Feeling Bad Is Actually Good 157
three times per week) focus on anxious emotions so that you can
better understand their function.
The multicomponent theory of emotions (more simply:
a theory that states emotions have many components) allows
researchers (and you!) to explore the idea that emotions are
driven, at least in part, by their usefulness for achieving par-
ticular goals. In this sense, both positive and negative emo-
tions have potential to be, on average, equally beneficial to a
person who has a particular goal in mind. The emotion itself,
of course, will vary depending on the situation, on the cir-
cumstances, and on the nature of the goal. Thus, you may
choose to regulate positive or negative emotions to feel a
certain way for a particular purpose. For example, if while
walking through a public park you notice a crowd of people
who appear to be decidedly entertained by a group of street
performers, you might experience positive emotions, such as
amusement, interest, and even joy. These emotions might
prompt you to join the crowd and engage with the perfor-
mance to build on your already positive state. Alternatively,
the benefits of negative emotions may be seen in the context
of anxiety. Imagine that you had a serious argument with a
romantic partner or good friend. Your anxiety, although
unpleasant, might motivate you to try to address the argu-
ment and/or repair the relationship.
Practice Identif y two positive and two negative emotions that
you have experienced in the past month. Intense emotions, or emo-
tions that you felt strongly, might be easier to analyze. For each
emotion, label:
- The situation or context in which the emotion occurred