The answer to this question can be found in a recent study of the "emotions of success" conducted by R. Pekrun, H. W. Marsh, et al. A three‑dimensional taxonomy of achievement emotions / Journal of Personality and Social Psychology psychologists from the University of Essex. They calculated the pros and cons of different emotions, from anger to hope, in terms of how each of them increases or decreases the chances of success, and showed why the decision to use negative emotions to achieve goals is expensive.
The scientists used a special questionnaire that allows them to evaluate 12 emotions associated with obtaining the desired result or its absence. The questionnaire includes six positive emotions — hope, pleasure, pride, peace, confidence and relief, as well as six negative emotions — anger, anxiety, shame, boredom, disappointment and despair. The results of the study showed that 6 out of 12 emotions, positive and negative equally, are associated with higher chances of success:
Anger has the strongest short-term ability to accelerate the achievement of a goal. But you have to pay for it. Anger triggers the nervous system's "hit or run" stress response, which causes Understanding the stress response / Harvard Health Publishing The adrenal glands produce adrenaline and cortisol. With small doses of hormones, this process is able to provide us with maximum productivity.
However, constant hyperactivity of the adrenal glands can lead to health problems. According to Negative emotions spark success — but there’s a price / The University of Essex According to the authors of the study, the use of negative emotions for motivation can cause stress-related psychosomatic symptoms, including headaches and back pain, nausea, poor sleep and fatigue.
Thus, anger or anxiety can sometimes motivate us more than pleasure or peace. But in the long run, negative emotions can lead to a decrease in productivity, even though they give us energy.
The healthiest and most effective emotion for success turned out to be hope. According to previous research L. Day, K. Hanson, et al. Hope uniquely predicts objective academic achievement above intelligence, personality, and previous academic achievement / Journal of Research in Personality , it promotes motivation and determination, strengthening a sense of free will and the belief that with strategic planning and hard work, you can always find a path to success.
The worst of all emotions associated with achieving goals is despair. If hope feeds our optimism, enthusiasm and desire to succeed, then despair has the opposite effect and cuts off our wings.An example that in some sense confirms the reliability of the results of a study by psychologists from the University of Essex is the story of Sylvester Stallone. In the documentary "Sly Stallone", the actor talks about how the power of anger, pride, hope, shame, disappointment and fear of failure led him to write the script of the cult film "Rocky" and play the main role in it.
Recalling the story of his life, Stallone demonstrates Sly Is a Messy, Sincere Portrait of a Messy, Sincere Man / Vulture how contact with what researchers call the positive and negative "emotions of success" can strengthen the determination to never give up and win despite any adversity. Rocky Balboa's character — focused, determined and ready to take on a challenge with confidence and strength — was largely inspired by the difficulties the actor had to overcome as a child.
At the end of the film, Stallone says, "My job is to give hope." In the long run, it is the optimal emotion that contributes to success without causing health problems caused by stress. Negative emotions, such as anger, can become rocket fuel that helps you reach heights. But it burns out quickly, and then, instead of success, burnout awaits us.
