Elements of the Wheel
Here are the main elements of the Emotion Wheel to be aware of:
Primary: The eight sectors are designed to indicate that there are eight primary emotions: anger, anticipation, joy, trust, fear, surprise, sadness and disgust. Primary emotions are located in the second circle.
Opposites: Each primary emotion has a polar opposite. See above.
Intensity: The cone’s vertical dimension represents intensity – emotions intensify as they move from the outside to the center of the wheel, which is also indicated by the color: The darker the shade, the more intense the emotion. For example, anger at its least level of intensity is annoyance. At its highest level of intensity, anger becomes rage. Or, a feeling of boredom can intensify to loathing if left unchecked, which is dark purple. This is an important rule about emotions to be aware of in relationships: If left unchecked, emotions can intensify. Herein lies the wisdom of enhancing your emotional vocabulary: it’s the bedrock of effectively navigating emotions.
Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions helps us look at literacy through a broader lens. Literacy means “a person’s knowledge of a particular subject or field.” So enhancing emotional literacy means not only having words for emotions, but understanding how different emotions are related to one another and how they tend to change over time.
Combinations: The emotions with no color represent an emotion that is a mix of the 2 primary emotions. For example, anticipation and joy combine to be optimism. Joy and trust combine to be love. Emotions are often complex, and being able to recognize when a feeling is actually a combination of two or more distinct feelings is a helpful skill.
You can read Robert Plutchik’s explanation of his model of emotions in an article that was originally published in American Scientist in 2001 and can be read on Springer International Publishing AG.
The Feelings Wheel and How to Use It
The ability to identify one’s emotions is a foundational emotional intelligence skill. (Salovey & Mayer, 1990). People with strong emotional literacy can describe emotional experiences in greater detail, and research has linked this with greater emotion regulation (Kircanski et al., 2012). Naming, or labeling your feelings is a powerful practice to regulate and navigate emotions.
Plutchik’s Emotion Wheel is great starting point for improving your ability to identify your emotions and practice emotional intelligence.
So let’s put it into action:
- Start by taking a breath and noticing the emotions you are feeling.
- Ask yourself the question, “What am I feeling right now? And what else?”
- Take a look at the wheel and choose the corresponding emotion/emotions from the wheel. (It’s normal to have layers of feelings, some quiet and some loud and/or a combination).
- Notice the intensity of the emotion & consider what these emotions are trying to tell you. Remember that you can experience a number of different emotions simultaneously, and that the wheel should not be used for avoiding emotions or replacing ‘negative’ emotions with ‘positive’ ones. All emotions have value and an important message.
- Ask yourself, what do these feelings want me to notice or do?
- Use the interactive version of Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions below to understand your emotions more deeply. Learn the messages they are trying to convey and what physical sensations these emotions can cause.Want to explore Plutchik’s Wheel more deeply and get practical activities to apply emotional intelligence in your work and life? Download our free Practicing EQ eBook.