The second part of the series will be based on recognizing emotions in others.

We will consider together what emotions are most common in the environment you surround yourself with. You will learn in this part how other people’s emotions affect you and, conversely, how your emotions affect others. In this part we will focus on observation, you will have a very interesting and developmental task that will help you to understand other people. This understanding, in turn, will correlate with your emotions. You will see for yourself.

You have already had the opportunity to learn about the basic emotions that are intertwined in your life every day. You also already know how to deal with emotional surges. Now you will learn something very important. You will learn to recognize emotion in the people around you. With this skill, you will notice how the emotions of others affect your perception, your mood, and your emotions.

To begin, I ask you to assess which emotion dominates the following descriptions:

Case 1

Andrea has been walking all over the flat since early this morning.

He had trouble sleeping tonight. He did not get enough sleep. Since he got up, he has not sat down for a while. He impulsively made breakfast while spilling his tea.

Andrea has an interview for a new job this morning. This is his third interview this week. Every time Andrea goes to a meeting, he feels…

What is Andrea feeling? Which emotion tops the description for him?

Case 2

Agnes runs to the bus as fast as she can. She manages to make it in time. At the last moment, just a few seconds before the door closes, she gets inside.

She sits down in an open seat, opposite the older woman. They exchange smiles with each other. Leaving the bus, she walks down the street humming a tune under her breath. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she looks down and finds a 100zł note.

She thinks in her head: “I’ve got it…

What does she feel? Which emotion dominates her description?

Case 3

Anna went with friends to a newly opened restaurant in town. She had been preparing to go for quite a long time. Anna is a perfectionist and loves it when everything goes her way, including her appearance.

At 8 p.m., the friends sat down together, ordered their dishes, and started talking. After 20 minutes, the waitress brought the expected dishes and the whole group got down to eat. Suddenly Anna made a wry face.

She had found a few hairs in her food! She shouted out loud “but it’s…

What is Anna feeling? Which emotion dominates her in a given description?

You have just named three emotions in three people. This is a short practice. At the very bottom of this part of the series, you will find a key with the correct answers. I think you have done very well. It is very important to skilfully perceive and evaluate other people’s emotions because they can affect your life. After all, the saying “with whom you associate, so you become” does not come out of nowhere.

When we spend time with people, we listen to them, we talk to them, and we exchange views. You will notice that when you meet someone who is in a bad mood – you will also be in a bad mood. As long as your good humor does not dominate the meeting- then the other person will be affected by your emotion. In this case, that would be better.

What I am talking about here is showing a relationship. To show how one person affects another. How negative emotions affect the environment. How positive emotions affect the surroundings. How the human being influences the environment and how the environment influences the human being.

A task for you!

When meeting a friend, family member, or partner, focus on the emotions expressed by the other person. It is a good idea to write down your observations over some time. You can tell your companion about the task and write down the emotion for the next 30 minutes. To do this, divide a piece of paper in half. On one side write down your interviewee and on the other side write down yourself. As you talk, write down the emotion accompanying the other person and automatically write down the emotion you feel as you listen.

This exercise is a beautiful prelude to the third part of the series.

In the third part of the series, we will discuss the concept of empathy and emotional intelligence. Here we will focus on the intensity of our emotions and our ability to understand the emotions of another person. You will also learn how empathy affects you and whether it can be linked to negative experiences in the future. Towards the end of the section, you will be answering a highly controversial question… your opinion is important to us!

Answer key:

Nervousness
Happiness
Repulsion, disgust.