We may tend to think our internal emotions are innate. Our experiences of emotions are closely tied to our interpretations of events. Moral emotions have implications because of our instant judgment of the situation that evokes them. Examples of moral emotions include sympathy for the suffering of others, guilt about our own immoral behavior, anger about injustice done to others, and contempt for those who behave unethically.

Another example is the disdain we feel about violations of moral norms, called moral disgust. Moral disgust is unique from other forms of disgust. Research indicates that our responses to moral emotions differ from our responses to other emotions. When we feel moral anger, for instance, we may be more likely to confront the situation that causes it than when we just feel angry. Moral emotions are developed during childhood as children learn moral norms and standards, so moral emotions depend on the situation and normative context more so than other emotions. Emotions can be fleeting, but moods can endure, and for quite a while.