How emotions are generally perceived
According to Goleman (1996), there are basically three different styles in which people are emotionally aware:
(1) The first group is aware of what they feel, have a good intrapersonal relationship and are autonomous and positive. They are able to control their emotions and moods.
The other two groups are the two extremes:
(2) Group 2 is swamped by feelings and helpless to escape them. They are depressed people, who are resigned to their despair.
(3) The third group is not clear about what they feel and do not even care to find out. Despite the mood they are experiencing, they resist change. Goleman (1996) discusses people who are without feelings. The phenomenon is known as “alexithymia”.
Hence, knowing the names of emotions does not necessarily mean that they are felt, have been experienced or are understood. The linguistic knowledge of emotions, however, will stimulate awareness of emotions and forms the basis of the first emotional intelligence ability, namely to perceive emotion in oneself and others. Detailed linguistic data are necessary to identify the vast spectrum of emotions; not that all nuances of feelings can always be verbally described. It has been found, however, that people with the ability to know their own feelings, usually have a greater linguistic ability in this realm (Le Roux & De Klerk, 2003).
