# Help Me Name Units of Emotion **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 23, 2021, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082 "2021-10-23T22:54:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2021, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/1 "2021-10-23T22:54:09Z")
There was a recent thread on whether it might someday be possible to quantify pain. The consensus seemed to be it is tricky and there are many causes and much individual variation. Yet, perhaps one day. This begs the question on quantifying happiness, anger, curiosity or any other emotion. **This thread asks you to name a unit for happiness, or any other emotion or feeling of your choice. It does not matter whether it can or should be quantified.** For example, I propose that happiness should be measured in “puppies”. I think Schulz was right about that. But what units should be used to measure other emotions? ---
**Author:** ![lum\_s\_husband](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lum_s_husband/32/3698_2.png) [@lum\_s\_husband](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lum_s_husband)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2021, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/2 "2021-10-23T23:37:16Z")
Indignation is measured in Karens ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2021, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/3 "2021-10-23T23:53:50Z")
Feeling blue is measured in Smurfs? But that’s a bit too cheery. Feeling antsy is measured in ant hills? Love can be measured in boxes of chocolates? ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/4 "2021-10-24T00:21:15Z")
Rage could be measures in spit chips, cut cats or snakes Anguish could be measured in rivers Joy could be measured in bundles ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/5 "2021-10-24T00:30:37Z")
Ignorance is measured in Kardashians. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/6 "2021-10-24T01:28:32Z")
An angry glower can be measured in oysters, from P. G. Wodehouse: _“Roderick Spode? Big chap with a small moustache and the sort of eye that can open an oyster at sixty paces?”_ ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/7 "2021-10-24T04:09:58Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Ignorance is measured in Kardashians. Ignorance is not really an emotion, but the correct unit is millitrumps. Except for one exceptional case, no one has ever measured more than a few dozen millitrumps. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/8 "2021-10-24T14:23:21Z")
I’m not sure what units Paranoia is measured in and I don’t know why you’re specifically asking me. Get away, stop looking at me, leave me alone. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/9 "2021-10-24T14:51:14Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Rage could be measures in spit chips, cut cats or snakes Rage, anger, etc. are of course all measured in “fury of _x_ burning suns” IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Nyvaak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Nyvaak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nyvaak)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/10 "2021-10-24T14:58:23Z")
Religious fervor would be measured in billigrams. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/11 "2021-10-24T15:22:26Z")
_golf clap_ ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/12 "2021-10-24T15:36:59Z")
Depression can be measured in colors, from pale blue, through darker blues to black. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/13 "2021-10-24T17:06:34Z")
The sun is shining today. _Paint It Turquoise?_ ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/14 "2021-10-24T17:31:38Z")
A bit off-topic, but female pulchritude is measured in millihelens, the amount required to launch one ship. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/15 "2021-10-24T17:51:43Z")
The unit of aggression is the _tant_. It takes an extremist or even a terrorist to register a whole tant. Ordinary levels of aggression may be measured in mili-tants. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/16 "2021-10-24T19:41:14Z")
Hmm. Next you’ll be claiming that wokeness is measured in _ennials_ - but that most people use three orders less. Sure, that’s not very funny. Humour is currently measured in Gaffigans, but this replaced older units - such as Carlins and Lettermen. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/17 "2021-10-24T21:00:52Z")
The origin of the word tantrum has, until now, been unclear to me. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2021, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/18 "2021-10-24T23:33:42Z")
And how does that make you feel? ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2021, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/19 "2021-10-25T00:12:27Z")
> [@Nyvaak](#): > > Religious fervor would be measured in billigrams. Beautiful! 😆 ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2021, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082/20 "2021-10-25T00:28:00Z")
Most emotions could be measured in miles/kilometers per unit. I mean, just how far can anger, sorrow, excitement, and ennui take you? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-units-of-emotion/953082.md?page=2)