The Public Emotions: From Mourning to Hope

Princess Diana, Pauline Hanson, President Clinton, Stolen Children, Port Arthur, political correctness, hunting paedophiles, charismatic sex, politicians, cynicism and magic – these are some of the people, themes and events Graham Little discusses as he shows us how to begin thinking about the emotional life of our nation.

Emotions sharpen and deepen our thinking. The Public Emotions encourages us to value emotions and stresses how – after two decades of economic rationalism – they are now urgently needed to energise our public life and to freshen up the agendas of our politics.

But this is not a call for emotional mayhem. Along with greater emotional engagement must come greater ’emotional literacy’. If public emotions are to be productive, private emotions need to be understood and handled well, too.

Grief, insecurity, anxiety, fear, hatred and anger, suspicion and paranoia, resentment, envy and jealousy, guilt, shame, sympathy, loyalty, pride and hope… With sensitivity, insight and dry humour, Graham Little examines the main emotions – their strengths and their weaknesses, how to use them and how to avoid being used by them.