Can our emotions deceive us? Why and why not?

Question

Sangita93 · Accepted Answer

In a way, emotions are special defence mechanism. They deceive us because they are designed for survival and fast action, without spending time to perfectly interpret reality. In many cases they act as warning signal, signalling that urgent attention is needed based on past experiences and personal values rather than objective facts. Strong - powerful emotions trigger a state called affective realism. In this condition, feelings look like absolute truth, overriding rational thought. Emotions like fear are evolved mechanisms of subconscious mind to keep us safe. They are designed to trigger a "fight-or-fly away" response, and temporarily shut down or overrides the ability to think logically. In most cases, these actions are based on past experiences and conditioning, and lead to incorrect impressions of the present. Most people believe that emotions are generated in the heart, but actually they are product of subconscious mind – it is a brain game. In some conditions, brain can create irrational, distorted, or exaggerated thoughts, forcing to believe negative interpretations and harmful effects without any evidence. Defence mechanism working like this is actually self-dishonesty and act as a protective layer, helping individuals ignore uncomfortable truths that threaten self-image or comfort. Fear makes us overestimate danger and underestimate our ability to handle it. Anger reduces empathy and makes us more egocentric, leading to self-serving deception. Most powerful emotion – LOVE is BLIND, it makes us blind to another person's faults or wrong acts. emotions come from personal values and experiences, not solely from objective reality, and reading and discussing with friends and family help in a big way to overcome difficult situation. It can be trained.

FreyaRed · Accepted Answer

Yes. Instincts are emotions but they differ from self induced emotions in matter of self gratification and looking for self comfort. That's why instinct as emotional impulses are useful to estimate a situation but emotion which lead to improvement of our self comfort or gratify our ego are rather counter productive for rational thinking.

Maybe_Maybe_not · Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely. But also not really. Then what?

Homework time, back to high school classics: Thesis, antithesis and synthesis. 3 parts, for the best marks. Speed-running through it, no authors quoted, to make it less academic and more personal.

Part 1 - Thesis: Emotions are deceitful

I'm in love, it feels great, it expands my horizons. But it can be intoxicating, enough to make me loose track of who exactly I'm in love with, it can overshadow important aspects of my bond with her because I'm over investing love. And in that sense, love deceits, because love doesn't care about how reasonable it is, love pushes me forward anyway.

Part 2 - Antithesis: Emotions are sincere

Love provides information about what I feel, pretty much constantly, about anything at all that I'm reacting to. And that is right, real and sincere. Love is always right because it doesn't play mind games with me, it can't deceive me in what I feel, it flows, it exists. That is, if I have the capacity to feel that love, to let it flow.

Part 3 - Synthesis: Sincerely deceitful?

At the moment I feel love, it doesn't interrupt all the other emotions flowing within me, in the background, fear is still there, sadness can be, even anger, or tranquillity, or hope, or excitement. All these emotions are blending within, whether or not I pay attention to them they exist. But do I pay attention to them? Do I accept them, do I deny them, do I inhibit them. Is it done consciously, unconsciously, what is it that I really feel, it's a lot going on? How to find my way through that, and do I even realize I have to find my way? Do I even want to find my way?

Homework done. Teacher pleased, I hope.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Yes. Emotions can absolutely deceive us because they’re based on perception, fear, attraction, trauma, hormones, stress, and assumptions — not always objective reality. Someone can feel unloved, betrayed, or hopeless even when the facts don’t fully support it.

But emotions also exist for a reason. They warn us, motivate us, help us bond, and sometimes notice problems before logic catches up. The mistake is treating emotions as either 100% truth or 100% lies. They’re signals — not always accurate conclusions.

Love Doctor Brad · Accepted Answer

My aim on GAG is to decode the messy, beautiful chaos of love, attraction, and human behavior for you. 😉

Yes, emotions can totally deceive us. When we’re in love, scared, jealous, or hurt, our brain filters reality through that feeling. That’s why lovebombing feels like “soulmate energy” at first, or a red flag can look pink when we’re lonely.

But emotions aren’t the enemy. They’re signals, not facts. They tell you what you’re experiencing, not always what’s actually true. The magic happens when you feel fully… but double-check the story with logic and patterns, not just butterflies.

MrOracle · Answer

Of course. Your emotions have a very critical, very substantial limitation: your feelings only care about THIS MINUTE. They don't care about yesterday and tomorrow doesn't exist - only RIGHT NOW.

And that's why you can't make decisions based on your feelings. Your feelings would have no problem walking you over a cliff to your death (until after it's too late). Your feelings will HAPPILY choose the suave serial killer over the "boring" (reliable) moral man. Nearly every drug addict started taking drugs "for fun" - they listened to their feelings, and their feelings cares nothing about future addiction, only current fun.

You must learn to balance your feelings against logic and reason. Feelings aren't unimportant or something to ignore completely, but they are woefully incomplete by themselves. It's the dietary equivalent of eating nothing but Twinkies - they might taste good and be fun for a short time, but you keep doing it and you will quickly die.

Telekinetic-Potato · Answer

Emotions are not spiritual, they're the animal side of us. Theyre understood chemical reactions which can be measured (even smelled by animals) that are reactions to the 5+ senses our body has but doesn't process consciously. I personally would go so far as to say they're an entire layer of how your brain thinks. Like how we have a conscious, subconscious, emotions and the. n stuff like heart regulation.

queenofcardio · Answer

Sometimes our emotions make us believe irrational thoughts. Eventually, I start questioning why I feel a certain way

Screenwriter · Answer

Some emotions are mistaken. You can fall for someone who is not ideal or even good for you and get stuck in a bad relationship. But, you still feel "love" for that person. Some of it is chemical. Love, lust, attachment are not rational.

AMS700CX4u2 · Answer

Much of our emotional compass is based on prior experience. So, it can be at times wrong. It can cause you to be on guard when you don't need to be.

whosnumber_1 · Answer

Absolutely! We may know that something is right or wrong but are emotionally tied to an outcome. We may be emotionally connected to something or someone and that can bias the way we try to construct that outcome.

Nikki1989 · Answer

Yes, emotions are interpretations, not always facts.

AngryCarl3 · Answer

Yes, becase emotions are caused by thoughts. If like most of us you experience thought distortions your emotional responses can be inappropriate to the situation.

molonski2 · Answer

Constantly and absolutely they can and do , we see what we wish to see..

Hunter-40m · Answer

They always have a tendecy to deceive us and overshadow the rationlist approach of our brains to get what they want like spoilt child

genericname85 · Answer

i would say they motivate change in behavior or thinking. but the way you then do change behavior or thinking may not be beneficial.

ThaCuriousGuy007 · Answer

they probably could but I usually keep mine in check

Bklynbadboy12 · Answer

Yes in fact that happens quite often that why so many people are in relationships the should be in thinking there in love when there actually in lust cause there following there heart not there mind

TonyMetal___86 · Answer

Yes our emotions can deceive us because emotions doesn't subject to logic!

Anonymous · Answer

If you allow your emotions to rule you rather than rule your emotions, yes. Women are particularly guilty of this.

RedInnocent69 · Answer

They deceive us almost always. Emotions are not objective. That’s why their emotions…

Anonymous · Answer

Sometimes they can. Because feelings can be very strong.

MidnightRivers · Answer

Absolutely, my mind decieves me always haha, clouding my judgement

exitseven · Answer

yes, sometimes we are led by our hormones

AgentG111 · Answer

Yes.

Can our emotions deceive us? Why and why not?

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Can our emotions deceive us? Why and why not?

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