Big Think How to debunk deceptive emotions | Kristen Lindquist
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Aug 23, 2025 Kristen Lindquist, a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina, dives into the intricate relationship between emotions and culture. She unpacks the idea of "affective realism," explaining how feelings can distort our perception of reality. Lindquist emphasizes the importance of understanding emotional experiences across different cultures to foster better relationships. The conversation highlights the intersection of biology and culture in shaping emotions, showcasing how these influences vary between individualistic and collectivist societies.
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Affective Realism Shapes Perception
- Emotions often feel like objective facts, a phenomenon called affective realism.
- Kristen Lindquist explains that culture shapes feelings which then shape how we interpret the world.
Emotions As Cultural Artifacts
- Emotions are cultural artifacts transmitted across generations like language or art.
- Biology supplies hardware, but culture sculpts how brains create and experience emotions.
Culture Alters Emotional Physiology
- Cultural models like individualism vs collectivism change how emotions are experienced physiologically.
- Lindquist cites anger raising inflammation in the U.S. but not robustly in Japan due to different meanings.