Feelings

Thursday, July 16th radio program.

Hi Dr. Laura, I applaud you for calling out people who misuse the word feel when they’re really trying to describe a perception rather than an emotion.

Examples include: “I feel like my partner is...” or “I feel like they may be misunderstanding me.”

I recall learning from someone much smarter than myself that, when expressing a genuine feeling, the word feel should be followed by an adjective or feeling descriptor: “I feel sad, intrepid, suffocated, loved, dispassionate, taken aback, exhausted, amused, or very fond.”

People who say things like, “I feel like I’m being manipulated,” are really expressing a belief or perception. They aren’t telling us how it actually feels to be manipulated.

In closing, Dr. Laura, please continue calling out these wannabe feelers and encouraging them to speak the truth about what they’re actually feeling.

Thanks,

A Listener

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