Surprise is generally agreed to be one of the universal emotions: the fundamental 'core' emotions common to all humans. Around the world, we all recognise and share this emotion through a very particular facial expression and reaction: eyebrows raised, eyes open wide, and jaw dropped, often accompanied by an involuntary noise such as a gasp or even a scream.

Surprise is also one of the briefest and most fleeting of emotions or feelings. It lasts for just a few seconds before it is replaced by other emotions, as we realise what is happening. How can something so brief be important enough to be shared by all humans everywhere? This page explains more.

Defining Surprise

Surprise is defined by Merriam-Webster's Dictionary as:

"the feeling caused by something unexpected or unusual"

It can be both a noun and a verb. That is, it is both a feeling, and the action that leads to the feeling.

Surprise is perhaps the only emotion that is always only felt very briefly.

Other emotions can also be felt very briefly—but most can also endure longer. Surprise never endures more than a few seconds. As we realise what is happening—that is, the nature of the event or happening that surprised us—we move to other emotions or to none.

For example, if you suddenly see a snake right by the footpath you were walking along, you would be surprised and startled. You might then feel fear and flinch away. However, if you then realise that the snake is dead, you would probably feel relieved. Alternatively, if you unexpectedly met a friend who you thought was abroad, your initial surprise would quickly turn to happiness.

Some researchers argue that surprise cannot be described as an emotion, because it is neither positive nor negative but neutral. However, Paul Ekman (the researcher who identified the seven universal emotions) suggests that the initial surprise itself can feel positive or negative. The sight of the snake in the example above is immediately negative: we know this is a potential threat. The sight of your friend, though, is positive.

Why do We Feel Surprise?

Surprise is always and only triggered by unexpected events.

These include sudden loud noises such as fireworks going off, or a balloon popping. They might also include events such as someone creeping up on you and then shouting, or someone jumping out from behind something.

It is probably related to the 'startle' instinct in animals—which of course includes us.

The startle instinct causes us to retreat rapidly and instinctively from something that is unexpected, and might therefore be a threat. Paul Ekman suggested that the purpose of surprise might therefore be to focus our attention onto something new, to help us establish whether it is dangerous. There is often an adrenaline reaction associated with surprise that suggests that it may be part of dealing with threats.

Some researchers have suggested that we may feel surprised when there is a difference between our expectations and what happens in reality.

It may therefore help us to identify gaps in our knowledge, and learn from that. For example, we may feel surprised when something happens that is not consistent with our previous experience. This will help us to realise either that our previous experience was not typical, or that other outcomes are possible, and therefore expand our knowledge of the world.

This is certainly likely to be useful.

However, it seems unlikely to be as crucial in evolutionary terms as the redirection of attention towards potential danger. It is therefore probably only a secondary benefit of feeling surprised.

Experiencing Surprise

Surprise may be a universal emotion—but it is not universally popular.

• Some people love surprises. They like to be startled, and they like the adrenaline rush that comes from not knowing exactly what is happening. They often leave things unplanned, or deliberately do not research what they are going to do so that they are surprised by the outcome.

• Other people hate being surprised, even by pleasant things like unexpected birthday parties. They will often ask friends and family never to surprise them because they find surprises feel too threatening to ever be enjoyable. This may be because of unpleasant experiences associated with surprises, or it may simply be dislike of the feeling of lack of control that may come with being surprised. People who feel like this may avoid watching horror movies or visiting theme parks because they simply don't like the feelings those experiences evoke.

It is therefore important to understand which camp you (and those around you) fall into.

If you love surprises, it can be hard to appreciate that others do not feel the same. However, it would be wise to check carefully before organising a surprise for anyone—or even arranging a treat that might have surprises involved. If you get it wrong, you are likely to be very unpopular, and may even lose a friend.

If you dislike surprises, you can reduce your level of reaction to them by deliberately putting yourself into situations that startle you. For example, regularly watching horror movies will ensure that you will be better able to recognise situations that are likely to be startling. However, you will never entirely eliminate your startle response, and you may feel that the negative nature of the experience is simply too much.

---

A Final Thought

Familiarity may breed contempt, but it does not entirely eliminate startlement or surprise.

Coupled with their universal nature, this suggests that both startlement and surprise have an important function. Directing learning is an interesting idea—but the redirection towards something that may be dangerous seems much more likely to be the evolutionary imperative behind surprise.

---