Notebook.ai

How to write a character with surpressed emotions

@NotSoBeautifulDiseaster group yeet forum 10 comments schedule
group

So one of my characters wished him emotions away or at least to be surpressed mainly because he felt he was weak due to being pretty emotional at age, being emotionally and psychologically abused by his wank of a dad and not wanting to burden his mother who's already dealing with losing her son to a divorce, her daughter who ran away and went missing and the trauma from being in a toxic and abusive relationship for all those years

So basically how to make him an engaging and interesting character when he's essaintly an emotionally stunted stoic, he technically does have emotions but there unable to be convey, which is probably not the healthiest thing

group

As someone who's beginning to suspect that I suppressed my emotions at least somewhat as a child without realizing it (based on the fact that lately some things in my life changed for the better but suddenly I'm dealing with uncharacteristic mood-swings and anger), I have….almost no personal experience with this, still, but here's my two cents.
Someone who isn't willing to express their emotions can still have an engaging social life and personal interests they like to talk about. They also might only choose to suppress negative emotions in order to seem more likeable and "not distract from other people's emotions" (which was kind of what happened to me, I think). So unless people really know this character, they might not even realize how much he's hiding. This seems to especially make sense if you character's trying not to burden his mom–seems to me he'd try to make her feel relaxed and happy if he could.
Even if you want your character to be completely cold and emotionless, he can still carry on a conversation and have opinions, can't he? He might even laugh at (or make) jokes, just more quietly and unenthusiastically, and only in an attempt to fit in. Maybe he's very practical about everything and prefers to maintain a detached, clinical tone rather than show people how he really feels.

Just some thoughts. I hope you get more advice from others on this, because tbh my range of knowledge on the subject is pretty narrow. Good luck!

@CinnamonRoll

I have ZERO (0) experience with this, since I have been spilling emotions all over the place since day one, but I'll try to help! I mean, I was edgy in middle school, so maybe I have a little experience?

Here's what I do know about feeling emotionless: you feel deeply, horrifically empty. You have no sadness, sure, but also no joy. Like @Young-Dusty said, he can still carry on a social life and try to enter relationships with the people around him. But the fulfillment won't be there. He could go through the motions and do everything right, but he won't get excited when his friends text him. He won't get upset when someone hurts them.

After time with this, he's probably a good actor. Like I said–going through the motions.

Same thing happens with his mom. Sure, he can be the best son ever, make her relaxed and happy, but he won't feel anything after that happens. He just won't care. After all this, the emotions he can't express are going to get stir-crazy. He won't get angry, exactly (emotion alert!) but he sure will feel wrong. Deep down, on an instinctual level, he will know that something's missing.

Emotionally vacant characters tend to turn to outlets like recklessness and sometimes drug use for a sense of simulated elation (adrenaline highs and regular highs). I'd expect some of that from your character.

Those are my best attempts! It's hard to write someone EMOTIONLESS, since by definition, they'll never become said. Logically, being unable to feel/express joy is what drives someone into a depression. For your character, it'll just drive him to become jaded.

person_off
Deleted user

I mean, I was edgy in middle school, so maybe I have a little experience?

This is comedy gold, man, it's weird looking back at yourself lol

group
@stolenbrocoli group

I too came to the realization that i suppressed my emotions a lot when i was younger. The way i did it though was just not caring. So often times when there was a lot going on where i should feel sad or angry, i usually just brushed it off and didn't care or i would (shamefully) think it was funny. And it wasn't even a mask that i put on or anything, it was more of a defense mechanism. And i sometimes recognized that i should've cared more but, like my other emotions, i brushed off the guilt too. But i still did feel happiness as well, just not to the same extent that i felt like i should've. It was more of a "i'm not sad or depressed and im feeling something that seems positive, so it must be happiness." So if you don't wanna go with the comepletely not feeling anything, maybe you could go with this. Hope i helped :)

@WriteOutofTime

I'm writing a character with unhealthily suppressed emotions –not exactly completely repressed, but he's definitely off. If someone is emotionally withdrawn, it will be VERY hard for them to form complex social connections. They will likely not advance past the bare minimum of social interaction –someone with limited emotions makes a great, non-complicated acquaintance, but does not make a very good friend. You make want to write your character as being frustrated with these barrier, not even understanding why he can't get close to others. Characters without emotional outlets may turn to art to express the things they suppress, or to something more dangerous and reckless, like drugs or alcohol or even a sex addiction. You would think an emotionally vacant character would be less interesting, but something about the emptiness, the loss of feeling, the confusion, the frustration, etc. actually makes for a very compelling character.

group

Thanks for all the responses, I make sure to apply these to my character

group

So often times when there was a lot going on where i should feel sad or angry, i usually just brushed it off and didn't care or i would (shamefully) think it was funny.
i sometimes recognized that i should've cared more but, like my other emotions, i brushed off the guilt too.
i still did feel happiness as well, just not to the same extent that i felt like i should've. It was more of a "i'm not sad or depressed and im feeling something that seems positive, so it must be happiness."

*chuckles nervously as I realize I experience this and may be suppressing my emotions *

group
@stolenbrocoli group

@dropsofjupiterin_herhair hehe happy i could enlighten you :')

@Wry_Wyvern

One thing that used to happen to me a LOT is that I'd go long periods of time mistaking different energy levels for different emotions. For example, I would be really energetic and productive and label it as happiness, or I would not have much energy at all and I'd feel sort of "down" which I considered sadness. I didn't feel this really intensely, obviously, but there was some sort of emotion substitute trying to fill the void- it's not like your character has to be be completely apathetic about everything.
And then actual emotions would come along and every goddamn time it's like holy SHIT so THAT'S what things are supposed to feel like!
Also, lack of emotion can lead to frequently seeking distractions and not wanting to be alone with your thoughts because there's nothing there, and emptiness can be terrifying sometimes. Distractions can be pretty much anything that's mind-numbing or holds your focus- it can be substance abuse, excessive sleep, TV or video games, a lot of things could work.