This document contains descriptions for each term from the hierarchical feelings word field, divided into three levels.
Level 1: Core Emotions
Joy
Joy is a deeply felt positive emotion accompanied by contentment and happiness. It manifests as laughter, inner radiance, and a feeling of lightness, often triggered by positive experiences, successes, or pleasant encounters.
Sadness
Sadness is a painful emotion that follows loss or disappointment. It can manifest as crying, despondency, withdrawal, and a feeling of emptiness. Sadness is an important process for coping with loss.
Anger
Anger is an intense and often passionate emotion that arises from perceived injustice, threat, or frustration. It can manifest as irritation, wrath, aggression, or a desire for change.
Fear
Fear is a fundamental emotion that arises in response to a real or imagined danger. It serves as protection and can manifest as nervousness, panic, anxiety, or an urge to flee.
Surprise
Surprise is a fleeting, intense reaction to unexpected events or information. It can be positive or negative and often manifests through wide eyes or a moment of pause.
Disgust
Disgust is a strong aversion or revulsion towards something perceived as unpleasant, dirty, spoiled, or morally repugnant. It serves as protection against contamination.
Affection
Affection is a warm, positive feeling of liking, goodwill, and closeness towards a person, an animal, or sometimes even an object. It often forms the basis for deeper relationships like friendship or love.
Contempt
Contempt is a feeling of deep disdain and disregard towards a person or thing perceived as inferior, unworthy, or repellent. It can manifest as arrogance or rejection.
Curiosity
Curiosity is the urge to discover, learn, or understand new things. It drives us to ask questions, explore, and engage with our environment, and is crucial for personal growth.
Shame
Shame is a painful feeling of humiliation or exposure that arises when one believes they have failed to meet expectations or moral standards, or have made a mistake. It can lead to withdrawal.
Level 2: Nuances and Intensities
Subcategory of Joy:
Happiness
Happiness is a state of deep well-being and inner contentment, often lasting for longer periods and conveying a sense of fulfillment.
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is a lively and intense joy, accompanied by strong interest and fervor for a cause or activity. One feels full of zeal and vigor.
Cheerfulness
Cheerfulness is a light, carefree, and joyful mood that expresses itself in cheerfulness, smiles, and a positive attitude.
Contentment
Contentment is the feeling that one’s current circumstances or achievements meet expectations, leading to an inner sense of peace.
Euphoria
Euphoria is an excessively strong feeling of happiness and well-being, often experienced as a high, sometimes accompanied by a loss of reality.
Exuberance
Exuberance is a state of carefree and unrestrained joy, where one behaves freely and uninhibitedly, often through laughter and play.
Bliss
Bliss is a state of supreme happiness and inner peace, often described as heavenly or paradisiacal.
Enjoyment
Enjoyment is the conscious experience and appreciation of pleasant sensory impressions or experiences that bring well-being and satisfaction.
Well-being
Well-being is a pleasant feeling of comfort, ease, and inner calm, often associated with physical and psychological balance.
Pleasure
Pleasure is a pleasant sensation resulting from entertainment, fun, or enjoyable activities, often short-lived.
Subcategory of Sadness:
Melancholy
Melancholy is a mild, often wistful sadness, which can be accompanied by pensiveness and a certain poetic mood, without the heaviness of deep sorrow.
Grief
Grief is a painful feeling of sorrow and worry, often caused by personal problems or misfortune.
Despair
Despair is a state of extreme hopelessness and helplessness, in which one sees no further solution or way out.
Longing
Longing is a gentle, often nostalgic sadness, connected with yearning for something past or unattainable.
Sorrow
Sorrow is a deep, persistent sadness or despondency that heavily burdens the mind.
Suffering
Suffering is a comprehensive feeling of painful burden, whether physical or psychological, often associated with pain, grief, or misfortune.
Anguish
Anguish is a deep, gnawing sorrow or bitter sadness that is difficult to overcome and often endured in silence.
Melancholy (as a state of mind)
Melancholy, in this sense, is a prolonged, depressed mood, characterized by hopelessness and a certain passivity, similar to a mild depression.
Desolation
Desolation is a feeling of absolute hopelessness and emptiness, in which no comfort or encouragement can be felt.
Dejection
Dejection is a state of discouragement and lack of energy, manifesting as sadness and apathy.
Subcategory of Anger:
Annoyance
Annoyance is a moderate form of anger, triggered by frustration, irritation, or dissatisfaction, often expressed as irritability.
