Hiding or showing emotions? Which do you find more difficult?

I find it very difficult to hide my emotions! Sad to say I am a slave to my emotions and my face gives it away every time! Which has been my downfall, when someone has hurt me I let it show which lets them know they have won. If I don't like someone my face will show it. I could never play poker because I do not have a poker face. Whatever emotion I feel it is guaranteed that you will tell me straight away what mood I am in! I wish I could hide my emotions or control them but it's a constant battle and sometimes they can be so damn controlling.

For me, showing is the more difficult. I can easily hide my feelings but it's always hard for me to show my really feelings. I always worry that i might upset somebody or hurt someone, so better to keep quite and let the time vanish it.

Hi seymiss,that is an interesting discussion you know.I think anytime,hiding your emotion is the tougher thing to do.You can very easily show your emotions in front of any person you want, but that is not done.It is better to restrain it as showing your emotion will not always be a good thing for you.

Hello my friend seymiss Ji, To me as well. It is most difficult situation. I bring out some reserch work done by an Indian from the web:- http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-80560.html[b]"Hiding emotions may make it difficult for us to build friendships Washington, July 26: An Indian-origin researcher in the U.S. says that people who keep too much of their emotions to themselves may find it difficult to build friendships. Sanjay Srivastava, a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon, says that even though suppressing emotions in new or difficult situations is understandable and perhaps appropriate, carrying the practice too far creates a vicious cycle where trusting others. Writing about the research work in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Srivastava revealed that the study looked at the social costs of emotional suppression among 278 college freshman during their first term at a major West Coast university. The students - 58 percent female, 31 percent Asian, 60 percent white, 15 percent Hispanic, 7 percent black and 4 percent Native American - were contacted before they left home for college. Both before and after the transition, participants completed intensive assessments about their social and emotional experiences. They also nominated acquaintances who knew them well - virtually all new friends at college - to be surveyed about how the participants had adjusted. The study was carried out as part of a larger research project looking at how and why emotions matter for social adjustment, particularly in critical situations like the transition to college. The researchers behind it looked at expressive suppression, a strategy some people use to regulate emotions where they 'basically just try to not show any emotion on the outside,' Srivastava said. They took the aid of weekly diaries to obtained data on each participant's support from parents and friends, closeness with others, social satisfaction and academic satisfaction. At the end of the term, the participants again addressed their levels of support from friends, closeness, and social and academic satisfaction. The researchers also gathered corroborating information from friends who could give first-hand accounts of how the participants were faring at college. 'Hiding your emotions is something that is very common but it's something that often is not the right thing to do. We're not saying never ever do this, but doing it may have negative effects in certain contexts, such as in transitioning into college. It may be hurting the formation of relationships,' Srivastava said. According to him, data gathered from the participants and friends provided similar results. 'People who were hiding or masking their emotions were having more difficult times forming close,meaningful, supportive and satisfying relationships,' he said. He points out that studies conducted in the past have shown that people keep emotions hidden during times when they feel alienated or disconnected, or when a situation leaves them feeling out of control. For some individuals, those feelings may be more pronounced during major transitions, putting college freshmen at particular risk. 'In certain situations, it is natural and understandable, but if done all the time it may be counterproductive. We are trying to figure out where and why such emotional suppression is appropriate. It may be that people who do this may be having a more intense negative experience. People who do this are less likely to show positive emotions, like laugh at other people's jokes, or smile, or even disclose their negative feelings. It's a self-protection thing,' Srivastava said. Other analyses did not find negative consequences for academic satisfaction, but Srivastava stressed the need for more studies into academic ramifications. Also needing scrutiny is whether the impacts identified in this study carry longer-lasting consequences into later years of college and beyond, he said." [/b]May God bless you and have a good time.

At a very young age we learned not to show our emotions as children in my family. If we did it would be used against us to be slapped, knocked off our feet, or beaten. So hiding emotions isn't hard at all, showing is harder because we were unable to show them for so many years. Over the years I have found I am able to more so than before.

Hi, of course is more harder to hide my emotions, because i am a very honest person, and all what happened inside me as emotions people can see to me face. So is very hard for me to hide what i feel, but if i make a big effort, i can hide what i feel...just who know me very well know that i hide something

for me hiding is harder, i feel that there was something heavy inside of me, feeling of uneasiness.

hiding is hard for me... i wear my heart on my sleeve... sometimes I even cry and very inopportune moments and it pisses me off so i cry even harder... I wish I could hide them some times...

Hi Seymiss, This is kinger, i think hiding and showing emotions are depends on the situation if u feel that if u hide ur situtation on that time when u feel that if i do this thing then it could create a great trouble for that, then u must hide ur emotion but u r absolutely right that it's hard to Hide emotions.

Facing toward the mirroe, the heart sends out the emotion of the happiness,anger, grief and joy, while adjusts one's own expression into the most clam state. You will be of great sucess after tried several times! Have hiden the personal mood in the environment needed hide, and has released personal mood when needn't hide, actually that can be said to be the disposition human.