Title:  

Your Emotions and Why You Have Them

Presenter: 

Glenn Weisfeld, professor emeritus of psychology, Wayne State University

Date/Time:  

Wednesday, March 30, 2022 12:30pm-1:30pm  

Join us for our upcoming Brown Bag Talk on Zoom at:

https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/92425815409?pwd=c2IrUndXL2FjYkpKQlRQRzRraGIrZz09

Meeting ID: 924-2581-5409 

Password: 244113

Abstract: 

This talk will advocate for viewing our human emotions as being generally adaptive for the individual, rather than as nuisances or harmful. Like other species-wide traits, emotions have been shaped by evolution. They direct us in fulfilling our needs for survival and reproduction. An emotion is elicited by some internal or external change. It evokes a specific affect, which inclines us to respond in a specific adaptive way. There may also be a specific nonverbal expression or some physiological adjustments, such as increased heart rate in anger. The possible functions of anger, guilt, pride and shame, disgust, love, humor, the arts, and some other universal emotions will be proposed. Emotions drive our behavior toward adaptive ends. Learning and culture help us to achieve these ends, but are subordinate to the imperatives of our emotions. Even when we are “rational,” we are predicting how we will feel if we take various actions; we select the plan with the best emotional payoff. Emotional behavior can be flawed, but maladaptive traits tend to be selected out. We can’t escape our emotions, so why not try to understand them? We all have the same emotions; understanding them may help us to understand each other too.