You aren't at the mercy of your emotions -- your brain creates them | Lisa Feldman Barrett
TED・12 minutes read
The research lab near the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing site studied how emotions are constructed by the brain, not hardwired, and based on predictions. Understanding that emotions are guesses made by the brain and taking responsibility for them is crucial for personal well-being, legal justice, and emotional flexibility.
Insights
- Emotions are not innate but constructed by the brain based on predictions, linking body sensations with surroundings, emphasizing the importance of taking responsibility for our emotions for personal well-being and legal justice.
- The jury's decision in cases like Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's, between life in prison and the death penalty, hinges on the defendant's remorse, highlighting the critical role emotions play in legal proceedings and the impact of misunderstood or misinterpreted emotions on such decisions.
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Recent questions
What is the significance of emotions in decision-making?
Emotions play a crucial role in decision-making as they are constructed by the brain based on predictions. Emotions are not hardwired but are guesses made by the brain in the moment. Understanding and taking responsibility for our emotions is essential for personal well-being, legal justice, and emotional flexibility.
How are emotions linked to facial expressions?
Emotions in others are rooted in predictions made by the brain, not intrinsic to facial expressions. Physical movements do not have inherent emotional meanings; context is needed to interpret emotions accurately.
What was the outcome of the Boston Marathon bombing trial?
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the perpetrator of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, was convicted and sentenced to death. The jury had to decide between life in prison and the death penalty based on Tsarnaev's remorse for his actions.
Are emotions universally expressed and recognized?
Emotions are not universally expressed or recognized, as they are constructed by the brain and can be misunderstood. The brain does not have prewired emotion circuits, and emotions are guesses made in the moment.
How are predictions related to emotions?
Predictions are the basis of every experience and action, constructed by the brain. Emotions are not reactions to the world but are made by the brain, linking body sensations with the surroundings. Taking responsibility for our emotions is crucial for personal well-being, legal justice, and emotional flexibility.
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Summary
00:00
"Brain Predictions Shape Emotions, Not Reactions"
- Research lab located near Boston Marathon bombing site in 2013
- Dzhokhar Tsarnaev convicted and sentenced to death for the bombing
- Jury decisions between life in prison and death penalty based on defendant's remorse
- Emotions not universally expressed or recognized, misunderstood for a long time
- Emotions are guesses constructed by the brain in the moment
- Brain does not have prewired emotion circuits, emotions are not hardwired
- Predictions are the basis of every experience and action, constructed by the brain
- Emotions in others are rooted in predictions, not intrinsic to facial expressions
- Physical movements have no intrinsic emotional meaning, need context for meaning
- Emotions made by the brain, not reactions to the world; predictions link body sensations with surroundings
17:35
Constructing Emotions: Responsibility for Personal Well-Being
- Emotions are not inherent but constructed, and taking responsibility for our emotions is crucial for personal well-being, legal justice, and emotional flexibility.
