How Emotions Are Made

The book, How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett, was a challenging and enlightening read. I took a handful of biopsychology courses ages ago, but to be honest, it’s a little fuzzy. Pop science tell us about the amygdala with its flight-or-fight system and we think we know what parts of the brain impact our movements, emotions and thoughts. Barrett points to several studies that challenge that assumption—she notes that people without amygdalas have appropriate fear responses, for example. She has certainly started some arguments with her assertions, but ultimately it feels encouraging to think that our brains have the capacity to wire and rewire based on experiences AND biology.