Playing With The Trigger – Personal Prompt
Use one of your own personal hot triggers (like one from the ones you shared in a previous exercise).
Instructions: Use what we learned about the trigger, varying its various components to find a different way for your personal hot trigger to trigger each of the 7 Universal Emotions (Anger, Fear, Surprise, Disgust, Contempt, Sadness Joy), and not only the one it typically does.
Note: Create a different episode for each emotion, not one episode that triggers all emotions.Then, you can also look at the personal triggers others shared and use them as prompts for this exercise.
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My personal hot trigger: lagging computer while I am trying to work.
Anger: my usual response – I don’t have time for this! I have work to do!
Fear: I am severely behind in my work and told my manager I would get it all done today, now it looks like that won’t happen and I’m imagining that my manager will be furious.
Surprise: This has never happened before. I am not in a hurry. I wonder why it is happening.
Disgust: I have a headache, and the screen is frozen in a glitchy way that I find too bright and unpleasant to look at.
Contempt: I had an argument with the IT Support yesterday, and am still feeling negatively towards him as a result. I think he is not good at his job, and attribute blame to him for this lag.
Sadness: I was looking forward to leaving work promptly to see a friend, but will have to stay later to finish this, and so will get less time with them.
Joy: I am in no hurry, but I was very bored of this piece of work. Now I can justify doing something more fun for a while.
Love it!
Young man sitting on the train while an elderly woman stands:
Anger: It is so wrong!
Fear: What if I say something and the man yells at me?
Surprise: (this is more indignation) It never ceases to amaze me…
Disgust: Same as above
Contempt: What a useless kid
Sadness: Why are people so thoughtless?
Joy: I’m so glad he found a seat. He is wearing construction gear and it’s clear that he’s had a long day. Maybe someone else will notice the woman and offer their seat.Hot Trigger: Someone (A) devalues me towards another person (B) and I get to hear this
Anger: Something I didn’t see and I start verbally fighting to show that I am different
Fear: Something I don’t like and other people might also.think in this way
Surprise: Accept the lable as an insightful unusual perspective
Disgust: Reject this kind of interaction based on my moral
Contempt: Devalue back -> What a jerk
Sadness: Person A said that and I thought we were getting on well together
Joy: Yea, something that I am and I like about myself
**Someone in Labeling me ‘The general’**
Part 1 – Anger
I am really fed up. Just because you are not able to stand up for yourself, you call me ‘The General’ when I do. It’s a suggestion, not a rule. Then you make a suggestion!
Part 3 – Surprise
Really? Are you serious? What did I do? How do you arrive at that verdict?
Part 4 – Disgust
Dismissing all my questions by saying that I don’t trust you and then quickly attaching a label to it. Nice and easy. Very cheap. The main thing is not to put your own house in order.
Part 5 – Contempt
You poor puppy. Calling for mama at every opportunity, and now being offended because I didn’t ask first.
Part 6 – Sadness
Every time I try again to involve you in the planning. No matter what I do, you are unhappy with the outcome. I have no idea how to support you.
Part 7 – Joy
Finally you see that I can take the lead. That I have things under control even in difficult times1. Fear, prompted by risky behaviors in my son’s activities.
2. Anger, resulting from being treated unfairly or encountering perceived injustices.
3. Surprise, sparked by entirely unexpected events or situations.
4. Contempt, felt in response to actions I see as expressions of ignorance.
5. Disgust, triggered by conduct I deem morally reprehensible.
6. Sadness, experienced deeply when witnessing the unnecessary suffering of others.
7. Joy, ignited when I see my son successfully overcoming obstacles.
Hi Martin, this is a nice list! The challenge here is to choose (only) one of your hot triggers and then find a way for that one trigger to activate each of the different emotions. It can be an insightful exercise 🙂
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