This concept is that emotions serve valuable pointers to a [[Perceived threat]]. When we feel emotions often we are in a [[Fight-flight-freeze response]] and that can be a signal to us to work to understand what we are feeling is at risk for us, how we're feeling exposed, and what we might do to test or mitigate our feeling of risk. This can also be written as "Emotions are data, not directives" because we don't have to act on our emotions in order to get value from them.