What do the ‘Seven Emotions and Six Desires’ mean in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)? TCM theory discusses the concept of the seven emotions and six desires, so what exactly do these terms refer to? Let’s take a closer look at the seven emotions and six desires.
In TCM, it is believed that humans experience emotional fluctuations such as joy, anger, worry, contemplation, sadness, fear, and shock, collectively known as the ‘Seven Emotions’. When these seven emotions become excessive, they can lead to an imbalance of yin and yang, as well as disruptions in qi and blood, resulting in various diseases. TCM posits that these emotional states should be managed appropriately. If not, for instance, excessive joy or sorrow, or extreme fear, can cause imbalances in yin and yang and qi and blood, leading to physical manifestations of mental disturbances and various illnesses.
So, what are the six desires? The concept of six desires was first introduced in the ‘Lüshi Chunqiu’ (Lü’s Spring and Autumn) stating: “Those who fully live are those whose six desires are appropriately satisfied.” What exactly are these six desires? The Eastern Han philosopher Gao You provided an explanation: “The six desires are life, death, ears, eyes, mouth, and nose.” Thus, the six desires broadly refer to human physiological needs or desires. To survive, one fears death and seeks to live a rich and colorful life, thus the mouth desires to eat, the tongue to taste, the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the nose to smell. These desires are innate and do not require teaching. Later, these were summarized as the six desires of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and thinking.
The Relationship Between the Seven Emotions and Six Desires and the Five Organs
1. Anger Harms the Liver
Anger is a common emotion; when one is angry, qi rises, which can harm the liver, leading to feelings of gloom, irritability, dizziness, and is also a significant cause of hypertension, coronary heart disease, and gastric ulcers.
2. Joy Harms the Heart
Joy can promote the circulation of qi and blood, relax muscles, and aid in recovering from fatigue. However, excessive joy can damage heart qi. As stated in the ‘Huainanzi: On the Original Way’: “Excessive joy leads to negligence.” Damage to yang causes heart qi to move, which can scatter the spirit and lead to the invasion of pathogenic factors, resulting in palpitations, insomnia, forgetfulness, and even dementia. The story of Fan Jin, who became mad due to a mix of joy and sorrow upon passing the imperial examination in his old age, is a classic case of joy harming the heart.
3. Worry Harms the Spleen
TCM holds that “worry causes qi stagnation.” Excessive contemplation can disrupt the function of the nervous system and reduce the secretion of digestive fluids, leading to loss of appetite, sluggishness, emaciation, shortness of breath, fatigue, and feelings of depression.
4. Sadness Harms the Lungs
Sadness is closely related to the lungs; extreme sadness can harm the lungs, leading to dry cough, shortness of breath, hemoptysis, hoarseness, and changes in respiratory rate. The character Lin Daiyu from ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’, who is sentimental and melancholic, serves as a good example of how sadness can harm the body.
5. Fear Harms the Kidneys
Fear can disrupt the nervous system, leading to symptoms such as tinnitus, deafness, dizziness, impotence, and can even be life-threatening. The common saying “frightening someone to death” reflects this principle.
In life, emotional fluctuations such as joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are intertwined with our daily experiences. One should remain calm and composed when faced with complex situations. After events occur, do not dwell on them for too long, as this can lead to self-inflicted distress.
Fostering an optimistic attitude towards life and enhancing psychological resilience is essential. One should maintain an open heart, cultivate a positive emotional state, and embrace tranquility and contentment, viewing life’s joys and sorrows, honors and disgraces, labors and gains as fleeting moments. Ultimately, one should seek peace of mind, maintain inner tranquility, and thus achieve longevity.
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