What does exaltation mean in psychology? Signs

Emotions and feelings are an integral part of a person. We rejoice, laugh, cry, sad, yearn. Through emotions we experience life and express our feelings to the world, to other people and events. This is how our psyche works. But there are people whose emotional reactions deviate somewhat from their usual forms. One of these factors is called exaltation or affectively exalted behavior. It is characteristic of individuals with very vivid emotional experiences. Sometimes reaching the point of absurdity. Let's take a closer look at exaltation in psychology, what it means and what are the signs of behavior.

Exaltation is a concept in psychology

Exaltation is a personality trait manifested in the form of pronounced and intense emotional reactions to external factors and one’s own internal experiences and sensations.

It is worth understanding that the occasional expression of strong emotions, for example, tears when meeting a loved one after a long separation, is a normal human reaction. Violent emotions can arise from intense joy or grief. But in ordinary situations, people with a normal level of exaltation behave more calmly.

When a person begins to react too emotionally to every external stimulus, event or information received, psychologists call this accentuation. The term refers to a fixed, pronounced character trait associated with the extreme degree of manifestation of certain aspects of emotional life.

Interesting to know!

It is generally accepted that positive thinking is of great importance in our lives: it helps us achieve our goals and live happily. Negative thinking, in turn, brings only destruction. However, this sounds too simplistic. Recent research has shown that the ability to experience and successfully overcome negative emotions and thoughts is not only beneficial for mental health, but also plays a key role in it. In fact, negative thoughts help us understand and evaluate our experiences, and attempts to suppress or ignore them can lead to undesirable consequences.

Signs of an exalted person

Exaltation of feelings provokes constant stimulation of the nervous system in a person. Such individuals tend to exaggerate everything, even the most ordinary things and situations.

A factor that a person with a normal degree of exaltation will not pay attention to can cause the accentuator to evoke the deepest experiences expressed in facial expressions, behavior, and mood.

Such people experience sudden changes in mood. They can be sad or cry, and a few minutes later they can laugh and rejoice. They are very easy to piss off. Sometimes the reactions of exalted individuals are quite unexpected and not even adequate. For example, if you accidentally hit an accentuator with your shoulder in a narrow corridor, he is capable of giving out a whole debate about how you need to watch where you are going and fall into severe frustration.

In psychology, exaltation is considered as a special property of temperament, close to psychopathy. But this does not mean that such people are abnormal or sick. Affective outbursts of uncontrollable emotions have nothing to do with psychiatric diagnoses, although their form of behavior deviates from normal norms. Nevertheless, exalted individuals in psychology and medicine are considered as people with preserved mental health.

Interesting facts about exaltation

Women are more susceptible to exaltation than men.
This temperament trait is inherent in approximately 13-15% of the world's population.
Increased emotionality is in most cases not an acquired quality, but an innate type of temperament and it manifests itself in a person from childhood.
Often exaltation is transmitted at the genetic level from parent to child.
Exalted people are more susceptible to depression and neuroses, since they are very worried about even minor unpleasant situations and take everything to heart.
Temporary increased accentuation can be observed in adolescents and pregnant women, which is associated with the restructuring of the hormonal system and its influence on the psycho-emotional background.
Creative individuals are more prone to increased exaltation than people with an analytical mindset.
Many people with congenital accentuation lack the concept of social norms of behavior. They understand that they behave differently than most, but do not consider it something abnormal. Rather, on the contrary, such people allow themselves to be themselves and know that many simply behave with restraint due to social stereotypes.
The trait of exaltation can be formed in a child with increased parental care or, conversely, with insufficient attention and love on their part.

Exaltation in astrology

This word is used by astrologers who study the influence of planets on people’s lives and compile horoscopes. Astrologers call it the presence of a planet in some part of the trajectory (zodiac sign), where its characteristics in a person’s horoscope appear especially clearly .

While the planet is in exaltation in the horoscope, the person is in an excited and elated mood.

The opposite of exaltation is fall. If the planet is in the opposite position from exaltation, its influence on the person gradually fades away.

Symptoms and signs of exaltation in psychology

We have already considered that exaltation in psychology is a kind of heightened emotional reaction of people to everything around them. But is it so easy to distinguish a real accentuator from a person with a moderate type of temperament? Let's find out what signs and symptoms occur with exaltation.

People with this character trait are very sincere, open, and compassionate. They can be talkative and clearly express their emotions and internal states. They say about such people: “It’s all written on his face.”

They are not at all shy about expressing their feelings and are very susceptible to the feelings and emotions of others, both positive and negative. For them, perfection comes naturally to instantly express everything that happens inside. Often exalted individuals love to be the center of attention. They actively participate in rallies and all kinds of events, join various communities, and love to be presenters.

Exaltants are characterized by the following features:

gullibility;
sincerity;
sentimentality;
friendliness;
talkativeness;
loud, infectious laughter;
pronounced, loud voice;
amorousness;
enthusiasm;
openness;
sensitivity;
altruism.

