The Wheel of Emotions Reimagined: The Hues of the Prognostic Mind

This article aims to explore Robert Plutchik's renowned Wheel of Emotions through the lens of Salvatore Leonardi's Theory of the Prognostic Mind (Prognostica Mens). Moving beyond classical interpretations that view emotions merely as responses to stimuli, we will argue that emotions are the intrinsic "hues" the Prognostic Mind assigns to its predictive anticipations and subsequent reality checks. We will demonstrate how emotions permeate the entire predictive cycle, serving as constant feedback on the state of agreement or discrepancy between prediction and experience. The concept of cognitive morphogenesis applied to complex emotions will be deepened, illustrating how the interaction between the Holistic Self (HS) and the Quantum Self (QS) gives rise to these unitary yet multifaceted affective experiences. Detailed examples of primary emotions (particularly sadness, fear, anger, and aversion) and complex emotions (shame, pride) will be provided to illuminate the role of HS and QS within the "I Socialize" domain and beyond, in shaping our rich and dynamic emotional life.