Positive vs Negative Emotions: Classification and Definition

Emotions can be classified as positive and negative emotions.
Negative emotions are unpleasant feelings evoked to express a negative effect towards an event or person.
Examples of negative emotions include fear, anger, and disgust.

Positive emotions are typically pleasant feelings.
They can be defined as mental experiences that are both intense and pleasurable.
Positive emotions serve as markers of flourishing, or optimal well-being.
They are worth cultivating for psychological growth and improved well-being over time.

Joy: a delightful experience caused by something good.
Gratitude: a feeling of thankfulness for something or someone in your life.
Serenity: an experience of peacefulness and tranquility, similar to joy but quieter.
Interest: a state of intrigue, curiosity, or engagement.
Hope: a belief and feeling that things will turn out best, with a sense of possibilities and optimism.
Pride: a feeling of accomplishment, achievement, and mastery.
Amusement: an experience of fun, humor, and playfulness with others, a social rather than lonely experience.
Inspiration: a feeling of upliftment when seeing goodness and extraordinary feats, making us strive for great things.
Awe: a feeling of wonder, amazement, and reverence, experienced when seeing something vast and great that makes us feel small and humbled.
Love: a combination of all the above feelings, including warmth, trust, and sharing, connecting us with others strongly and affectionately.

Compared to negative emotions, positive emotions have received less attention in the field of psychology.
Reasons for this include a focus on understanding and treating psychological problems and disorders, and a fewer number of positive emotions.
Positive emotions are also less distinct from one another and more difficult to define.

Positive emotions broaden our thought–action repertoires, making us creative, see more opportunities, and be more flexible and open-minded.
Positive emotions undo lingering negative emotions, helping us recover from their harmful effects.
Positive emotions enhance resilience, coping with adversity and promoting well-being.