Emotions are important because they affect how we make choices every day. Researchers have found six main emotions, and each one can change the way we decide things:

1. Happiness: When we feel happy, we often make better decisions. About 62% of people say they feel more hopeful when they are happy.

2. Sadness: Feeling sad can make us think more deeply. Studies show that 70% of sad people take more time to decide things because they focus on what will happen in the long run.

3. Fear: Fear causes us to have a strong reaction, often making us want to escape from danger. Around 80% of people say they avoid taking risks when they feel afraid.

4. Anger: Anger can push us to take action. About 54% of people say they make bolder choices after feeling angry.

5. Surprise: When something surprises us, it can change where we focus our attention. Up to 60% of people make quick decisions after something unexpected happens.

6. Disgust: This feeling often makes us want to turn away from something. About 70% of people avoid choices that seem unpleasant.

Emotions have a major impact on our decisions:

• Roughly 95% of the decisions we make without thinking about it are affected by our emotions.
• Emotional intelligence is important. People who are better at understanding their own feelings and the feelings of others tend to make smarter choices. This can make their decision-making better by around 30%.

By learning about these emotions and how they work, we can improve ourselves and make better decisions in life.