Defining positive and negative emotions

This is our unabridged interview with Judith Moskowitz.

Judith Moskowitz didn’t begin her research career to prove people could thrive in the middle of devastating grief. But that’s where her work led.

In the 1990s, Moskowitz was part of a research team studying men caring for partners dying of AIDS. As expected, participants described the overwhelming stress and sorrow. But then something unexpected happened: they asked why no one was asking about the good things in their lives. 

Judith Moskowitz has spent decades studying the emotional lives of people under intense life stress. In this episode, she joins host Lee C. Camp for a deeply practical conversation about emotional nuance, the science of positive psychology, and eight research-backed practices anyone can use to increase positive emotion and foster flourishing relationships, even when life is hard.

Key Ideas

• Hold Joy and Sorrow Together Even under extreme stress, positive emotions can coexist with grief and fear—and this emotional diversity strengthens our capacity to cope.

• Let Emotions Inform You Negative emotions are not enemies to eliminate but signals that offer information about what matters and where change is needed.

• Notice What Still Shines Learning to notice small positive events—even fleeting ones—can meaningfully increase well-being during difficult seasons.

• Practice Gentle Awareness Mindful, non-judgmental attention to emotions helps people recognize their inner life without shame or suppression.

• Choose Compassion Daily Small acts of kindness and self-compassion can interrupt stress cycles and reconnect us to the common good.

⁠Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript⁠ for abridged episode with Judith Moskowitz⁠

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No Small Endeavor: An award winning podcast exploring what it means to live a good life, with thought provoking conversations about human flourishing, theology, politics, faith, social sciences, search for meaning, meaning and purpose, practices, common good, truth beauty and goodness, productivity, habit formation, neuroscience, science and religion, social justice, the cardinal virtues, the how of happiness, theology and culture, self development, virtue theory, being human, moral philosophy, and community.Follow ⁠@nosmallendeavor⁠

Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ⁠@leeccamp ⁠

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