Understanding Emotions - Part 1
By Leo Gura - May 4, 2015 | 182 Comments
What emotions are, how they work, and how to control them.
Tjumndi says: Great video! So, what are your thoughts on EFT? (Emotional freedom technique)
I really think it helped me to get calm. Or is it just a waste of time?
Leo Gura says: Haven’t tried it
SoundPoint says: I have tried EFT for a while but now I use FasterEFT (EFT in FasterEFT stands Emotionally Focused Transformations unlike Emotional Freedom Therapy) with success. I am happy that the Sedona Method is mentioned and find that it works too.
just test 
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dimitri says: EFT is good because you talk about your negative emotions. It means that you want to face them. usually people want to run away from them so when you face them you have a better chance to release them and feel better because they are like a big baggage to carry.
yuri 
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Nick says: Just one point, I believe you don’t want to control emotions..and you can’t really. You are better off experiencing them. If you do try to control them, they get suppressed and come out in other ways. Of course you can change your environment etc and change your state in the future.
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Katy says: Dear Leo,
This is an amazing video. I am really grateful for having the possibility to watch this. Thank you so much for creating this and making people aware. It is actually strange that society does no teach us emotional awareness and that we can be numb about them.
Have a nice day,
K
Leo Gura says: Cool, thanks!
jimmy yadav 
WingWizard says: I have interacted with several people, worked on myself heavily and struggled a lot in this journey to improve. One of the most fatal flaws I’ve encountered in myself and other people is Neediness. Neediness of another person in your life for fulfillment. Why is there this need? Can you explain something about this? I hope you can make a video on it.
Leo Gura says: Probably because you lacked love or approval in childhood. Or you had some traumatic events relating to this in childhood.
Neediness occurs because you’ve felt seriously deprived of something in the past, and so now you NEED it! You see the thing as a scarce resource.
WingWizard says: All of your work, is exceptional.
John says: Love this video very much
Sandy says: Love the video!
Great stuff, as always. Thanks for the exercise. I’m going to use these records as metrics of my life situation.
Ivan Stoyanov says: Nice video Leo. There is nothing one thing that I don’t quite get though. What is the evolutionary purpose of depression? If emotions help us stay alive, how to is depression accomplishing this purpose? As far as I know depression can very well help someone end his/her life rather than preserve it. I am confused on this one.
Nayr says: I went through a period of depression where I rather just wanted to stab a kitchen knife in my stomach than to go through what I went through.
But now that that period has passed, I think I won’t get down to that level again.
So maybe depression is a test and if you pass it, it’s supposed to make you stronger.
Ivan Stoyanov says: Depression might be a way of your subconscious telling you that something is wrong with your life. Your subconscious delivers emotional pain to your mind the same way and your nervous system delivers physical pain to your body. Both types of pain are for purpose of self-preservation, warning you of threat, danger, etc. The way we act on and interpret each type of pain however is different. Most people never look out to address the underlying issue behind their emotional pain. Instead they try to numb it by alcohol, anti-depressants, drugs, etc. When it doesn’t work they become desperate and decide that death the only salvation.
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Johny 
Leo Gura says: It’s a coping mechanism. It preserves the self-identity.
Also notice that not every emotional response maximizes one’s survival and fitness in modern society. Depression is largely a creation of modern society. Just like obesity. Evolution hasn’t had time to adapt to the way modern humans live.
Elton says: but isn’t being modern mean that evolution has taken place ? evolution hasn’t had time to adapt to the way modern human’s live ??? what does that mean ?
Craig Clayton