Feelings & Emotions

To all those who feel and are moved.

Georgina G.-Mauriño (1962)

WHAT the difference between feelings and emotions?

When I met Max, I soon realized that his family, especially his grandchildren, were the most important in his present life. When his grandchildren come for a visit, it is really moving to see him playing with Hope, his youngest granddaughter who is still a toddler… the other grandchildren also appreciate having his music coming from the house while they play in the garden. Max just observes. You could think they are not communicating as they are not addressing each other’s, and yet there is an undeniable connection. They are all, even little Hope, playing on her own in the grass, FEELING the breeze coming from the lake, listening to the music from afar, enjoying the view of the sunset. Later on, when they will share dinner all together, EMOTIONS will rise as they discuss their preferences on the film to watch. Because, at Max’s, experiences are shared in the family, building emotional relationships, as siblings, cousins, parents, uncles, aunts, and grandparents get the chance to know each other, and take the time to find the words to express what they FEEL and never be afraid to be MOVED.

Max G.Flat (1940)

WHY feelings are mixed up with emotions? 

Let's clarify the difference between feelings and emotions. We call FEELINGS the information we receive from the world around us as we perceive it through our SENSES. We sense a stimulus, and we have a feeling, which is our immediate body response, considering our personal condition. Therefore we feel cold or hot, thirsty, hungry, confident, scared, etc. EMOTIONS refer more to our reactions after a strong feeling that needs to be expressed somehow.

I remember that my cousin Carmen used to be moved by many simple things. She knew how to manage her solitude, but she also felt strong emotions. You could say that, sometimes, she was too emotional, but this was what made her strong. Following your feelings and mastering your emotions is my advice to my grandchildren. I know that when they come to my home, they have to slow down and switch off from their rushing life full of devices. But a bit of emotional education can do no harm, and they seem to enjoy their time with me. Let see what Martha has to say.

Martha A.Flat (1998)  

HOW do we deal with feelings and emotions today?

I am really grateful to grandpa for providing those unwired moments! Now, that I am studying about human-centered design for the digital era, and how behavioral psychology is taken into account, I am well aware that the omnipresent use of the Internet is making our devices digital extensions that can get to define the world around us, helping us to make our choices and, of course, modeling our feelings. My scientific mind tells me not to be judgemental, but I can’t avoid asking myself about how my cousin Hope and the next generation of kids are going to develop their feelings and emotions…Because, as we communicate through the Internet our feelings can be captured and sent in a fast immediate way, as it can happen with emojis. But there is no time left for feelings to become deep human emotions (the term “emoticon” seems an oxymoron to me) and sometimes I think this explains why Art feels so difficult to understand for my peers. Moreover, all that comes from the virtual world in new devices is valued far beyond what surrounds us in the real world, and this is also a bit disturbing. Maybe it is still time to look for our real human experiences to enjoy together, and to preserve those precious moments that have refined our senses, our feelings, and have helped us refine our emotions as human beings. While we build a new technological world, I am afraid we can loose wonderful human life experiences. So let's convince my fellow engineers and coders to refine our digital designs for real Human experiences!

This is the Blog is part of

MAX in FAMILY 

a Story about our human traces