It’s now time to explore each of the four primary emotional responses. Starting with JOY, as it is the response we seek to have and maintain the most throughout our lives.

Biologists talk about approach and avoidance as the most fundamental behavioral motivations. The JOY is response is the fundamental approach response, or we are attracted to anything and anybody that cause JOY. In contrast, we want to avoid anything or anybody that cause the other three emotional responses, or anger, fear, and sadness.

Over time, like throughout our history on this planet, we have tried to define this feeling we have called joy, happiness, content, elatedness, and so on. We have so many words to describe this feeling, or emotional response.

We can also be very critical of this response, sometimes calling it hedonistic, self-centered, or something else that is negative. Certainly that would be the case if it’s at the expense of others or harmful to others.

It’s important to understand not only the biological and psychological importance of JOY, but also to know how it is a primary emotional response.

We have many words that all mean the JOY response, and some of these are happy, blissful, ecstatic, friendly, hopeful, energized, and loving.

What’s important here is to understand that all of these words have some meaning of JOY, or some meaningful representation of the feeling of JOY.

We need to use these words because they are descriptive, and for understanding our emotional response system. We also need to see that they all mean the same thing, and they all relate to what motivates us to pursue and maintain activities, relationships, meaningful events, and everything that is best for us.

The JOY response is what makes that happen.