ABSTRACT
The first thing to understand about compelling emotions is that they are not necessarily negative, nor are they necessarily disjunctive. Some certainly are both. In fact, some compelling emotions can be painful to the point of debilitating, yet are still felt consistent with the desire for superiority. Some might be associated with feelings of relief and some even enthusiasm—as in the case of mania. It is not the aim of this volume to point out which are negative and which are not; that fact should be obvious enough to the person experiencing the emotion. What is important is that we understand the compelling nature of these feeling states. These emotions are felt in response to circumstantial events that are interpreted as unwanted, not necessarily as painful, but certainly as undesirable. Thus, these emotions are felt when one interprets a situation as being other than as one desires (i.e., X E//X D leading to X −). When such interpretations occur, the individual is compelled, via the emotional state, to act in a way that creates a change in circumstance such that a situation can be created that has greater potential of producing a positive state, at least more positive than the immediate state. Thus, these compelling emotions are felt in line with the imperative need for safety and protection.
