<p>Just because two phenomena (partially!) share brain architecture does not mean they are experientially similar or opposite. There is little understanding of how neuronal activity creates conscious experiences. There is a lot of controversy in taxonomies of emotion because it is not clear what the emotions are or how many there are. Also, note that psychologists tend to define emotion in a narrow way, in particular referencing how transitory it is compared to moods or personality traits: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion_classification" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion_classification</a></p>

<p>So, you feel disgust and fear are different: I anecdotally agree, some models of emotion agree, and they do not have the exact same neural correlates.</p>

<p>Major theories of emotion generally classify emotions on two dimensions: approach vs. avoidance motivation, and pleasant vs. unpleasant. Fear and disgust are both avoid/unpleasant. Desire is in this sense the opposite of fear: approach/pleasant. An example of this model is explained here: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion_classification#Circumplex_model" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion_classification#Circumplex_model</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-31T12:25:26.170Z
Nice explanation. I personally feel that fear is somehow the opposite of rage. I mean that rage when you actually want to break something or hurt someone.
rus9384
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2018-10-31T16:05:57.187Z
@rus9384 yes, fear and anger are similar (negative) but also opposite (anger is approach). So instead of an opposite, maybe we should call it a converse.
Cameron Brick
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2018-10-31T11:28:21.703Z
2018-10-31T16:11:45.793Z
2018-10-31T16:11:45.793Z
Cameron Brick
<p>Wikipedia <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire#Neuropsychology" rel="nofollow noreferrer">page on desire</a> has the following passage:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>A 2008 study by the University of Michigan indicated that, while <strong>humans experience desire and fear as psychological opposites</strong>, they share the same brain circuit.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Personally, I feel that fear and disgust  are different. Former is what you can feel when there is something dangerous or risky. Latter is when you just perceive something like awful smell or flavor.</p>

<p>So, why and how fear and not disgust is the opposite of desire? </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-31T21:01:28.240Z
Keep in mind, science is a human endeavor, not some magical oracle that grants perfect wisdom.  Despite the authoritative voice that science often employs, it must be seen like a free market product:  buyer beware.  So, it's perfectly fair, in my opinion, to see disgust as the opposite.
Mark Rosenblitt-Janssen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-31T21:06:23.990Z
@TheDoctor What I meant is that it is said so, and that *might* be reasonable. I don't disagree with you, but surely there are some principle in science that separate it from other forms of human activity, like business or arts.
rus9384
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-31T21:07:41.147Z
You might consider asking a **philosopher** about that.
Mark Rosenblitt-Janssen
<cognitive-psychology><social-psychology><emotion><evolutionary-psychology><fear>
Why fear is the opposite of desire and not disgust?
rus9384
# Why fear is the opposite of desire and not disgust?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-10-27)

Wikipedia [page on desire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire#Neuropsychology) has the following passage:

> A 2008 study by the University of Michigan indicated that, while **humans experience desire and fear as psychological opposites**, they share the same brain circuit.

Personally, I feel that fear and disgust are different. Former is what you can feel when there is something dangerous or risky. Latter is when you just perceive something like awful smell or flavor.

So, why and how fear and not disgust is the opposite of desire?

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, social-psychology, emotion, evolutionary-psychology, fear

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Keep in mind, science is a human endeavor, not some magical oracle that grants perfect wisdom.  Despite the authoritative voice that science often employs, it must be seen like a free market product:  buyer beware.  So, it's perfectly fair, in my opinion, to see disgust as the opposite.  
> **username_0**: @TheDoctor What I meant is that it is said so, and that *might* be reasonable. I don't disagree with you, but surely there are some principle in science that separate it from other forms of human activity, like business or arts.  
> **username_1**: You might consider asking a **philosopher** about that.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-10-31. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Just because two phenomena (partially!) share brain architecture does not mean they are experientially similar or opposite. There is little understanding of how neuronal activity creates conscious experiences. There is a lot of controversy in taxonomies of emotion because it is not clear what the emotions are or how many there are. Also, note that psychologists tend to define emotion in a narrow way, in particular referencing how transitory it is compared to moods or personality traits: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion_classification>

So, you feel disgust and fear are different: I anecdotally agree, some models of emotion agree, and they do not have the exact same neural correlates.

Major theories of emotion generally classify emotions on two dimensions: approach vs. avoidance motivation, and pleasant vs. unpleasant. Fear and disgust are both avoid/unpleasant. Desire is in this sense the opposite of fear: approach/pleasant. An example of this model is explained here: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion_classification#Circumplex_model>

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Nice explanation. I personally feel that fear is somehow the opposite of rage. I mean that rage when you actually want to break something or hurt someone.  
> **username_2**: @username_0 yes, fear and anger are similar (negative) but also opposite (anger is approach). So instead of an opposite, maybe we should call it a converse.  

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