Wrath
Wrath is a stronger, more intense form of anger, often associated with a sense of outrage or revenge, and can manifest in violent reactions.
Resentment
Resentment is a persistent, deep-seated hostility or bitterness towards someone, often due to a past injustice or offense.
Outrage
Outrage is a morally motivated anger, triggered by a perceived injustice, scandal, or disregard for values.
Frustration
Frustration arises when one is hindered from achieving a goal or when expectations are not met, leading to anger and disappointment.
Hatred
Hatred is an intense, deep-seated feeling of aversion and hostility towards a person or group, often with a desire for their harm.
Temper Tantrum
A temper tantrum is a sudden, uncontrolled outburst of anger, often accompanied by shouting, destruction, or aggressive actions.
Irritability
Irritability is an increased sensitivity to minor annoyances, which easily leads to displeasure or anger.
Fury
Fury is an angry, grim feeling of determination or bitterness, often with a desire for revenge.
Rage
Rage is an extreme, out-of-control anger, often accompanied by blindness and loss of reason.
Subcategory of Fear:
Dread
Dread is a specific reaction to an identifiable threat or danger. It is more specific than general fear and often directed at a particular object or situation.
Panic
Panic is a sudden, overwhelming fear, often accompanied by loss of control, irrational reactions, and physiological symptoms like a racing heart.
Apprehension
Apprehension is a oppressive, often physically palpable feeling of fear or worry, which can manifest as a tightness in the chest.
Worry
Worry is a state of concern and brooding about possible future negative events or problems.
Unease
Unease is a milder form of worry, a feeling of restlessness or concern regarding a specific matter.
Terror
Terror is a sudden, intense, and often paralyzing fear, triggered by an unexpected, terrifying event.
Stage Fright
Stage fright is a specific fear that occurs before or during a public performance, examination, or similar situation.
Phobia
A phobia is an irrational, excessive, and persistent fear of a specific object or situation that is normally harmless.
Horror
Horror is a deep, terrifying fear, often associated with disgust and dread, typically triggered by something eerie or gruesome.
Anxiety (as a specific state)
Anxiety, in this context, is a feeling of discomfort and inner tension, often associated with shame or embarrassment in social situations.
Subcategory of Surprise:
Wonder
Wonder is a feeling of astonishment and curiosity about something unexpected or unusual.
Amazement
Amazement is a strong form of wonder, often accompanied by speechlessness and momentary inability to react.
Astonishment
Astonishment is a mix of surprise and admiration or awe, often triggered by something impressive or incredible.
Perplexity
Perplexity is a state of confusion and bewilderment, triggered by something unexpected or difficult to understand.
Ignorance
Ignorance is the state of not knowing or being unaware of something that surprises one.
Catching Off Guard
Catching off guard is the feeling of being unexpectedly and unpreparedly hit by an event or situation.
Speechlessness
Speechlessness is a state of extreme surprise, where one is so shocked that they are unable to react or speak.
Dumbfoundedness (Repetition, as synonym)
Dumbfoundedness describes the feeling of being struck with awe by something unexpected and often positive.
Breathlessness
Breathlessness is a physical reaction to strong surprise or tension, where one holds their breath.
Unexpectedness
Unexpectedness refers to the quality of an event that occurs without prior notice or preparation, causing surprise.
Subcategory of Disgust:
Revulsion
Revulsion is a deep, intense aversion or disgust, often associated with moral rejection or horror.
Aversion
Aversion is a feeling of reluctance or dislike towards an action, a person, or an object.
Nausea (as a feeling)
Nausea is the physical or psychological sensation of disgust, often associated with actual sickness or gagging.
Sickness (as a physical state)
Sickness is an unpleasant feeling in the stomach that signals the urge to vomit and is often intensified by disgust.
Dislike
Dislike is a fundamental aversion or antipathy towards something or someone perceived as unpleasant.
Shudder
A shudder is a sudden, unpleasant goosebump, often triggered by something creepy, disgusting, or frightening.
Gag Reflex
The gag reflex is the urge to vomit, triggered by extreme feelings of disgust or other physical stimuli.
Repulsion
Repulsion is a feeling of strong revulsion and disgust, caused by something perceived as unclean or repulsive.
Abhorrence
Abhorrence is a deep, passionate aversion or disgust, often accompanied by moral indignation.
