Self-Conscious Emotions

Self-conscious emotions are fundamentally about oneself and are rooted in self-evaluation or self-reflection rather than being directly tied to outcomes, like basic emotions often are. They require a reference to the self that basic emotions do not, as well as more complex cognitive processing. There are many different types of self-conscious emotions: such as pride, shame, guilt, and embarrassment. These emotions are identified based on whether someone feels responsible for their behavior and how that behavior relates to their internal standards, rules, and goals. They can also present different in focus, where some emotions are behavior-specific (e.g., pride in a particular accomplishment or embarrassment/ guilt in a situation), while others are directed toward the whole  global self (e.g., shame in who one is or hubris in their relation of others).

It is in my opinion that Daisy is a rather prideful person, through each stage of her career and in the progression of the show. This is because self-conscious emotions are developed overtime and often impacted by socialization. Socialization is a key aspect of self-conscious emotions, particularly in how acceptance and disapproval from caregivers shape emotional development. For Daisy, pride stems from the lack of love in her childhood and her rapid rise to fame. Like many children, her sense of worth was built through the socially valued behaviors that gained her attention and approval. For her, this meant being the best, the most talented and famous rock star possible. Mostly for herself but also to prove to her parents that is loveable after they abandoned her. 

This pride is especially visible in Daisy’s relationship with her best friend, Simon, and mirrors how she handles conflict within the band. When Simon encourages Daisy to self-reflect beyond her career, to look inward and understand her emotional state, Daisy becomes deeply offended. imon’s comment that she’s being ingenuine cracks her illusion of pride in her global self—the belief that she is always authentic and emotionally honest. Instead of accepting the critique, Daisy projects, defends, and denies, revealing her struggle to confront vulnerability.

Even though Simon is her greatest friend and has always wanted the best for her, Daisy refuses help. She rejects responsibility and demonstrates efforts to maintain superiority, reflecting how her standards for pride have become tied to perfection and control, in a rather hubris way. Eventually, Simion says “Love is when you tell someone the truth, even when they don’t want to hear it.” This statement highlights how Daisy’s understanding of love is distorted;  she equates love with admiration and validation rather than forgiveness and honesty. Her pursuit of fame and recognition replaces genuine connection with performance.

However, her pride is not always a bad thing, it motivates her, fuels her ambition, and contributes to her artistry and brings her fulfillment. It’s when her pride shifts from being about specific behaviors (such as taking pride in her music) to a belief in her own superiority and worthiness that it turns into hubris. Unlike guilt or shame, which would require Daisy to acknowledge wrongdoing or imperfection, pride allows her to maintain control over her self-concept. Her appraisals center on protecting her global self-worth, not on accepting fault. This explains why she feels like she has lost her pride, not guilt or shame, when her identity is challenged. 

In conclusion,  Daisy’s experience of pride reflects a lifelong negotiation between her desire for love and her dependence on validation. It is both her motivation and her demise; the self-conscious emotion that fuels her success while keeping her from finding true self-acceptance.