Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions

In a world where people and cultures are tightly intertwined, the ability to notice cultural and emotional differences becomes the key to effective communication. Understanding how emotions are expressed and experienced differently in various communities and relationships helps us be more attentive to others, strengthen trust, and build more stable, close connections.

We often repeat: “We are all human,” and therefore it’s easy to assume that feelings are the same everywhere: anger is anger, joy is joy. However, Batiya Mesquita, Director of the Center for Social and Cultural Psychology in Leuven (Belgium), suggests looking at this more broadly. By studying how people interact with one another and with society under different cultural conditions, she shows that emotions not only show up differently, but also affect what happens differently—changing both the situation and ourselves. When we recognize and explore cultural differences in what exactly we feel, how we express it, and why it happens that way, it becomes possible to find a new language of understanding with those around us—more delicate, safe, and convenient for everyone, and therefore for each of us.