Subdivisions

Two of these passions (distress and delight) refer to emotions currently present, and two of these (fear and lust) refer to emotions directed at the future. Thus there are just two states directed at the prospect of good and evil, but subdivided as to whether they are present or future.

The Stoics beginning with Zeno (the founder of the Stoic philosophy) arranged the passions under four headings:

• Distress - an irrational contraction, or a fresh opinion that something bad is present, at which people think it right to be depressed
• Fear

All negative emotions have their root in fear. Jealousy, anger, envy, guilt and regret are branches of fear only.

The emotion of regret, especially self-regret, can be all-consuming to our minds and destructive to our wellbeing, having the ability to destroy lives. When a person cannot for...