Despite emotional lability, very sincere people are exalted and are not inclined to use their experiences for the purpose of manipulation or harm to others. All their feelings and emotions come from a pure heart. They do not tolerate lies and hypocrisy. They always strive to help and support, but they suffer greatly if they do not receive reciprocity.

Pros of exaltation

Such a person usually loves children and animals, he will not offend those who are weaker.
He knows how to notice little things and sincerely enjoy and admire them.
Exaltants are very sensual in love and give their partner the whole gamut of their love emotions.
He has a good understanding of people and does not allow those who cause mistrust to approach him.
Capable of infecting others with his laughter and good mood.
Always responds to requests for help, ready to drop everything and provide support at any moment.
He has his own opinion and is not inclined to social norms of morality if they seem wrong, uncomfortable, or unacceptable to him.
You can’t expect tricks or stabs in the back from such people.
Knows how to enjoy creativity, appreciates art.
Makes friends and social contacts easily.
Feels comfortable in new companies.
He is not constrained, does not suffer from shyness or complexes.

Minuses

If an exaltant loves, he does it with all his soul, but he also hates in the same way.
When he falls in love, he can be obsessive. If his feelings are not reciprocated, it causes him great pain and suffering.
Tends to dramatize and exaggerate negative events.
Sometimes he is unrestrained in society, which attracts attention and causes bewilderment among many.
Impulsive and capable of showing aggression in a fit of emotion.
Performance depends on your mood. If the exaltant is in a good mood, then performance is increased. In a bad mood, he can give up everything and do nothing.
He often gives up on things he has started; it is difficult to rely on him in the labor sphere.
Can quickly move from elation to deep despondency.
If an exalted person discovers a trait in a partner or friend that he does not like, he will tend to push him away, even if he previously experienced positive feelings.
He is prone to contempt, for example, he may sincerely hate fat, black, poorly educated people.
Having noticed any peculiarity in people, he can suddenly change his opinion about them to the opposite.
Often causes misunderstanding and disapproval from others.
Unpredictable behavior, which often pushes other people away.
May become fixated on the past or certain situations, worrying about it again and again.
Sometimes he is selfish and self-centered.
Such people are characterized by increased anxiety, panic, and deep feelings.
Often he himself suffers from his increased emotionality.
It is difficult for such people to hold on to a serious and responsible job.

This is also interesting:

Do you get angry often? Look in the mirror and you will be very surprised!

Pros and cons of exaltation

Emotions are an inseparable part of the existence of any individual. People tend to be happy in certain situations, to be sad for certain reasons, to laugh, cry, and get angry. The above emotions refer to manifestations of specific mental mechanisms responsible for mental ups and downs.

However, it happens that a certain category of people reacts so strongly emotionally that it becomes an unhealthy manifestation and is called exaltation. The psyche of such persons is in an extremely excited state, and the reason for such inspiration is often incommensurate with the violent reaction to it.

Therefore, an exalted personality is characterized by excessive impressionability, a tendency to vigorously reveal one’s own emotions, pathos, a degree of theatricality, mood swings, high distractibility, talkativeness, and amorousness.

The main signs of exaltation include the following:

– sociability (such individuals love to communicate and are able to quickly find common topics with strangers);

– smiling (during communications they almost constantly smile, as a rule, making a pleasant impression on their interlocutors);

– amorousness (exalted individuals tend to quickly become attached, but their feelings are not filled with depth and are usually characterized by frivolity);

– touchiness (these people are capable of being offended by any little thing);

– alarmism (every minor trouble awakens in them severe grief, frustration, even panic).

In addition, exaltation can manifest itself in constant engaging in useless heated arguments.

The advantages of exaltation include the goodwill and positivity of such people. This quality contributes to quickly and easily finding a common language with the environment and making new acquaintances. The life of exalted citizens is much more vibrant, since they feel many pleasant emotions every day, gaining new experiences with pleasure visiting museums, theatrical performances, and architectural sights. They can turn an ordinary weekend into an exciting adventure.

At the same time, such people are extremely kind and ready to lend a hand to help. They are also usually successful in their personal lives, because they know how to feel their partner, and they like to please their relatives.

The disadvantages of the described concept include the inability to take control of one’s own emotional reactions, which can often negatively affect relationships with the environment. Exalted people are often perceived warily and frivolously. Often such individuals have problems with career advancement due to the fact that managers do not take them seriously and, accordingly, are not ready to entrust them with a responsible position.

Despite their openness, sociability and good nature, exalted individuals often unconsciously push away their previously good friends, who are scared off by their temperament. This aggravates the situation, because without realizing the essence of the problem, they do not strive to solve it, but write everything off as fate.

Exaltation and social relationships

Excessive emotionality and the inability to control it causes exaltants difficulties in relationships with people. Such a person is treated with caution, distrust, apprehension or even fear.

Exalted people are indeed poorly adapted to the typical generally accepted norms of living, working, and relationships.

On a note!

Women are better at identifying emotions in other people than men. Emotions are revealed not only through arousal of the body, but also through expressive behavior. Many experiments have confirmed that not only are women better than men at displaying emotions other than anger, which men are better at, but women are also superior to men in their ability to recognize emotions.

