It can also be diagnosed through the appearance of agitation- or dejection-related emotions, such as feeling inexplicably depressed or despondent, becoming angry for no apparent reason, or having nightmares or disturbing daydreams about a person. Resentment can be self-diagnosed by looking for signs such as the need for emotion regulation, faking happiness while with a person to cover true feelings toward them, or speaking in a sarcastic or demeaning way to or about the person. However, physical expressions associated with related emotions such as anger and envy may be exhibited, such as furrowed brows or bared teeth. Unlike many emotions, resentment does not have physical tags exclusively related to it that telegraph when a person is feeling this emotion. fantasizing about putting someone down, devaluing, or paying someone back for a perceived injury), time duration (which can go on for days, weeks, or even years), or when too many resentments are held Thus, draining resources, creating stress, and draining positive emotions. Resentment, when it is unhealthy, can come in the form of: hostile anger with a retaliation motive (i.e. It is worth noting that Pamela Hieronymi claims the object of protest is the past event, rather than the offender of the event: claiming that resentment need not develop into malice or a desire for retribution (if resentment is focused on the past harmful situation or event, rather than the person who caused it). Resentment has healthy and unhealthy aspects.Īlice MacLachlan writes "What we resent reveals what it is we value, and what we have come to expect (or hope) from others it may also reveal to what we see ourselves as entitled act denies"- its harmfulness and the victim's worth.
Thus, resentment can occur as a result of the grief process and can be sustained by ruminating.
disturbing memories of hurtful experiences) continuously, or by trying to justify the emotion (i.e. Resentment can also develop, and be maintained by: focusing on past grievances (i.e. Resentment can also be generated by dyadic interactions, such as emotional rejection or denial by another person, deliberate embarrassment or belittling by another person, or ignorance, putting down, or scorn by another person. Common sources of resentment include publicly humiliating incidents such as accepting negative treatment without voicing any protest feeling like an object of regular discrimination or prejudice envy/ jealousy feeling used or taken advantage of by others and having achievements go unrecognized, while others succeed without working as hard. Resentment can result from a variety of situations involving a perceived wrongdoing from an individual, which are often sparked by expressions of injustice or humiliation.