So while we’re aware of the full range of our feelings
I suspect we’re not. Or at least, I assert that I’m not. My memory of feelings is often very different from notes I’ve kept contemporaneously. And my experienced feelings vary so widely, even in very similar circumstances, that I’m pretty sure I’m only aware of a subset, and the variance is (partly) which ones I’m consciously focusing on and noticing in the moment.
Which gets to the underlying difficulty in this discussion. Is there any such thing as a feeling I don’t notice? What do you mean by “happy”, and how would you know if it’s more or less than you think it is?
Your main point that we tend to represent to others as more socially-acceptable (often more happy) than we feel inside is valid. But I think the confusion is deeper than just signaling.
I suspect we’re not. Or at least, I assert that I’m not. My memory of feelings is often very different from notes I’ve kept contemporaneously. And my experienced feelings vary so widely, even in very similar circumstances, that I’m pretty sure I’m only aware of a subset, and the variance is (partly) which ones I’m consciously focusing on and noticing in the moment.
Which gets to the underlying difficulty in this discussion. Is there any such thing as a feeling I don’t notice? What do you mean by “happy”, and how would you know if it’s more or less than you think it is?
Your main point that we tend to represent to others as more socially-acceptable (often more happy) than we feel inside is valid. But I think the confusion is deeper than just signaling.
Yes, I agree that the quoted statement is too strong, and many feelings are unnoticed or forgotten.