As long as exaltants are surrounded by relatives and close people who care about them, their life goes relatively smoothly. But if such a person is left alone, it can be very difficult for him to cope with pressing and material tasks and problems.

At work, people who are too emotional are not trusted with serious matters and high positions. Although individuals with this temperament are open and good-natured, they often alienate people with their behavior.

An exalted person almost never considers the manifestation of his temperament a problem. He is confident in his own infallibility and blames those around him for all failures, not himself. And such a perception significantly worsens relationships with society. It is very difficult to be married to such a person, since the partner is prone to strong jealousy, unpredictable attacks, and dramatic scenes.

Therefore, very often exalted people are left alone and resort to bad habits in order to soothe and mask their mental pain.

Interesting facts about emotions:

Fact 1

Our responsibility extends only to our feelings and actions. This may seem unusual, but we cannot “upset the Other by our actions.” We can do an action, and the Other may be upset about it or not. His emotional reaction is his responsibility. The same is true in the opposite direction: no one can make you angry or spoil your mood, but you yourself can get angry or upset because of someone else’s action.

Fact 2

Research shows that using human emotions is one of the most powerful advertising techniques. For example, a well-known concept focuses on key emotional triggers, and sponsorship, advertising and business empires are built on it.

Fact 3

Emotions work faster than conscious thinking. The reason for this is that emotions are associated with parts of the brain that are more ancient in evolutionary terms, while thinking from the point of view of evolution arose, roughly speaking, yesterday. Therefore, we first react, and then we think what’s the matter and why I reacted this way.

Exalted in the profession

It is very difficult to contain the exaltation of feelings. Such individuals need to express themselves constantly. Creative professions are most suitable for them, in which they can freely vary their emotions. Exalted people show themselves best in acting, dancing, writing, art and other forms of art. But they can also become excellent sellers, managers, guides, agents, teachers, and trainers. In short, in those areas where constant communication with people is expected and there is no high responsibility.

But in professions where restraint, prudence, and rationality are required from a person, exalted people usually do not achieve success. Moreover, they may often be fired due to unacceptable behavior.

If an accentuator manages to look critically at his behavior, work on himself and learns to control his emotions, he can achieve success in any field. But the main problem is that many exalted personality types may consider their behavior to be completely normal and natural throughout their lives, not wanting to change.

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Exaltation is...

The explanatory dictionaries of Dahl, Ushakov, Ozhegov and others give the following definition of the term.

Exaltation is a pronounced enthusiastic or excited state.

First of all, it is worth analyzing it from a psychological point of view. Although this concept is used in other areas of life.

The science of Psychology divides people into groups depending on the type of nervous system and the most striking character traits. It seems that most people are familiar with the classification according to which people are divided into melancholic, sanguine, choleric, and phlegmatic.

At the end of the twentieth century, the theory of accentuations was further developed. According to it, people can be divided into 10 groups, each of which is characterized by the same behavioral reactions to different stimuli.

According to statistical surveys, about 15% of all inhabitants of the Earth can be classified as an exalted personality type .

They are characterized by a special nervous excitability as a reaction to any event. Moreover, the degree of enthusiasm that a person prone to exaltation exhibits clearly does not correspond to the intensity of the action itself that gave rise to this reaction.

It is not necessary that a person is constantly in a state of exaltation. It can occur sporadically and spontaneously.

For example, a woman 10 years after graduating from school meets her classmates and begins to cry from overwhelming emotions. In case of episodic manifestations, one should speak not about an exalted person, but about an exalted reaction .

If a person is constantly in a state of heightened emotionality, i.e. shows a very violent reaction to any words or actions; we can talk about exaltation as a character trait . It's not even temperament. It is difficult to correct, correct, instilling standards of morality and behavior.

Such personalities are always in sight. Their strong emotions attract attention. Moreover, mood swings are lightning fast and impossible to predict. It would seem that the person is very sad, in a state of despondency and depression. But after a couple of minutes, for no apparent reason, you can observe unbridled joy in him, he laughs and jokes.

A small reason, which would not cause a special reaction in another person, becomes important for an exalted personality, which is constantly, as it were, on an emotional swing .”

When exaltation becomes pathological

So, we have found out what exaltation is within acceptable standards that do not imply mental deviations. But there are cases when overly emotional behavior hides a mental disorder that requires treatment and help from specialists.

When a person begins to have too pronounced “emotional swings”, he, without obvious reasons, begins to fall into hysterics or unbridled joy, the norm of such behavior is already called into question. In addition, pathological exaltation can be accompanied by aggression, affective and dangerous behavior. Such conditions border on psychosis.

To diagnose a mental disorder, psychiatrists often use the Schmishek test questionnaire, based on the theory of accentuations by the German psychiatrist Karl Leonhard.

Interpretation of the results allows us to obtain a detailed description of the specific character traits inherent in each personality type. There are cases when a person with severe exaltation is prone to hysterical or paranoid accentuation. It is worth understanding that one test is not enough to diagnose a person with a mental disorder. To accurately determine the condition, consultation with a competent specialist is necessary.