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False Emotions: Judgments camouflaged as emotions
False emotions are essentially words that are trying very hard to hide their judgmental sting, either of others or of self. It’s like a furry jacket on an icy cold winter night that promises warmth, but when you put it on, you discover that it is lined with thorns 😓 Put another way, it’s another excuse to “interpret”, to “impose a judgment narrative”, to “stay in the head”, instead of dropping into the bodily sensations of suffering.
As you continue reading, kindly keep in mind that the principle is more important than semantic precision as the science of emotion is very new, and we’re at the beginning of our understanding about the biochemical basis of emotions. So, a healthy dose of intellectual humility is in order.
Also, this is first and foremost an exercise in understanding and reflection that hopefully, enables you to more confidently practice compassion, and not intended to be used as a stick to correct others or one’s self.
Below are some examples of false emotions and what the underlying ‘actual’ emotions may be. The structure would be, instead of “I feel betrayed”, it may be that “I am angry / afraid …”
- Bullied — Confused, Scared
- Criticised — Anxious, Hurt
- Insulted — Embarrassed, Angry
