Roger Harty: An Emotional Journey (Part 3)

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rsz_roger_hartyLAST week I asked you to simply make a list of all the emotions you (and a small group) could think of and to compare with another group such that you ended up with an agreed list of emotions that were common to all groups.

Then the next task is to divide the list into positive and negative sub groups (Everyone has to agree on the final outcome  whether it be positive or negative). Here is my list from last week and I have divided them up.

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A couple of interesting observations.

I broke the rules in the sense that I did this exercise on my own.

However note I have already experienced the dynamics and power of doing this exercise in group format when I attended a SHEP (Social and Health Educational Project ) course in  Cork a few years ago.

That is why I am so excited about sharing this exercise.

When you do this exercise in group format it is almost certain that there will be certain emotions that will cause debate as to whether a certain emotion is regarded as positive or negative.

E.G. FEAR . this can cause some debate and angst but It is very important the this debate happens. Note: It may be best to have an odd number group so that there is a casting vote.

When you compare the results with another group, this is where things can get interesting as not all groups will necessarily have the same emotions in the same subgroups.

Finally note I purposefully put the emotion Anger in both subgroups as this is the emotion that can cause most debate as to whether it should be regarded as positive or negative.

The real purpose of this exercise is to realise that as individual human beings we can react to different situations in different ways.

There is a great short video on YouTube which highlights this called  Welcome the rain. It is only three minutes long and well worth watching as it highlights how different people can react differently to adverse situations.

Also, it is important to note that not only can we react differently to different situations we can also react differently to different emotions.

This is why it is so important that we communicate with each other and come to realise that we can experience the world in so many different ways. When we accept this we can begin the process of understanding each other.

The real jewel in the crown for me is the emotion Anger. It can be so so  destructive on one hand but yet it can be used as an emotion to harness so much positive power on the other.

• Next week I am going to write about (Yes you’ve guessed it!!) – Anger

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