Emotions can be confusing and the more we try to understand them the harder they can be to truly grasp. Psychologist Robert Plutchik knew this all too well, and so he created a color wheel of emotions that has been benefiting people since it’s creation.
This wheel of emotions when true to Plutchik’s findings and research covers eight basic emotions and then from there many different sub-emotions. The different degrees at which something is being felt determine just where on the chart/spectrum it lies and as you see just from looking at the chart, there are tons of different feelings a person can have.
On this wheel joy is the opposite of sadness, fear is the opposite of anger, disgust is the opposite of trust, and anticipation is the opposite of surprise. As you move outward the intensity of each one becomes lower and lower until the color is seemingly nonexistent. Through using this wheel to identify our own emotions be it at any given moment or during a stressful situation we can figure out how we are really feeling and from there what should be done.
If you are associating your emotions with lighter colors you aren’t going to be as high-strung in those moments than you would be with the darker or more vibrant emotions. With every emotion holding its own color how you read things really makes a difference. These colors serve in many ways as a reminder that if we do not check ourselves things can become harder for us to handle.
You can read more on what Plutchik has had to say on the topic of his emotion wheel by checking out his model explanation. To see that click here. While it might sound like a lot and could be confusing to many, it is a very powerful tool.
Below you will find a quiz that models itself from this emotion wheel. The different colors you associate with emotions in the quiz below should be things you feel true to yourself. Once you answer all of these questions based on how lacking or intense your answers are you might learn some things about yourself that you otherwise would not have known before.