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Here’s a clear chart of the 6 dimensions of emotional style from The Emotional Life of Your Brain by Sharon Begley and Richard J. Davidson, with contrasting examples for high vs. low scores on each dimension:
6 Dimensions of Emotional Style
| Dimension | Definition | High Score Example | Low Score Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resilience | How quickly you recover from setbacks or stress | A person calmly finishes a project despite a major criticism and bounces back the next day | Someone ruminates for days after a minor mistake, struggling to move on |
| Outlook | Tendency toward positive vs. negative expectations | Optimist who maintains hope and energy even during challenges | Pessimist who anticipates failure and focuses on worst-case scenarios |
| Social Intuition | Ability to read others’ emotions accurately | Detects subtle facial expressions and tone, knowing when a friend is upset | Misreads social cues, misses sarcasm or underlying emotion |
| Self-Awareness | Recognition of your own internal states | Notices rising stress or anger and adjusts behavior | Unaware of own tension or emotions, often acting impulsively |
| Attention | Focus and control over distraction | Maintains concentration on a task despite noise or interruptions | Easily distracted, mind wanders constantly, misses important details |
| Sensitivity to Context | Adjusting behavior appropriately to different situations | Knows when humor is appropriate at work vs. serious discussion | Fails to notice context, behaving inappropriately or insensitively |
💡 Key insight:
These dimensions show that emotional life is multifaceted, not a single trait.
High vs. low examples illustrate how brain patterns shape behavior, perception, and relationships.
I can also make a visual “before-and-after” style diagram showing how meditation or training can shift someone from low → high on each dimension, if you want a memory-friendly version.
Do you want me to make that diagram?
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