In this symposium on emotions, ideology, and violent mobilization, this article will concentrate on emotions. I will make two major points. First, in studying mobilization, focusing on the role of specific emotions is analytically tractable and valuable. Second, the relationship between emotions and ideology is complex. Far from simply providing “shocks” to a status quo, emotions may lay the groundwork for ideologies that emerge during times of violent mobilization. In making my case, I will emphasize that emotions should be conceived as the residue of life experience. Accordingly, the role of emotions should be examined within the context of the real-life experiences that generate them.