Don't know what you're feeling? Robert Plutchik created an emotion map that looks like a flower. It shows 8 basic emotions and their blends (e.g., Joy + Trust = Love). This tool helps to name the unnamable.
How to Use the Wheel?
- Start from the center (strongest emotions, e.g., Rage).
- Move outwards (milder, e.g., Annoyance).
- Look for opposites (Joy vs. Sadness).
Naming emotions ("Name it to tame it") reduces amygdala activity.
Scientific Sources:
- Plutchik, R. (1980). "A general psychoevolutionary theory of emotion".
