Introduction

Welcome

Emotions are data. They’re quick signals about needs, risks and opportunities. This section helps you name what you’re feeling, decode what it’s asking for, and choose one proportionate step. Use it for yourself, your family, your team, and your community.

What is an emotion?

An emotion is a fast body–mind shift (body sensations, attention changes, urges to act) that points at something important. Emotions mix and flip quickly — that’s normal. The basic loop is simple: Name → Decode → Choose.

The Biogenics frame (why emotions exist)

Life keeps going by doing three things on repeat:

  • Self-Production — fuel and growth (keeping the organism developing).

  • Self-Organisation — roles and rules (living together without chaos).

  • Self-Correction — notice and fix (learning, prevention, adaptation).

Emotions help run these three in real time. In each chapter we call out the primary domain the emotion serves (and any secondary roles), always in this order: Self-Production → Self-Organisation → Self-Correction.

The three tiers

  • Primary emotions — fast, body-first, mostly universal programs
    (anger, fear, sadness, joy, disgust, surprise, curiosity/interest, love/attachment, awe).

  • Secondary emotions — learned blends and appraisals shaped by memory, belief and culture
    (anxiety, guilt, shame, pride, envy, jealousy, contempt, compassion, gratitude, resentment, regret, relief, frustration, loneliness, boredom, hope, grief).

  • Tertiary emotions — finer flavours and mixes that add nuance more than they drive action
    (nostalgia, bittersweetness, schadenfreude, embarrassment, cringe, indignation, admiration, etc.).

It’s also worth noting that there are Hybrid emotions (patterns) — repeating loops made from multiple feelings + stories + habits; they bring short-term relief or reward and can cost you later unless you change the pattern. They need multi-point tweaks across Self-Production (fuel & growth), Self-Organisation (roles & rules), and Self-Correction (notice & fix).
(hubris, cynicism, burnout, perfectionism, hypervigilance, catastrophising, outrage)

Why naming is hard (and how to get better)

Why we struggle: emotions blend; they’re fast; language is blunt (“stressed” covers everything); culture teaches shortcuts (men say “angry” when they’re anxious; many call shame “guilt”).
How to improve (quick toolkit):

  • Body first: Where is it (chest, gut, jaw)? Hot/cold? Tight/loose?

  • Action tendency: Do I want to approach, avoid, protect, connect, or correct?

  • Time focus: Is it pointing to Past, Present, or Future?

  • Triad nudge: Which fits best right now — Self-Production (fuel/care), Self-Organisation (roles/rules), Self-Correction (notice/fix)?

  • Two-line test: “I’m feeling ___ because ___. I need ___.” If you can finish that honestly, the label’s good enough.

  • Common mix-ups to watch: guilt ↔ shame; fear ↔ anxiety; envy ↔ jealousy; anger ↔ contempt; grief ↔ sadness.

Try a 7-day micro-log: once a day write the emotion, the time focus (P/P/F), and one small step you took. You’ll spot patterns fast.

How to use this guide

Every chapter gives you:

  • At a glance — what it’s saying, what it wants, time focus, watch-outs.

  • Biogenic lens — one clear sentence on its role in Self-Production → Self-Organisation → Self-Correction, followed by short prose.

  • Signals, triggers, look-alikes.

  • Skills lab — a 60-second reset, a 10-minute tidy, and a daily rep.

  • Playbooks — self, family, workplace, community.

  • Myths to retire, a simple metric, when to worry, and a brief vignette.

Fast safety note

Feeling is normal. If one feeling dominates for weeks, shrinks your life, or creates risk, see your GP or a psychologist. If there’s immediate danger, call 000.