We all feel emotions, but what are they? Many agree that emotions are important, but why? We might be forgiven for thinking that we have simple answers to these questions, but when you look at the research, we don’t. There is a backstory to what emotions are. We have been given a dominant story about emotions, but this story has been consistently challenged by research evidence, yet it still persists as the main view on emotions. It matters because what you believe about emotions affects what you believe about your own experience and the possibilities for your life. So in this episode, I go over the debate, some of the different positions, and what this means for personal development and growth.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The dominant story of what emotions are
• Some research evidence that challenges this story
• An alternative perspective
• How this alternative perspective is more consistent with the evidence
• How this alternative perspective is more hopeful and powerful for personal growth