What is it in the human psyche that relishes the negative and brushes off the positive? Of the nine basic human emotions, only the last three are considered positive, according to Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap.
1. Fear
2. Anger
3. Shock
4. Disgust
5. Sadness
6. Guilt
7. Love
8. Joy
9. Curiosity
We are biologically pre-disposed to protect our lives from potential danger because negative emotions focus our attention and make us alert to potential predators waiting to destroy us. The problem is, throughout evolution and the slow development of the frontal part of our brains where thinking and logic take place, we failed to recognize that we had become our own worst enemies.
The elephant will always be able to outweigh, out-maneuver and over power its rider, the mahout. Emotions are king and our feeble brains follow where our feelings lead us.
Start with the most useless, destructive emotion of all, guilt. What possible advantage does it bring us? We wallow in our own self-pity and become our own victims, absorbing our energies, and leaving a piddling puddle of jelly left to conquer the world. It’s listed at the bottom of the top six negative emotions because it is most likely to be the repository of the five above.
Vow to yourself that any feelings of guilt you may have will be turned into something constructive. Turn off the Guilt Trip and get out of the Guilt Trap!
