What Emotional Type Are You?
Your emotional type is your filter through which you experience the world, and the preset personality traits which you revert to naturally, especially when facing stressful situations.
I get sent many books to review for another website I run, and a couple of months ago I was sent Emotional Freedom by Dr Judith Orloff. [Affiliate Link]
Dr Judith Orloff is an assistant clinical professor of Psychiatry who combines her traditional Psychiatry role with intuition, spiritual and emotional health, developing what she calls Energy Psychiatry.
The book is a very enlightening read and I urge you to buy it, and I want to share a section within the book which allows you to determine your own emotional type. I have sought the permission of the author before writing this article.
What is an emotional type?
Dr Orloff suggests there are four emotional types, and knowing which type you are can give you an insight to how you interact with the world, and is part of what shapes your individualism.
Your emotional type is your filter through which you experience the world, and the preset personality traits which you revert to naturally, especially when facing stressful situations.
Here are the four Emotional Types Dr Orloff offers:
Emotional Type 1: The Intellectual
Emotional Type 2: The Empath
Emotional Type 3: The Rock
Emotional Type 4: The Gusher
There are a few questions to answer which help you determine which emotional type best describes you. As Dr Orloff states in the book, no emotional type is better than another when balanced, and your emotional type is not set in stone.
It simply represents your general tendencies and offers you a baseline to build upon, it is not meant to stereotype or pigeon-hole.
Which emotional type are you?
To determine which emotional type best describes your tendencies ask yourself the following questions;
The Intellectual:
Do I believe that I can think my way to any solution?
When presented with a problem, do I immediately start analysing the pros and cons rather than noticing how it makes me feel?
Am I uncomfortable when people get highly emotional?
Do I tend to get overly serious?
Do I distrust decisions made by the gut?
Do I prefer planning to being spontaneous?
If you answer yes to between one and three questions this suggests you tend to process emotions intellectually, while answering yes to more than three questions indicates you have found your emotional type.
Dr Orloff goes into a lot more detail describing the emotional types, but here are the upsides and downsides to this emotional type.
The Intellectual’s Upside
You’re an impeccable analyser with a killer sense of logic
You’re comfortable in the world of ideas and abstract thought
You’re able to debate a point
You respect and utilise what’s scientifically proven
You can keep calm in emotionally heated situations
The Intellectual’s Downside
You may live from the neck up, have difficulty connecting with your own feelings or another’s
You may seem emotionally cold, withholding, or snobbish about anything that doesn’t fit your system.
You can’t turn your brain off at night, obsess about problems.
You may believe in spirituality but are hard-pressed to feel it in your soul.
You often forget to be playful.
I answered two questions with a yes which would give me a tendency towards this emotional type, although I have not yet found my emotional type, so moving on to the next set of questions.
The Empath:
Ask yourself:
Have I been labelled as “too emotional” or overly sensitive?
If a friend is distraught, do I start feeling it too?
Are my feelings easily hurt?
Am I emotionally drained by crowds and require time alone to revive?
Do my nerves get frayed by noise, smells, or excessive talk?
Do I prefer taking my own car places so that I can leave when I please?
Do I overeat to cope with emotional stress?
Am I afraid of becoming engulfed by intimate relationships?
If you answer yes to between one and three questions, you’re at least part empathy. Responding yes to more than three questions indicates you have found your emotional type.
The Empath’s Upside
You’ve got a big heart, are gifted in helping others.
Your sensitivity makes you passionate and exquisitely sensual.
You’re intuitive about people’s thoughts and feelings.
You’re emotionally responsive, can relate to another’s feelings.
You’re in touch with your body and emotions.
You have a palpable sense of spirituality.
The Empath’s Downside
You’re an emotional sponge, absorbing people’s negativity.
You’re so sensitive to emotions, you feel like a wire without insulation.
You’re prone to anxiety, depression, and fatigue.
You may feel hemmed in living in the same space with other people.
You may have chronic, debilitating physical symptoms.
You have difficulty setting boundaries with draining people and get run over by them.
I personally answered yes to three questions which again, would suggest a tendency towards this type but I have not yet found my emotional type.
The Rock:
Ask yourself:
Is it easier to listen than to share my feelings?
Do I often feel like the most dependable person in the room?
Do people tend to come to me with their troubles?
Am I able to stay calm when others are upset?
Would I rather avoid introspection?
Am I generally satisfied with the status quo in relationships but others are often trying to draw me out emotionally?
If you answer yes to between one and three questions you have some rock-like qualities. Responding yes to more than three questions indicates you have found your emotional type.
The Rock’s Upside
You’re a pillar of strength for others.
You’re consistent and loyal.
You enjoy giving.
You respect people, wish the best for them.
You get along with nearly everyone.
The Rock’s Downside
You can be detached from your feelings.
You harbour anger and frustration.
Your relationships may lack excitement and depth.
You don’t make waves or challenge yourself to grow emotionally.
You’d rather avoid conflict than confront difficult issues in relationships.
I answered yes to four questions in The Rock section which would suggest I have found my emotional type. However, lets move on to the final type.
The Gusher:
Again ask yourself:
Is it easy for me to express my emotions?
Do I get anxious if I keep my feelings in?
When a problem arises, is my first impulse to pick up the phone?
Do I need to take a poll before finalising a decision?
Are my friends often telling me “Too much information”?
Do I have difficulty sensing other people’s emotional boundaries?
If you answer yes to between one and three of these questions, you possess some gusher tendencies. Responding yes to more than three suggests that this is your emotional type.
The Gusher’s Upside
You’re emotionally articulate.
Negativity doesn’t fester in you if you express it to others.
You have a supportive network of friends.
You value intimate relationships, are a sensitive listener.
You deal with hard issues and process them quickly.
The Gusher’s Downside
You’re a candidate for becoming a drama king or queen.
You may turn friends into therapists.
You seek external feedback before you consult your intuition for answers.
Your need to share excessively may burn other people out.
You haven’t fully embraced your own inner power or spiritual strengths.
I answered yes to one question is this section which suggests some tendencies towards this emotional type.
Conclusion
So I found that I am more Rock like than I am Gusher, Empath or Intellectual. However, I have a varied scattering of tendencies of all emotional types. I guess most people would answer yes to questions in more than one section as I did, as we are all complex individuals, but this does give you some insight to where your emotional tendencies lie.
I found this tool very accurate and will be referring to it when appropriate, ensuring I embody the best qualities from each of my emotional types, while being aware of the downsides of my more prominent emotional types.
Dr Orloff provides comprehensive explanations of each emotional type in her book, and provides Emotional Action Steps on how to find a healthy and intuitive balance to your personal emotional type.
I would like to thank Dr Orloff for granting me permission to use extracts from her book.
I sincerely recommend this book, I am reading it for the second time in two months, you can never have too many tools in your personal development toolbox as far as I’m concerned. You can get this book from Amazon using the following [Affiliate Link] Emotional Freedom by Dr Judith Orloff. So which emotional type are you?