You Aren’t at the Mercy of Your Emotions—Your Brain Creates Them

Psychologist and neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett challenges

In her TED Talk, Lisa Feldman Barrett challenges traditional views on emotions. She argues that emotions are not universally expressed or hardwired reactions but are constructed by our brains based on past experiences, cultural context, and individual predictions. 

It’s an intriguing view and scientifically based on Lisa’s decades of studies on the subject. Lisa explains that the brain uses past experiences to make predictions, which in turn create our emotional responses. This means that we have more control over our emotions than we might think, as we can reshape our emotional experiences by altering our predictions and perceptions. 

She also discusses the implications of this understanding, suggesting that by training ourselves to construct different emotional responses, we can improve our emotional well-being and interpersonal relationships.