ABSTRACT
Emotional self-control is highly valued in Western and Eastern cultures. The British “stiff upper lip,” the American “poker face,” the Chinese emphasis on propriety, and a focus on thiken (feeling okay) among the Nepalese Tamang underscore its importance in diverse cultural contexts. Emotion regulation has also been valued historically. For centuries, it has been viewed as essential to moral behavior and character development and as a manifestation of rational control over irrational, primitive emotional impulses. These enduring cultural beliefs provide a foundation for contemporary scienti c study of emotion regulation that has shown empirically how differences in emotional selfcontrol are associated with personal well-being, social competence, achievement, and other positive psychosocial outcomes.
