Emotion Wheel
About this Emotion / Feelings Wheel
The core emotions in this wheel were chosen from research on affective neuroscience, especially the work of Jaak Panksepp who identified 7 primary emotions across all mammals.
Seeking
The drive to explore, investigate, and be curious; associated with motivation and goal-directed behavior
Rage
The emotion of anger and frustration, often arising from restraint or irritation
Fear
The response to perceived threat or danger; helps with survival
Lust
Sexual desire and reproductive behavior
Care
Nurturing behavior, especially toward offspring; rooted in attachment and bonding
Panic/Grief
The distress response to separation or social loss; connected to attachment systems.
Play
The urge to engage in social, joyful, and physical interaction, especially important in young mammals.
Use this feelings wheel by:
- Trace the outer emotions back to the core emotions. This is helpful for those who have a hard time accessing their deep and primal feelings.
- The other approach is to move from the inside out. Start at the core emotions and work your way out to find a nuanced and granular expression of what you are feeling. This is helpful for those who feel deeply but have difficulty putting words to their context specific emotional experience.