How Emotions Are Made - Lisa Feldman Barratt
Body & Mind Book Reviews
How Emotions Are Made - Lisa Feldman Barratt
What’s in it
I was a bit intimidated first of all. A big scientific book about the brain. Turns out that this might well be the most important book I've read all year. Uprooting everything I thought I knew about emotions.
You see, in change management we have all of these metaphors. About riders (the thinking brain) taming the elephant (the animal brain). About monkeys jumping on your back.
Turns out they're all wrong.
You see, emotions are not this ancient 'animal' hiding in your brain. Your emotions are constructed. Your brain is predicting. Constantly. Based on your experiences and your social environment your brain creates concepts which create your emotions. which means that your emotions are not based in one part of your brain, or shown in one universal facial expression.
It all sounds so far so good.
Until you realise the power behind all this.
How complete legal systems are based on the notion that you can see if someone is remorseful or not. Or is showing (enough) emotion. As an example.
How everyone has their own concepts. And none of them are the same. Because they are influenced by your social reality.
Why I like it
If I could take only one lesson from this?
If your emotions are not some animal to be tamed, but instead are constructed, we can decide to change them!
I haven't done this book justice here in a couple of paragraphs (and I have seen at least one review that was a whole lot better and more comprehensive than this).
In short though, yes, I was intimidated by this book at first, but I'm so glad I persevered (although I may have skipped the chapter on emotions in animals)!
This book has completely changed everything I knew about emotions. What else could you want in a book?