Why Words Matter

The moment a child puts a feeling into words, the feeling loosens its grip. Neuroscientist Matthew Lieberman named this affect labeling: when you name an emotion, the brain's alarm center — the amygdala, the same region behind tantrums and panic — quiets down.

Most kids show up to kindergarten with about five feeling words: happy, sad, mad, scared, and fine. "Fine" is the tell — it's the word children reach for when they have no better one.