Primary and Secondary Emotions

Emotions are feelings that arise immediately and automatically in response to situations that have importance for us. They alert us that something meaningful is happening relative to our goals or values and create a predisposition for us to act in response. This emotional reaction is communicated through our body as felt experience but often will trigger rational thoughts to both inform and temper emotional reactions as we formulate a response to the situation. Emotional responses may involve external action that communicates with and changes the environment but may also involve internal processes and the way we experience and react to our emotions. Sometimes this may direct our focus away from the original emotion we felt in response to a situation, and in these cases, we ...