What is Your Reaction to These 63 Emotionally Powerful Words

Some people read Psychology Today as part of their quest to better understand themselves.

As one of my attempts to provide simple yet hopefully not simplistic approaches to that, here are 63 emotionally changed words. Next to each, I invite you to write the first word that comes to mind, rational or not.

To jump-start your thinking, I include the responses of one of my clients: a 59-year-old woman, a physician:

Love: None.

Hate: Pervasive

Happy: Rarely

Angry: Often

Fear: Death

Sad: Me

Money: Have

Born: Ancient

Death: Soon

Grief: Nobody

Work: Good

Worthy: Me

Unworthy: Others

Guilty: Cheating

Ashamed: Cheating

Self-acceptance: None

Thankful: No

Pain: Scary

Anxious: Dying

Family: Bad

Sex: Sad

Lazy: Scum

Motivated: Always

Mother: Stupid

Father: Worker

Child: Entitled

Regret: None

Home: Safe

Hurt: Rejected

Security: Want

Jealous: Skinny

Jolly: Silly

Kind: Important

Repulsive: Trump

Lonely: Hug

Lust:  Wish

Passion (non-sexual): Music

Contented: Nest

Rejected: Always

Serene: Sky

Aggressive: Me

Passive: Losers

Vengeful: No

Weary: Sometimes

Loyal: Overrated

Tender: Dog

Comforted: Comforter

Bold: Admirable

Rebel: Silly

Bed: Peace

Embarrassed: Sex

Shy: Forgetful

Disillusioned: World

Lost: Anomie

Alone: Safe

Inferior: Many ways

Superior: Brain

Vulnerable: Disease

Tragic: Government.

Lifeless: Gurney

Suspicious: Right

Crushed: Men

Alienated: Men

Now look at what you've written. Does that make you want to do something?