We are attuned to others’ emotions because through their observation, we learn something about them, according to an article in The New York Times.
Scientists have just begun to study what is referred to as “emotion regulation,” according to the article.
Though suppression can be valuable in some situations, studies show that if people routinely suppress emotions, they may have a harder time relating to others.
For example, in one study published last year, 278 college students were interviewed as they entered school. Those who scored highest in the area of emotion suppression had the most difficulty making friends.
As children grow up, they automatically learn to manage their temperament to acceptable standards, though scientists agree that a person’s range of emotion is mostly inborn. However, people also develop different psychological tools to handle how they express emotions in social situations. These methods eventually become subconscious, which can affect others in unintended ways.
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