Whether one reflects upon the language of the current media or simply takes stock of one's chats with friends and neighbors, one soon realizes that, for the most part, contemporary living is described in the language of emotion. Television dramas and magazines, even the lyrics of popular music, offer characterizations as well as analyses of various fears, frustrations, guilts, shames, jealousies, and contentments of everyday life. Moreover, popular books and periodicals abound in prescriptions for living happily, for keeping one's mate satisfied if not in love, for avoiding guilt or embarrassment, for staying unaffected or in control of one's emotions, for steering clear of depression, and for coping with despair. In everyday life, the varieties of emotional living are unequivocally acknowledged as significant, even if occasionally problematic.