Surprise

We all know how surprise makes us feel dizzy and causes our hands to go cold. But why do we feel surprise Well, there are actually two main kinds. First-hand surprise happens when there's a difference between a new piece of information and a previous knowledge. For example, someone knocks on my door and it's my best friend, who I believe is living in Berlin, and I'm surprised because I didn't expect to see him. The second kind of surprise goes deeper. It's caused when an event contrasts with my long-term knowledge and expectations. If for example, a police officer enters my house to arrest me when I've done nothing wrong, I'm surprised, not just because I didn't expect this event. The event destroys some strong beliefs I had that the law is fair, so I feel surprised because of a failure in my knowledge.