Is there a difference between feelings and emotions?

1. 61

   Madeposted 12 years ago

   Is there a difference between feelings and emotions?
   
   I wonder if there's a difference between the meaning of the words FEELINGS and EMOTIONS? Can you use both words in similar situations? When I write, I just use the word that sounds best in my ears. English is not my first language.

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2. 58

   Jesus was a hippyposted 12 years ago

   "Feelings" can mean physical feelings and also emotional feelings.
   
   Emotions can only mean emotions or emotional feelings.

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3. 60

   MickSposted 12 years ago

   Not really.  'Feeling' is used often, too often, when the word think should be used.  When used this way it is a sign that society is feeling, allowing emotions to control their reactions too much about things and not thinking enough about them.

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4. 59

   MilesArmbrusterposted 12 years ago

   Since you are trying to discern a difference in terms of writing, no, there is not much of a difference. I would say that you can use these two words interchangeably in most cases.
   
   Nevertheless, if we get really picky, we can pull the words apart and distinguish some difference between the two words. To feel is related more to a sense of physical sensation, for example, you can feel the warmth of the summer sun. So, if you think about it, it doesn't make much sense to say, "I feel happy." But people say that all the time. Happiness is an emotion, it is not a feeling. Emotions are connected more to a state of consciousness. And yet, it is awkward to say, "I am currently experiencing the emotion of happiness." We just say, "I feel happy."
   
   Part of the reason that these two words are clouded together is that when we come to a point of intense emotion, like anger, we do "feel" something.
   
   I guess that if you want to know how to use these two words, a metaphor might be helpful. Perhaps "emotion" is more technical and precise than "feeling" so we would use feelings in a poem, and emotion in a textbook.
   
   What a great question! I feel that my emotions are really mixed up now.

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5. 60

   Sandy Frostposted 12 years ago

   Great but very tough question. Though, both of words look synonymous when talked about but if we try to clear out the difference, we get some little dissimilarity.
   
   It can be said that emotions are biologically driven initials, lying within a person's body while feelings are physical or emotional reflexes which we express out as a response to a particular state of mind.
   
   Examples can elaborate this difference much better than verbal definitions. As someone is saying- "I felt scared after watching some horror movie." Here, "fear" is the emotion which was pitched by some visual response made by that horror movie and the person felt "scared". Same as, we can see other reflexes like "hunger" or "thirst" etc. are used as feelings generated by our physical perceptions and that is why we use to say- "we are feeling hungry" in place of "our emotions are hungry".
   
   Thanking you and hope this answer could help you.

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6. 60

   Vegas Eliasposted 12 years ago

   I think feelings are physical and emotions are felt by the heart and mind. Both emotions and feelings can influence each other.

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7. 50

   sunusurendranposted 12 years ago

   feelings are outward expression, emotions are inward expressions

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8. 59

   HubertBarlowposted 12 years ago

   They sound similar. Nevertheless, they have individual meanings depending how will you use it in the sentence. But if you think you're right when you are using either of them in the sentence, then it's right. Feelings is more on surfacing emotional feeling, the lighter term, outward affection. You reacted this way because you feel this way. On the other hand, emotions is more on inner aspects. They are the deeper thoughts than just feeling. Sometimes, it encompasses the totality of the person.

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9. 83

   Jewelsposted 12 years ago

   There is a difference between the two.  I wrote a hub many years ago on this topic.  You may be interested in reading it if it helps you with clarity. http://jewels.hubpages.com/hub/What_are_EMOTIONS
   
   Feelings take in a range of sensations that go way beyond emotions.  "I feel hot" is talking about a sensation of heat which can be caused by the weather or the emotion of anger or embarrassment.  Being poked by the pointy end of knife can give a sharp feeling to the skin.  He got angry and hit me on the arm;  I now have a bruise that feels sore.  Separating and understanding what is a feeling and what is emotion is paramount to self awareness practices. 
   
   Interestingly compassion is a feeling and not an emotion.  Compassion is a state of being and not a reaction.  Emotions are stimulated by a cause and effect principle, where compassion, to use one example can be causeless.  Joy is not an emotion - it's a feeling.  Unconditional love is a feeling and not an emotion - it's a state of being.  This state requires no stimulus.  Not easy to get ones head around that past statement but with all integrity the essence of love is a state - you be it, you don't do it.
   
   To some it may seem like splitting hairs, but there is a major difference in the two.

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