Emotions 101

Emotions 101: The Class We Never Had

The Missing Course

Growing up, most of us learned math, science, and history, but few of us were ever given Emotions 101. No one sat us down and explained how to recognize, regulate, and express emotions in a healthy way. Instead, we were left to figure it out ourselves, piecing together lessons from experience, trial and error, or family models that were often broken themselves.

At the same time, we’ve inherited buckets of generational trauma. Cycles of abuse, addiction, neglect, and broken relationships were passed down silently because previous generations lacked the tools or willingness to address them. Psychology as a field began uncovering some of these wounds, but too often it has also contributed to confusion, shifting definitions, cultural cover-ups, and now, a mental health industry struggling to keep pace with the problems it tries to solve.

The Age of Technology and Contagion

Enter the age of technology. What was once hidden behind closed doors is now broadcast on our screens 24/7. Social media has become the most contagious force yet, spreading comparison, outrage, misinformation, and emotional reasoning faster than any virus.

A Pew Research study found that 95% of teens now have access to a smartphone, and nearly half say they are online “almost constantly.”

Suicide rates among young people have risen sharply in the last two decades, with suicide now the second leading cause of death among teens.

Divorce rates while slightly lower than the peak of the 1980s, still affect nearly 40–50% of marriages, often leaving fractured families and children with unresolved emotional scars.

These are not isolated problems. They are symptoms of a deeper crisis: a society that has lost its grip on truth.

Why Truth Matters

The cure is not another app, another self-help book, or even another psychology trend. The cure begins with honesty.

People must learn to be honest with themselves first, before they can be honest with others. Lying, whether to protect our egos, avoid discomfort, or maintain appearances, has become one of the greatest cancers in our culture. And if no one is playing by the rules of truth, no real solutions are possible.

Honesty cuts through the fog of emotional reasoning, the tendency to believe that something is true simply because it feels true. This distortion fuels countless conflicts, broken families, and even national divides. Without truth, emotions run wild and become masters rather than servants.

The Path Forward

If we want to break free from cycles of trauma and disorder, we must get to the root: why can’t people tell the truth?

Ego: Pride and fear of vulnerability keep people locked in denial.

Culture: We’ve normalized feelings over facts, creating a playground for emotional reasoning.

Distraction: With phones in hand and dopamine hits every few seconds, there’s little space for reflection or accountability.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel. When you embrace the truth and release your ego, you gain the clarity needed to master your emotions. Truth becomes the compass that helps us navigate and manage them with honesty.

From there, the healing spreads outward. First in your own heart. Then into your family. Then into your community.

Why It Matters

Affective science, the study of emotion, is one of the most complicated areas of psychology precisely because it is subjective (Barrett, 2017). Emotions vary by individual, culture, and circumstance. But truth is not subjective. Truth is the foundation we need to understand and work with emotions honestly.

If we want to stop cognitive distortions from spreading like wildfires, we need people brave enough to live in truth, not just for themselves, but for their families, their communities, and the generations that follow.

 Key Takeaway: We can’t solve problems without honesty. To build a healthier future, we must start with ourselves, confront our egos, and commit to truth. Only then can we gain mastery over our emotions, and help others do the same.

 References

Pew Research Center. (2023). Teens, Social Media, and Technology.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Suicide Facts.

American Psychological Association. (2023). Divorce and Child Custody.

Barrett, L. F. (2017). How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.