How Culture Determines What You Feel and Should Feel?

Illustration (Vlada Karpovich/Pexels)

JAKARTA - In an increasingly connected world, you certainly often think that emotions are something universal, natural and the same for everyone, wherever they are. However, cross-cultural research actually confirms the opposite. Emotions do not only arise from inner experiences alone, but are also shaped and given meaning by the culture in which you live. This phenomenon opens up a new and exciting perspective on how to understand feelings, not only personally but also in a broader social and cultural context.

Departing from this idea, launching an article from Psychology Today, Tuesday, January 13, shows that the common assumption that the individualistic culture gives emotional freedom while the collectivist culture actually limits the expression of feelings. It turns out to be a deep misunderstanding. Large-scale research in various countries actually reveals that individualistic societies show high emotional uniformity. Including the commonality of what emotions are considered desirable or should be felt. Meanwhile, collectivist societies actually show greater emotional diversity, where the meaning of emotions such as shame, worry, or sadness is evaluated differently and contextually, sometimes as a form of responsibility, affection, or depth of relationship.

This research also challenges the way of looking at therapy practice. In many Western countries, the goal of emotion regulation is often centered on open expression, self-authenticity, and minimizing negative emotions. In collectivist cultures, the goal of emotion regulation is more related to maintaining social harmony, protecting relationships, and respecting the dignity and feelings of others. The difference in these goals becomes important when therapists and clients come from different cultural backgrounds, without deep cultural understanding, therapists can misinterpret emotion regulation as resistance or therapeutic barriers. In fact, it is a form of relational intelligence and coherent social strategies in the culture of their clients.

Further, this article invites you to consider that regulation of emotions does not occur in a vacuum. Emotions are shaped by cultural contexts, social relationships, and moral meaning systems that a society holds. This means that the same strategies can produce different impacts depending on the culture in which the strategy is applied. By understanding that emotions are cultural constructs, not merely biological reactions, you can build a more inclusive and culturally sensitive way of understanding human feelings.

Thus, this article is not only relevant for psychologists and therapists, but also for anyone who wants to understand themselves and others in intercultural encounters. Which is increasingly common in this global era. The reality of our emotions, it turns out, is richer and more diverse than we often think.