Mixed Feelings Are Not A Sign Of Indecision - Research

Researchers have found that the diverse range of feelings and emotions that we can experience simultaneously demonstrates the complexity of our inner experiences. And most importantly, scientists have found that people from different countries experience emotional storms with certain differences.

Scientists from the University of Waterloo investigated how people from 16 different cultures view life situations that happen to them: they see only good, thicken the colors, or are able to feel both of these states at the same time. In their previous research, psychologists have concluded that a tendency to notice only negative trends indicates less emotional restraint and increases the risk of depression.

Igor Grossman, the lead author of the study, noted that for many representatives of Western culture, mixed feelings are a manifestation of weakness, so people tend to hide them carefully, often showing a positive attitude. But in the experiment, scientists actually made sure that people who are not afraid to experience the whole gamut of feelings at the same time are able to better understand the causes of their emotional manifestations and find the necessary emotional balance.

The study found that people belonging to self-oriented cultures, typical of Canada, the United States, Australia and the UK, have less emotional complexity than people in Asia and Russia, where feelings, responsibility and family ties play a significant role. As for the inhabitants of Western Europe and Africa, the complexity of their emotional background is a cross between the two previous indicators.

The emotional difficulties that people experience when experiencing conflicting feelings are due to the fact that they are able to see different points of view on the same problem, comments Grossman. For example, they see losing their job not only as a setback, but also as an opportunity to spend more time with their family or try something new. Whereas residents of countries where the culture of personal success has a significant influence will regard such a situation negatively as a defeat.

As part of this project, psychologists conducted three studies. The first used text analysis: mixed emotional statements on various English-language portals and blogs were studied. In total, scientists have analyzed more than a million sites. Two other studies have focused on how people express their emotions in everyday life, whether they share positive and negative experiences.

At all stages of the project, scientists have found confirmation that cultures, where a person concentrates not only on himself, but also on others, form a more complex emotional background, contributing to a deep awareness of both the inner world and the environment. Therefore, henceforth, you should not be afraid of your own mixed feelings, because they are the key to a full emotional life.