This talk by David Brooks reminded me uncannily of a blog post I wrote last year about the apparent conflict between the realms of thinking and feeling, ego and id, Apollonian and Dionysian, head and heart. My basic point was that I think the primary basis of our decision-making processes is not the rational mind, as we tend to assume, but rather the emotional core that underlies our conscious selves. Brooks takes this much further, giving the idea a most affirming and clarifying boost, at least for me, by saying that "emotions are not separate from reason, but they are the foundation of reason because they tell us what to value."
But what's really interesting is that I came to this conclusion very much from the heart side--this is what I feel to be true--whereas Brooks approaches it almost entirely from the head side, via the modern scientific study of the mind and brain. Yet we reach largely the same conclusion.
To repeat the quote from that older post: Einstein said, "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." In light of what Brooks has to say on the matter, I am suddenly wondering if our humanity isn't beginning to catch up--and how ironic that it should do so using the tools of technology!
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Research is showing that we have been ignoring the role of emotion in decision making too long and assuming (unrealistically) that rationality is common and, more importantly, assuming (wrongly), that rationality leads to better decisions.
ReplyDeleteWe can't know everything that's important, so how can we list all the criteria for a decision. It many cases, that process merely misleads us.
Much more to say about this, and many interesting examples, but you'll just have to take my Organizational Behavior (work psych.) class.