Studies show how our emotions are influenced by the circumstances. Feelings of anger, anguish, hunger, fear or illness are not as precise as we may think and the relative signals may be confused. A tummy ache may be due to gastritis, but if it is the first time we are away from home, it may also be due to homesickness. A beating heart and sweating might follow a ride on a rollercoaster, be our response to an exam we are about to take or the consequence of too many cups of coffee. Hunger, tiredness, or illness give signals that are similar to those of anger, anguish or sadness. The context will tell us something more about the exact feeling being experienced. However, the context depends on the education one receives and the culture of the place. Eskimos don’t have a word for anger and people of Tahiti do not attribute to the word sadness the same meaning that Europeans do. Children must be taught from a very young age to choose the right words to express their feelings. If you discriminate between being happy or inspired, sad or disappointed you get to know yourself better, understand situations more clearly and find more effective solutions to problems. The greater the granularity and precision with which we define our emotions, the less do we fall victims of these emotions and the more tools do we have to overcome stress and combat depression. A few words that in other languages have a precise meaning but do not have an equivalent word in English: Gigil (Tagalog) – the irresistible desire to pinch someone we love. Desenrascanco (Portuguese) – to gracefully pull yourself out of a problematic situation. Sukha (Sanscrit) – lasting happiness irrespective of the circumstances.