When you feel blue, sad, or depressed, what exactly is going on? Are you just in a bad mood or are you experiencing an emotion that’s more intense than the regular blues we all get sometimes? Both mood and emotion are words that come up frequently when talking about how we feel. But what’s the difference between the two concepts and which one best describes how you feel?
These terms are both quite broad, covering everything from your general outlook on life to smaller moments such as getting excited about something or feeling happy as a result of specific events. While both words involve a subjective experience of feelings, they have slightly different meanings and implications. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between emotion and mood and understand when to use which word.
No definition of emotion is agreed upon in the literature. It is taken for granted that emotion is defined in terms of a list of six emotions: anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, and surprise. Emotions are considered to be the most interesting part of the mental process as it involves two phases in it – feeling and reaction.
The most prominent James Lange hypothesis holds that emotion is a perception of physical states. Emotion has been extensively discussed in psychology, and there are currently several theories explaining it. This indicates that emotions are felt after a physical reaction occurs and is perceived by the brain. This hypothesis states that the body responds and produces stimulus before we can actually feel anything.
Emotion is frequently described in psychology as a complicated state of feeling that causes physiological and psychological changes that affect cognition and behavior. A variety of psychological variables, such as temperament, personality, mood, and motivation, are linked to emotionality.
“Emotions,” according to Aristotle (384–322 BCE), “are all those feelings that so change men as to affect their judgments, and that are also attended by pain or pleasure. Such are anger, pity, fear, and the like, with their opposites.”
When one "wallows" in an emotion, it might entail conscious experience and contemplation, but emotion can also pass almost undetected and unrecognized by the person. A profound feeling is one that is necessary for one's physical existence or mental well-being, as opposed to a trivial or dysfunctional emotion. Socially acceptable or unacceptable emotions both exist. It could also be socially required, such as when someone feels guilty after committing a crime or is moved to tears at a funeral.
Defining mood is a challenging and nuanced notion. Due to the fact that one's assessment is based on how others see their own mood, it is also challenging to describe. It is a very individualized idea that is supported by personal examples. Distinct tonalities can convey different moods. The many definitions and analyses of this concept may probably be explained by its panel of phrases.
A mood is an emotive state in psychology. Unlike emotions or sentiments, moods are less definite, less powerful, and less likely to be sparked by a single stimulus or event. Typically, the valence of a mood is either good or negative. In other words, individuals frequently discuss their moods, whether they are happy or unhappy. Various things can have either good or negative impacts on mood
Moods are emotive states that are unfocused and diffuse, or not aimed towards a particular thing. They shape the background of our moment-to-moment experience and are always there (tonic), yet they change with time. Two crucial qualities that set moods apart from emotions are directedness and temporal pattern (e.g., feeling joyful vs miserable, relaxed versus tight) (e.g., pride, anger, or sadness).
The given table describes the major difference between emotion and mood
| Basics | Emotion | Mood |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A powerful sensation that arises from one's environment, disposition, or interpersonal connections is known as an emotion. It is a consciously held attitude that is often focused on one particular thing. Emotions frequently follow physical changes in behavior and physiology. | A mood is a long-lasting mental, emotional, and physical condition that can linger for hours or even days. It is a mixture of emotions and feelings. Moods are often a collection of feelings and emotions rather than being connected to a particular situation or event. |
| Cause | For example, a significant other may have said something that hurt your feelings, which caused you to feel anger. There is a high likelihood that you will experience a negative emotion if you are in a situation where you feel vulnerable, such as going to the doctor for a physical. | Moods are usually experienced as a combination of internal and external factors. It is normal to experience mood swings, and it does not usually indicate that something is wrong or cause for concern. Moods can be influenced by many different factors, including: - Genetics - Environmental factors - Psychological factors - Social factors - Seasonal changes. |
| Duration | Emotions last for only a few seconds or minutes at most. | However, moods can linger for many hours, or even days, and they can be hard to overcome |
| Types | There are many different emotions, including disgust, hatred, fear, happiness, surprise, and sadness. | The two fundamental moods are happy mood and poor mood. Moods are universal. |
| Intensity | Emotions tend to be highly intense. | Moods tend to be less intense. |
| Expression | Regardless of one's age, sex, or social situation, many emotions do appear with similar facial expressions. | Moods lack their own distinctive facial expression. |
| Awareness | Most people can explain what made them feel a certain way. Before the emotional episode ends, if at all, we are hardly aware of the cause of that emotional reaction | People are unable to pinpoint what made them feel a certain way. Moods are less clear in this sense. |
Overall, emotions and moods are two important components of being human. Both play a role in how we perceive the world and interact with others. It is important to understand the difference between emotions and moods in order to better manage them. It can also help you better understand others and how they interact with the world. By being able to identify your emotions and moods, you can better understand what is triggering them. This can help you cope with them more effectively and find ways to manage them more effectively.
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