Why do we cry in the cinema? How can we best deal with destructive emotions like jealousy? Although emotions permeate our entire lives, their nature, causes, and effects have only recently been explored by social scientists and philosophers. Yet, despite the growing scientific interest in this topic, empirical findings still do not match our intuitive understanding. In the first part, Ben Ze'ev examines the typical characteristics and components of emotions, the differences between feelings and other affective forms. He addresses central themes such as emotional intelligence, regulated emotions, emotion and morality. The second part deals with individual emotions: envy, jealousy, schadenfreude, compassion, pity, anger, hatred, disgust, love, lust, sexual desire, happiness, sadness, pride, regret, and shame.