Are We Born With Brains Already Wired With Emotions?

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Are we born with brains already wired with emotions, or have our brains evolved to produce or construct emotions? If an evolutionary approach gets anything right, its emotions. Emotions is the sort of overarching, narrow, computational programmes that coordinate behavior and physiology in such a way that hit benefits us. Jealousy motivates behavior that allows people to hang on to the friends that really matter to them. Some preliminary data suggest that people don't always hate it when their partners are jealous.

We cannot do a show about emotions without an episode on jealousy: it brings the drama! We all experience jealousy at one time or another. But it's not exactly a great feeling to experience. In this episode, we talk with social psychologists Keelah Williams and Jaimie Arona Krems about how jealousy may not always be such a bad thing. Then we connect with historian Niamh Cullen to hear how Italians dealt with an epidemic of jealousy in the 1950s and 60’s that coincided with unprecedented economic growth and prosperity. And from a surprising source, we get some advice about how to work with tough emotions like jealousy.

Have feelings about the show? Let us know! Check out our listener survey: bit.ly/morethanafeelingsurvey

The Ten Percent Happier app has several meditations for working with strong emotions like jealousy. Check out “Caring for Strong Emotions” with Kaira Jewel Lingo or “Opening to Strong Emotions” with Joseph Goldstein. There’s also a great video course on relationships featuring Oren Jay Sofer. To try it all for free, go to tenpercent.com/more.

Follow us on Twitter at @podfeelings, and if you’ve got a question or story about an emotion you’re grappling with, send us a voice memo at morethanafeeling@tenpercent.com.

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/mtaf-podcast-episodes/jealousy

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.