The Science of Emotions

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The Science of Emotions

This week, I promise I will be short. I know some of you prefer that.

We live in a measurable world (or, so we like to think). We typically manage only what we can measure. The only things that count are things that can be counted. But just because we lack the proper tools to measure something, doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter to our lives.

But clearly, there are many things we value in life that, at least objectively, are very difficult to measure. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the things of the greatest value in life are difficult if not impossible to put a number on. Love. Laughter. Trust. Awe. Attaching metrics to these things, at best, are approximations. And even trying to measure these things oftentimes feels unnecessary or inappropriate. Or both!

The question we need to ponder is whether our increasingly techno-centric (and therefore, data-centric) world is pushing us more and more toward measurable domains. Looking at birth rates, mental health issues, and the quality of our public discourse, to name a few,  it is difficult to at least not be concerned that we are missing something important in what we consider to be worth counting. 

And then think about the current hype around Artificial Intelligence. As I have stated before I am supremely excited and optimistic about the promise these new technologies can offer to humanity at large. 

But I guess the purpose of my writing is to help myself and hopefully others to hold two opposing truths in our souls at the same time. While measurement, data, AI, and technologies will continue to fuel enormous progress, we must also be humble, curious, and equally interested in all the things that are difficult to measure. All the way to perhaps resisting to even trying to measure them. 

Perhaps what we love most about artwork, music, nature, love, and joy is that they cannot be reduced into a number, or a score, and easily fit on a dashboard. Perhaps it is precisely the lack of quantification that feels so liberating. They act as a welcomed juxtaposition, against which so much else in our lives revolve around. 

It was, therefore, interesting when I earlier this year got to know the work of Dacher Keltner more intimately. I have seen and read many things from him in the past but really never dug in deeper. His area of focus is the science of emotions, but he is also associated with many other great initiatives such as “The Greater Good Science Project”. His field of work is really inspiring and he has also written many books such as: Awe, The Power Paradox, and Born To Be Good. 

One can hope that as Dacher and others lead the charge in the scientific exploration of more qualitative and less measurable human domains, their discoveries can help rebalance how we prioritize our lives.

One "problem" with activities that can't be measured is that they are not as attractive to funders of different kinds. Not only can things that can be measured be managed, they can also be financed and, therefore, scaled. I often refer to this kind of data as “investable evidence”. If you can prove a particular relationship between an activity and an outcome, it is easier to find people willing to invest in scaling that activity. 

So, in order to scale positive emotions, we might need more evidence and more data about activities that make us feel better. Perhaps this is the starting point of our journey towards transitioning from human doings to real human beings. 

I am linking here to a great podcast that Krista Tippett recently had with Dacher that she called “The Thrilling New Science of Awe”. You can also read more about Dacher's work here.

I will leave you with something I think about often relative to computers. The reason why I think they can't replace us, humans, is that machines can only replicate what we know —at best. But they can't replicate what we don't know. And I firmly believe that it is what we don't know—as much as what we do know—that makes us uniquely human. It is at that beautiful intersection of knowledge and humility where I think human beings come most beautifully alive.

Obviously, there is no exact bright line between knowing and not knowing. And the arc of our human journey bends towards more knowledge, for sure. But I guess, we should also embrace and celebrate the many moments of sheer unknowingness. Like our inner child, filled with curiosity and adventure. 

At times, I feel we all are a bit afraid or embarrassed about what we don't know. We shouldn't be. That's my point. Not knowing is as important to knowing as knowing is to not knowing. They are interconnected. They are inseparable. They are part of our human experience. They are the dance with which we move through life. And I love it and value that uncertainty as much as I value the exquisite specificity of accurate knowledge and precision, we are lucky enough to bear witness to in our lives. Both are what make our lived experience so incredible.

Have a great week!