Do you ever feel like you're living someone else's script? As if you're feeling not what you want, but what is "required" or "habitual"? In psychology, this is called the "Racket System"—when we substitute real, living emotions with surrogates just to survive.
Authentic Emotions and Racket Emotions
But the body remembers everything. To reclaim energy for life and business, you need to learn to distinguish the 4 basic emotions that form the foundation of our psyche.
The Four Pillars of Your Psyche: Authentic Emotions
According to Claude Steiner and George Thompson, there are only four basic (authentic) emotions. Each has a biological purpose and a time context .
- ANGER (Focus: Present). Its function is to mobilize energy to defend boundaries and satisfy needs "here and now". It peaks at 2–3 years old (learning to say "No") and 14–16 years old (separation).
- FEAR (Focus: Future). A signal of danger. The body mobilizes to prepare, flee, or ask for help .
- SADNESS (Focus: Past). The process of saying goodbye. It is a way to process loss (of a person, opportunity, illusion) and make space for the new .
- JOY (Focus: Present). A signal that "My need is met." It is permission to relax and enjoy life .
Authentic Emotions and Racket Emotions
The Racket Trap: How Feelings Are Substituted
A "Racket" is emotional blackmail of oneself. It is a feeling that was encouraged in your family instead of the real one . A child learns: «If I get angry, I get scolded. If I get sick, I get pity.»
Here is how this transformation happens and what consequences it brings in adulthood:
- If ANGER is banned ("Good kids don't get angry"), it turns into Resentment, Guilt, or Sarcasm. This leads to psychosomatics, headaches, and passive aggression.
- If FEAR is banned ("Boys don't get scared"), it becomes Anxiety, Panic, or Stupor. Result: burnout and inability to start new ventures.
- If SADNESS is banned ("Don't whine, be strong"), a person falls into Depression, Apathy, and Fatigue. Life becomes "frozen," losing its taste.
- If JOY is banned ("Laughing for no reason..."), it is swapped for Schadenfreude or Irony. You lose the ability to genuinely celebrate success—yours or others'.
Authentic Emotions and Racket Emotions
Practice: The Path to Yourself
When a complex feeling overwhelms you, open your MriyaRun Emotion Diary and honestly answer these questions:
- What was the trigger? (Facts).
- What feeling am I showing the world right now? (Is this a mask?).
- What need of mine is being ignored right now? (Safety, Recognition, Impact, Love?) .
- How can I ecologically process the real emotion?
Start your journey of awareness today.
Order the Emotion Diary: https://mriya.run/offer-emotions