We continue our series based on the Science & Wisdom of Emotions summit. Founded 20 years ago by the Mind & Life Institute as a dialogue with the Dalai Lama, the summit now gathers world-renowned scientists to bridge the gap between psychology and daily practice.

Paul Ekman is a researcher of emotions and facial expression whose work has influenced modern emotion science. Popular accounts, however, often sound more certain than the evidence allows: facial expressions are not an infallible lie detector or a precise window into another person’s inner state.

Below we use several practical ideas—notice the beginning of a reaction, refine the name of the experience, and create a pause before action. This is not a method for controlling every emotion and does not replace psychotherapy or medical care.

The main characteristic of an emotion, notes Ekman, is its immediacy. Fear or anger strikes in split seconds. The challenge lies in the nuance: according to Ekman, the word "anger" can cover about 50 different emotional states that are hard to distinguish on the fly.

Emotional responses can arise quickly and prepare the body for action, but they are not reducible to a simple fight-or-flight script. Context, prior experience, bodily state, interpretation, and relationships all matter. A journal is useful for observing recurring links, not suppressing a response.

Awareness does not cancel an emotion or guarantee a rational decision. It may create a small interval between impulse and action: name the feeling, check the facts, notice the need, and consider likely consequences.

Writing after an event can reconstruct the sequence: what happened, what appeared in the body, which thought arose, what action followed, and how it ended. Across entries, patterns may emerge, but one record does not prove the cause of a reaction.

Instead of searching for the one “correct” response, ask three questions: Is it safe for me and others? Does it fit my values? Can I repair the consequences if my interpretation is wrong? Sometimes the best step is a pause, a clarifying question, or leaving an unsafe interaction.

Emotions carry information, but they do not dictate a single behavior. The skill develops through observation, mistakes, and revision—not through reacting perfectly every time. For practice, see the Emotions Journal EQ; more articles are available on Dmytro Telushko’s author page.