by James R. Averill, Elma P. Nunley (1992)
For most of human history emotion has been the province of artists, shamans, and our latter-day shamans--therapists. Recently it has become the province of scientists as well. In Voyages of the Heart, James Averill and Elma Nunley draw on a decade of research on emotion and on creativity by psychologists, biologists, sociologists, and anthropologists, as well as on clinical experience, to construct a new model of emotional experience. Just as we develop our repertoires of intellectual skills through learning and maturation, the authors argue, so can we develop our repertoires of emotional skills to achieve our full human potential. Emotional creativity demands commitment to seek excellence in the affective as well as the intellectual domain. We can change and improve our emotional lives by acquiring knowledge about emotions--for example, recognizing and dispelling deeply ingrained myths about emotion, such as that we are "gripped", "seized", and "overcome" by feelings. According to the authors, we are not the victims of our emotions as these descriptions suggest. Rather, we actively construct our emotions, although on a preconscious level. We must seek then to become consciously aware of our own emotional lives. Research suggests that emotionally creative people are not only deeply involved in exploring the meaning of their own emotional experience, they also pay close attention to how their behavior affects others, while less emotionally creative people tend to focus on themselves. There is much to be gained from a better understanding of what exactly feelings are and where they come from. Our attitudes toward expression of emotion reveal high ambivalence: On the one hand, a person devoid of emotion is seen as cold and calculating; on the other, a person who becomes too readily emotional is regarded as childish. Some people feel empty on the inside, while others feel as though they are about to explode from the force of uncontrollable feelings. Even for those who lead more satisfactory emotional lives, a deeper understanding will enable us to manage our emotions in a simultaneously creative and disciplined way. Averill and Nunley explore differences in emotional experience between men and women, as well as fascinating historical and cross-cultural variations in the rules governing the display and management of emotion. Richly illustrated with examples from everyday life, Voyages of the Heart shows us how we can become more aware of our own thoughts and feelings, manage our emotions in a creative yet disciplined way, and live to the full extent of our human potential.
Philip Mckernan
The real stories in this book will inspire you to find the courage and clarity within to take back your life and challenge the very essence of things you think will make you happy. Stop living the life others want for you and begin the quest for meaning in every area of your life. If you feel you are settling in life and wonder if there is more, then this book is for you.
Hugh Prather
Offers a three-step, thirty-day program for letting go of preconceptions, prejudices, and pre-judgements in order to face each day with a fresh and positive outlook.
Siobhán Parkinson
To Hal, Fridays are blue, and tangy, like blue lemon sherbert. Olivia thinks he's crazy - Friday is just like Friday, isn't it? Olivia is pretty sure that Hal's mysterious plan to get rid of his not-quite-stepfather, Alec, is even weirder - But things don't go quite as either Hal or Olivia expected.
Rom Harré and W. Gerrod Parrott
A theoretical synthesis by leading scholars in the field, The Emotions overviews the psychology of emotion in the broadest sense by tracing historical, social, cultural, and biological themes. The contributors explore the discursive nature of emotions, variations in and diversity of emotions across cultures, and the influence of emotions on culturally maintained patterns of emotion in their analyses. A selection of intriguing chapters reveals how emotions emerge in different societies, across gender lines, in different historical periods, and between children and adults, while others delve into the internal patterns of emotions within individuals that shape the expression of judgments about, attitudes toward, and regret for one's own actions or the actions of others. In addition, special vignettes peppered throughout the volume add engaging perspectives of the theories in action. Interdisciplinary and hitting on a topic of increasing interest to researchers, The Emotions presents a broad-ranging collection of inquiry vital to both students and scholars in social psychology, developmental psychology, cross-cultural psychology, and cognitive anthropology.