People have different attitudes towards expressing their emotions in front of others. Some openly show their feelings in sad situations, while others prefer to hide their emotions. Psychologists state that when and how emotions are expressed directly affects social relations.
Medianews.az reports that scientists from the Australian National University, led by Jonal Monaghan, conducted a study examining the unwritten social rules accepted by society regarding the expression of emotions.
According to the authors of the research, these rules are important for successful social communication, and people should express their feelings in a manner appropriate to their environment.
As part of the study, a survey was conducted among participants living in Great Britain, with an average age of 46. As a result, emotions were divided into three main groups:
- Positive and affiliative emotions: joy, hope, pride, excitement, pleasure, compassion, admiration, etc.
- Destructive emotions: anger, hatred, jealousy, disgust, irritability, resentment, etc.
- Sensitive emotions: sadness, fear, guilt, despair, shame, offense, etc.
Based on the research results, three main rules were determined for the expression of emotions:
- Show your positive emotions without hesitation.
Feelings such as joy, hope, and excitement are generally positively received when expressed at work and in personal life. Open display of these emotions does not negatively impact social relations. - Control anger and other destructive emotions.
Displaying feelings such as anger, hatred, and nervousness, especially in public places or around unfamiliar people, is negatively evaluated. The study shows that open expression of these types of emotions is one of the behaviors causing the most social discomfort. - Do not share sensitive emotions with everyone.
Sharing feelings such as sadness, fear, and offense is more acceptable with close people. However, openly expressing these emotions around strangers or distant acquaintances can create a negative impression.
The authors of the study note that these rules are applied more flexibly in close relationships. For example, a person can inform their spouse or close friend if they feel offended or sad. Nevertheless, the expression of feelings should be accompanied by the principle of protecting the relationship and showing respect to the other party.
According to psychologists, sharing emotions in the right environment and with appropriate people positively affects both the strengthening of social relations and the individual's psychological well-being.