Descartes’s Error: Reason Vs Emotion

Descartes’s Error: Reason Vs Emotion
A close friend of mine, who’s also an economist, was choosing tires for his car. He had three brands in mind and finally made his choice. He was confident he made the decision purely through logic, no emotions involved.
After all, as an economist, he believed decisions should be based on reason, not feelings.

It’s a common belief, right? Decisions should be logical. Don’t let emotions get in the way.
Or that old myth “The left brain thinks, the right brain feels.”
If you believe in these myths, this book is for you. ‘Descartes Error’.

Antonio Damasio in this book busts the old age myth about the divide between the reason and emotion. Damasio shows that in fact emotions assist the reasoning process and helps us in planning and decision making.

Damasio shares powerful real-life cases of people who couldn’t feel emotions and, as a result, struggled with even the simplest decisions.
The book proposes somatic marker hypothesis which suggests that our brain uses emotional signals, or “markers,” to guide decisions and help us avoid harm.

So if you’ve ever wondered how we really make choices or want to rethink the logic vs. emotion debate Descartes’ Error is a must-read. It’s not an easy book to read as it’s packed with complex neuro terminologies but it will change how you see your mind, your body, and your decisions.

Tell me know what’s one decision you thought was purely logical? Let’s see if emotion played a role after all.