“The distinction between “real in nature” versus “illusory” is a false dichotomy. Fear and anger are real to a group of people who agree that certain changes in the body, on the face, and so on, are meaningful as emotions.… — Lisa Feldman Barrett Copy Share Image
“Your body-budgeting regions can therefore trick your brain into believing that there is tissue damage, regardless of what is happening in your body. So, when you’re feeling unpleasant, your joints and muscles might hurt more, or you could develop a stomachache. When your body budget’s not in shape, meaning your interoceptive predictions are miscalibrated, your back might hurt more, or… — Lisa Feldman Barrett Copy Share
“The word “smile” doesn’t even exist in Latin or Ancient Greek. Smiling was an invention of the Middle Ages, and broad, toothy-mouthed smiles (with… — Lisa Feldman Barrett Copy Share Image
“Our words allow us to enter each other’s affective niches, even at extremely long distances. You can regulate your friend’s body budget (and he… — Lisa Feldman Barrett Copy Share Image
“The human brain is a cultural artifact. We don't load culture into a virgin brain like software loading into a computer; rather, culture helps… — Lisa Feldman Barrett Copy Share Image
“Your brain is shaped by the realities of the world that you find yourself in, including the social world made by agreement among people. Your mind is a grand collaboration that you have no awareness of. Through construction, you perceive the world not in any objectively accurate sense but through the lens of your own needs, goals, and prior experience… — Lisa Feldman Barrett Copy Share
“In other words, the Himba participants categorized facial movements as behaviors rather than inferring mental states or feelings.” — Lisa Feldman Barrett Copy Share Image
“This is another basis for my frequent claim, “You are an architect of your experience.” You are indeed partly responsible for your actions, even so-called emotional reactions that you experience as out of your control. It is your responsibility to learn concepts that, through prediction, steer you away from harmful actions. You also bear some responsibility for others, because your… — Lisa Feldman Barrett Copy Share
“A similar bout of affective realism gave birth to Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law. This law permits the use of deadly force in self-defense if you reasonably believe you’re in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm. A real-life incident was the catalyst for the law, but not in the way that you might think. Here’s how the… — Lisa Feldman Barrett Copy Share
“Western culture has some common wisdom associated with these ideas. Don’t be materialistic. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. Sticks and stones. But I am asking you to take this one step further. When you are suffering from some ill or insult that has befallen you, ask yourself: Are you really in jeopardy here? Or is this so-called injury… — Lisa Feldman Barrett Copy Share
“We already have intriguing evidence that some types of chronic pain work by prediction. Animals who have stress or injury early in life become more likely to develop persistent pain. Human infants who have surgery are more likely to have heightened pain in later childhood. (Incredibly, infants prior to the 1980s were routinely not anesthetized during major surgery, on the… — Lisa Feldman Barrett Copy Share
“But one thing is certain: every day in America, thousands of people appear before a jury of their peers and hope they will be… — Lisa Feldman Barrett Copy Share Image
“Anger is stereotypically normal for men because they are supposed to be aggressors. Women are supposed to be victims, and good victims shouldn’t become angry; they’re supposed to be afraid. Women are punished for expressing anger—they lose respect, pay, and perhaps even their jobs. Whenever I see a savvy male politician play the “angry bitch card” against a female opponent,… — Lisa Feldman Barrett Copy Share
