Where Emotions Come and Go

George Vaillant argues that our most 'advanced' human emotions, such as forgiveness and compassion, are actually among the most ingenious survival mechanisms developed by early mammals as they evolved. The real problem is that our human brain power keeps getting in the way of our base animal instincts.

from Spiritual Evolution: A Scientific Defense of Faith, by George E. Vaillant, M.D.

The neocortex is the most recently evolved part of our brain, and its size relative to our bodies distinguishes us from the other mammals. Anthropocentric vanity has led us to place our more noble emotions within its huge, conscious, reasoning embrace. But our vanity has misled us. Many dogs, admittedly having been selectively bred by humans for these qualities, radiate trust, hope, forgiveness, and love, and some very brilliant scientists and theologians do not. When a beloved woman is weeping, both golden retrievers and two-year-old children will rush thoughtlessly, speechlessly, but empathetically to her side to provide comfort. In contrast, her highly educated physician may piously suggest over the phone, "Take two aspirin and call back in the morning."

In this book, he spends a lot of words worrying about the evolutionary value of spiritual faith, but for me, the big message of the book is the way he keeps reminding us that our positive emotions are the keys to unlocking love and happiness. It's miles away from the 'power of positive thinking' but demonstrates over and over again that when we focus on finding joy and caring for others, we allow ourselves to evolve into stronger, healthier people.