy, congenial  neighbourly

Confused baffled befuddled bewitched bewildered disoriented flustered perplexed puzzled scattered troubled unfocused

Sad despondent depressed dismal low melancholy miserable unhappy weepy

Loving affectionate aroused caring devoted intimate tender warm lively, alive, vibrant, vivacious,energetic, spirited, feisty, spry, perky, effervescent, bubbly,pert

Hurt abandoned abused attacked belittled bitter cheated  disappointed dismayed disheartened

grieving gypped humiliated mournful sorrowful rejected resentful crestfallen crushed dejected

Scared afraid alarmed fearful frightened horrified hysterical insecure intimidated nervous panicky petrified terrified threatened vulnerable

Uncertain cynical doubtful dubious distrustful hesitant indecisive pessimistic skeptical suspicious

Uncomfortable unsure unsettled shy timid sheepish mousy reticent reluctant uneasy jittery nervous

irritable edgy, touchy,testy, tetchy. fractious

Uncaring ambivalent apathetic bored busy detached exhausted indifferent lethargic lazy

tired unmotivated nonchalant occupied selfish unconcerned

 Wanting empty envious homesick hungry ignored jealous lonely longing lustful

Weak inadequate burdened controlled despairing discouraged helpless hopeless impotent inhibited

lost passive powerless restricted suicidal

Worried agitated anxious bothered restless tense uneasy cross unsettled

Surprised aghast amazed astonished astounded incredulous shocked startled

A)

HOW DO YOU FEEL Today?

A feeling for every single day of the year

I feel sleepy/weepy...

B) Find the connection/interdependence between MIND & BODY and EMOTIONS & FEELINGS

C) Describe the basic feelings shown in emoticons or emojis

D) OVER & UN/UNDER . FUL/LESS Which adjectives can be modified by these particles to enhance or minimize the feelings?EX: overjoyed,undesired, underachiever, undervalued, joyful, affectless...

E) Contrast people´s values. Which country am I referring to when I quote?:

 In the South people are fiery, indolent,passionate, unsteady, independent,zealous, generous, candid.

.In the North they are cool, sober, laborious, persevering,interested, hypocritical in their religion.

(From Thomas Jefferson´s biography Restlessness and Torment)

F) Feel as much as you can; live life to the full .You´ll be a long, long time dead. On a single day you can run the whole gamut of human feelings from indignation to rejection, from being playful and funny to being sulky or brooding..

G ) State 3 situations which make you feel sad/happy/disgusted/angry/surprised/frightened

H) Subjectively give a colour to any emotion: Is Sadness black, blue or grey?

    Happiness is.............   Anger is.............  Fear is............... Surprise is.....................

I)  Seasons;ages and emotions: Which is the season of innocence/maturity/decay?

J) Find out about the urban tribe called "emos" What are their characteristics?

K) Check lexicalized metaphors and poetic language to describe feelings:  Ex: a heart of stone/glass/gold

Give two more examples

L) FEEL TERRIBLE versus FEEL TERRIFIC Beware of false friends and try to find the opposite of the following feelings:

 indignant, exhausted, curious, lonely, hysterical, special. combative, indecisive, guilty,hateful,withdrawn, grumpy,generous,.....

M) Educating your emotions: How many different types of tears/blush do you know? Ex: Tears of joy/pain/anger/frustration/ crocodile/clown/ combotears......

N) In the famous song "Feelings" by Morris Albert give a name to the different feelings expressed in it.

    Do the same with The Bee Gee´s Emotion and Maria Carey´s Emotions

Ñ) Draw a funny face to see if the others agree with the feeling you tried to convey. 

O) I feel v. I feel like   Verbs followed by bare infinitive or-ing form:

 I felt the car stop; I felt the car losing speed

I feel that they will be happy living together; I feel that Barça should win.
 Give other examples using both feel and feel like:

P) Read about Daniel Goleman´s seminal book Emotional Intelligence and  Peter Salovey. Rafael Bisquerra and Oliver Sacks have written on the neurology of emotions. Find some other psychologists who have written about this topic.

Q) Food and emotions. There is a close connection between your daily intake and your feelings about food and even life itself

Finish off sentences like :  Lentils make me feel..............

                                          Steak and kidney pie makes me feel..............
                                          Pork makes me feel.....................
                                          French cuisine makes me................
                                          Deer meat/Venison makes me

R) Road Rage is very common: Could you explain why people change their personalities when they are at the wheel?

S) Combat negative emotions and NEGATIVE people: Avoid anxiety, stressors, weariness, loneliness, tension, hatred, envy, fear, grief, dejection,depression, despair, the vanity of egos and emptiness...

T)  In the Middle Ages people believed in the strong connection between MOODS and the natural elements: Fire, Earth, Wind, Air...Study the different Humours of long ago. Check how the different natural phenomena may affect our moods: WIND, PERSISTENT DROUGHT/ RAIN, HURRICANES/TYPHOONS, .....

U) Music and emotions

Traditionally music has been regarded as the food of love, it has charms to soothe a savage breast, it brings people together and sets us free. It is a platitude to state that music makes us smarter, happier and more productive. This romantic idealization of music persists as it holds incredible power to move us; it is the doorway to the infinitude of the human soul and expresses humanity´s collectve longing for freedom and brotherhoood. The therapeutic use of music has been widely researched but the opposite may be true. THERE IS MUSICAL TORTURE NOWADAYS Yelling, loud music and light control creates FEAR; Disorientation,Violence....Indeed , there are strong links between music and violence: Remember Hitler´s cultural triumphalism after listemning to Wagner´s music, the musical torture the P.O.W.´s suffered at Guantanamo or Irak.

Mention some songs/groups/type of music which can trigger violent instincts. For example: AC/DC; Metallica,Eminem,Extremoduro,Siniestro Total, Molotov, Grupo Marrano,etc... Hard rock,heavy metal, rap, punk, hip hop or bachata can be toxic for your emotional well-being.

V) ANIMALS and EMOTIONS 

  Which emotional qualities would you associate with a bat, a dolphin, a horse, a parrot, a spider, a whale, an elephant, a turtle,  a toad, a frog, a worm, a wasp, a panda, etc..?

Which emotion is symbolised by  these animals?:

ELEPHANTS= Emotional Intelligence
MULES=
GORILLAS=
SWANS=
CHIMPANZEES=
KOALAS=
PANDAS=
...........

W)
No truly democratic society can exist without the cultivation of certain emotions that teach  people to enter empathetically into other people´s lives.
 We have to analyse the structure of emotions: how we may even harbour aggressiveness towards the people we are supposed to love.(Inspired by The New YorkerJuly 25th 2016  Martha Nussbaum´s philosophy of emotions)

Comment and debate the following topics:

ANGER CONTROL. Is there justified anger?
Towards emotional refinement and aesthetic education
Creative guilt
Admission of our essential vulnerability and the ability to accept our own fragility and needs
Anti Disgust attitudes
Preparation for the surprises of life
Foster more emotional expressiveness in emotionally barren environments

X) Learn about bipolar and OC disorders and how the emotions disease may affect your overall health.
 Is there an epidemic of anger, intolerance, xenophobia, hatred,  gluttony, desperation...nowadays?

Y)Can we ever really know what anyone is truly feeling?

Z) How do you evolve from HATRED to REMORSE; from ANGER to KINDNESS; from REVENGE to SELF-CONTROL or from RESENTFULNESS to THANKFULNESS?