Emotion + Reason May Be Evolution’s 1-2 Punch
Scientific American video explains the evolutionary value of human emotions.
![](https://bigthink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/origin-32.jpg?w=480&h=270&crop=1)
(NICKO WITJATMOKO)
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So often it seems like our hearts get in the way of our minds. We don’t want to deprive ourselves of the positive feelings, like joy and excitement, but emotions overtake us and can totally get in the way of our clear thinking. Why must we be their puppets? We think of emotions as being vestigia of our primitive selves, at odds with our big, capable modern brains. But maybe that’s not right. From an evolutionary perspective, our wild emotions may be prerequisites for rational thought.
This video’s from Scientific American:
So even though we rarely need to flee from a saber-tooth tiger these days, it’s still a dangerous world. And lust? Sorry, love? Some things never change.
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