Displeasure
Displeasure is a feeling of dissatisfaction or rejection that arises when something does not meet one’s expectations or ideas.
Subcategory of Affection:
Love
Love is a deep, intense feeling of affection, devotion, and goodwill towards a person, going beyond simple liking.
Tenderness
Tenderness is a gentle, loving, and often physical gesture or sensation that expresses affection and care.
Connection
Connection is the feeling of close belonging and deep understanding with another person or group.
Warmth
Warmth is a warm, open, and friendly manner that expresses itself in genuine kindness and goodwill.
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings and thoughts of others.
Comfort
Comfort is a feeling of security, coziness, and inner peace that can emanate from a person or an atmosphere.
Kindness
Kindness is behavior characterized by friendliness, politeness, and goodwill.
Care
Care is acting out of concern and a sense of responsibility for the well-being of another person.
Sympathy
Sympathy is a feeling of affection and understanding for someone else, often associated with a positive attitude.
Attachment
Attachment is a strong feeling of affection and loyalty that leads to a desire for closeness and bonding.
Subcategory of Contempt:
Disregard
Disregard is the feeling of considering something or someone unimportant, worthless, or inferior.
Scorn
Scorn is a mocking and contemptuous laugh or a derogatory remark intended to humiliate someone.
Mockery
Mockery is a form of humor that aims to make someone or something ridiculous or to ridicule them, often with a hint of contempt.
Contemptuous
Contemptuous describes an attitude or behavior that expresses deep disdain and disrespect.
Disrespect
Disrespect is the conscious ignoring or disregard of someone or something, often as a sign of disrespect.
Disdain
Disdain is a lack of respect or esteem, expressed in impolite or derogatory behavior.
Aversion (Repetition, as a form of contempt)
Aversion can also be a form of contempt when it expresses a strong dislike for something perceived as inferior.
Condescension
Condescension is a patronizing attitude where one feels superior to others and expresses it.
Condemnation
Condemnation is the strict rejection or moral disapproval of a person, action, or thought.
Scorn (as rejection)
Scorn, in this context, is the rejection or dismissal of someone or something, often out of pride or contempt.
Subcategory of Curiosity:
Observation
Observation is the attentive viewing and analysis of phenomena or behaviors, often out of interest in details.
Questioning
Questioning is the critical examination of assumptions, statements, or established facts to gain a deeper understanding.
Learning
Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, or understanding, often motivated by interest and curiosity.
Research
Research is the systematic investigation and exploration of a topic to generate new knowledge, driven by interest.
Exploration (Repetition, as manifestation)
Exploration here as the concrete act of discovering and investigating out of interest.
Concentration
Concentration is the ability to focus attention on a specific task or topic, often enhanced by interest.
Attention
Attention is the conscious perception and focusing on specific stimuli or information, often triggered by interest.
Understanding (Repetition, as manifestation)
Understanding here as the result of learning and questioning, enabled by interest.
Immersion
Immersion is the process of delving into a topic or activity to gain a more comprehensive or specialized knowledge.
Investigation (Repetition, as manifestation)
Investigation here as the comprehensive engagement with a field out of intrinsic interest.
Subcategory of Embarrassment (as a nuance of Shame):
Blushing
Blushing is the involuntary reddening of the face, often as a physical reaction to embarrassment, shame, or awkwardness.
Stuttering
Stuttering is a speech disorder characterized by involuntary repetitions or prolongations of sounds, but can also be a reaction to strong embarrassment.
Withdrawal (Repetition, as manifestation)
Withdrawal here as the reaction to embarrassment, to remove oneself from an uncomfortable situation.
Avoidance (Repetition, as manifestation)
Avoidance here as the tendency to circumvent situations that might cause embarrassment.
Apologizing
Apologizing is the act of expressing an apology for misconduct, often to alleviate embarrassment or make amends.
Looking Away
Looking away is a reaction to embarrassment, where one averts their gaze to avoid direct eye contact.
Self-Minimization
Self-minimization is a behavior where one downplays oneself or their role, often out of embarrassment or shame.
Self-Doubt
Self-doubt is uncertainty about one’s own abilities, decisions, or worth, often intensified by embarrassment.
Shyness
Shyness is a predisposition to be insecure and reserved in social situations, often associated with embarrassment.
Awkwardness
Awkwardness is a feeling of embarrassment and discomfort, often accompanied by speechlessness or a feeling of clumsiness.