How do we learn
to have feelings? We learn how to have
feelings by labeling them in our own mind.
This label is taught much how language defines thought. We really do not know if languages define
thought, but we can examine language and compare languages from the culture
from which they came. It is important
for children to conceptualize emotions.
It is valuable for their emotions to be contextualized too. “You
need an emotion concept in order to experience or perceive the associated
emotion. It’s a requirement. Without a concept for “fear,” you cannot experience
fear. Without a concept for “sadness,”
you cannot perceive sadness in another person.
You could learn the necessary concept, or you could construct it in the
moment through conceptual combination, m but your brain must be able to make
that concept and predict with it.
Otherwise you will be experientially blind to that emotion.” Says Dr.
Lisa Feldman Barrett in her book How Emotions are Made the Secret Life of
the Brain. We must introduce children to literature that focuses what our
emotions are, how we experience them, and why.
Then their emotional vocabulary will be extensive and they will be
emotionally intelligent adults.
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