The Feelings Vocabulary By Steven Tobias, Psy. One of the most important skills in emotional literacy is the ability to correctly perceive feelings, both in oneself others. If you misperceive feelings in yourself, it will cause you to react in a way that will likely not get you what you really want. For example, many people confuse frustration and anger.
Frustration means that something is hard to accomplish.
Take a break, ask for help, keep trying. Yell or withdraw. If a child is working on difficult homework and they label themselves as angry, they will likely act out or quit. If they can label themselves as frustrated, they will more likely cope more appropriately and complete the homework. If you misperceive feelings in others, it also can lead to aversive and unintended consequences.