Comments on: Still Living with the Emotions of our Ancestors https://www.spencergreenberg.com/2011/07/still-living-with-the-emotions-of-our-ancestors/ Sun, 30 Jun 2013 16:58:08 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Spencer https://www.spencergreenberg.com/2011/07/still-living-with-the-emotions-of-our-ancestors/#comment-4349 Sun, 30 Jun 2013 16:58:08 +0000 http://www.spencergreenberg.com/?p=42#comment-4349 In reply to Andy.

I think the distinction between what is changeable versus what is very hard to change, is probably a more useful distinction than the one of hardware vs. software, which is quite unclear in the brain. We can modify our emotional responses to an extent (e.g. training ourselves to not be afraid of certain things we used to fear), but cannot stop emotional responses altogether, nor would it be a good idea to do so if we could much of the time.

]]> By: Andy https://www.spencergreenberg.com/2011/07/still-living-with-the-emotions-of-our-ancestors/#comment-4347 Sun, 30 Jun 2013 11:54:51 +0000 http://www.spencergreenberg.com/?p=42#comment-4347 Thank you… Do you think its more of a hardware or software issue?

]]> By: Spencer https://www.spencergreenberg.com/2011/07/still-living-with-the-emotions-of-our-ancestors/#comment-4346 Sat, 29 Jun 2013 15:08:37 +0000 http://www.spencergreenberg.com/?p=42#comment-4346 In reply to Andy.

I don’t believe trying to get rid of them altogether is a good idea. But you can learn to reduce destructive emotional responses. There are various ways to approach this, for instance:

http://www.spencergreenberg.com/2012/07/break-your-downward-emotional-spiral/

]]> By: Andy https://www.spencergreenberg.com/2011/07/still-living-with-the-emotions-of-our-ancestors/#comment-4345 Sat, 29 Jun 2013 11:09:34 +0000 http://www.spencergreenberg.com/?p=42#comment-4345 Hi,
Is there a way to get rid of these emotions? Are these emotions more like a hardware or a software that you can upgrade?

]]> By: Poban https://www.spencergreenberg.com/2011/07/still-living-with-the-emotions-of-our-ancestors/#comment-2128 Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:51:29 +0000 http://www.spencergreenberg.com/?p=42#comment-2128 Notes taken and I ll use them, when my emotions takes over ” my rationality”.

]]> By: Shanif Dhanani https://www.spencergreenberg.com/2011/07/still-living-with-the-emotions-of-our-ancestors/#comment-7 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:18:17 +0000 http://www.spencergreenberg.com/?p=42#comment-7 Very insightful post. Never really thought of emotions in that sense before, though somehow I always knew that they were a product of evolution. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of your posts.

]]> By: AJ https://www.spencergreenberg.com/2011/07/still-living-with-the-emotions-of-our-ancestors/#comment-6 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:00:35 +0000 http://www.spencergreenberg.com/?p=42#comment-6 I’ve been saying for some time that I thought neurosis was mistargeted existential concern. That once you’ve reached a certain level of expected comfort, the genetic predisposition to fret didn’t subside, only the threat of likely annihilation. Glad you’re blogging, Spencer!

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