Why do we cry?

In How Emotions Are Made, neuroscientist and psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett challenges many of society’s long-standing beliefs about emotions, calling into question everything from what emotions are, to where they come from and how to control them. Barrett’s research demonstrates that:

• It’s impossible to tell how other people are feeling just by looking at their facial expressions or body language.
• Certain emotions exist in some cultures but not in others.
• Factors as diverse as what you eat and what movies you watch can affect how well you manage your emotions.

Barrett introduces a new theory of emotion, which posits that emotions are neither innate nor universal; rather, your brain constructs them. Contrary to popular belief, humans aren’t at the mercy of animal emotions. We play a role in creating our own emotions—and we bear the responsibility for our emotional behavior.

Do you prefer to listen to sad songs? Do you seek out beauty in everyday life? If so, you may have a bittersweet disposition. In Bittersweet, Susan Cain defines bittersweetness as the state of experiencing intense joy, sadness, and yearning simultaneously. She argues that you can glean greater meaning and wisdom from life when you embrace bittersweetness, even if you don’t naturally have a bittersweet disposition.

In this guide, we’ll explore different facets of bittersweetness, starting with the link between bittersweetness and our yearning for love and belonging. We’ll also discuss the hidden power of sadness for fostering empathy and creativity. Finally, we’ll examine how awareness of life’s impermanence can help us find deeper meaning in our relationships and everyday lives. In our commentary, we’ll discuss the science behind bittersweet emotions, different perspectives on how to think about impermanence, and further suggestions for coping with grief.

In How Emotions Are Made, neuroscientist and psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett challenges many of society’s long-standing beliefs about emotions, calling into question everything from what emotions are, to where they come from and how to control them. Barrett’s research demonstrates that:

• It’s impossible to tell how other people are feeling just by looking at their facial expressions or body language.
• Certain emotions exist in some cultures but not in others.
• Factors as diverse as what you eat and what movies you watch can affect how well you manage your emotions.

Barrett introduces a new theory of emotion, which posits that emotions are neither innate nor universal; rather, your brain constructs them. Contrary to popular belief, humans aren’t at the mercy of animal emotions. We play a role in creating our own emotions—and we bear the responsibility for our emotional behavior.

Do you prefer to listen to sad songs? Do you seek out beauty in everyday life? If so, you may have a bittersweet disposition. In Bittersweet, Susan Cain defines bittersweetness as the state of experiencing intense joy, sadness, and yearning simultaneously. She argues that you can glean greater meaning and wisdom from life when you embrace bittersweetness, even if you don’t naturally have a bittersweet disposition.

In this guide, we’ll explore different facets of bittersweetness, starting with the link between bittersweetness and our yearning for love and belonging. We’ll also discuss the hidden power of sadness for fostering empathy and creativity. Finally, we’ll examine how awareness of life’s impermanence can help us find deeper meaning in our relationships and everyday lives. In our commentary, we’ll discuss the science behind bittersweet emotions, different perspectives on how to think about impermanence, and further suggestions for coping with grief.

Why do we get sick? Why hasn’t natural selection, over millions of years, prevented us from getting cancer, heart disease, and depression?

The science of evolutionary medicine says that our bodies have evolved over millions of years as a set of compromises, largely in pursuit of reproductive fitness. Put concisely, whatever gets you to survive and have kids is going to persist in the gene pool, even if it causes you lots of disease and pain in adult life. Learn more about the evolutionary roots of obesity, infectious disease, aging, and depression.

Do you ever feel that there is a more authentic, primal self within you waiting to be free? Glennon Doyle has felt this way, too—like a wild animal in captivity who was conditioned not to feel, think, or trust herself. She tells her story in Untamed, part memoir—covering her personal story of addiction and rehab, falling in love with a woman, leaving her marriage, and rebuilding her life—and part call to action for any woman who feels held captive by society’s rules and expectations.

Through exploration of her story, she instructs readers to rebuild their lives using emotion, intuition, and imagination as guiding forces. In this guide, we’ll explore Doyle’s journey out of captivity and her lessons for other captive women. Along the way, we’ll explore complementary ideas from other feminist thinkers, psychological reasoning for aspects of captivity, and practical actionables to help you live Doyle’s principles.

Do you prefer to listen to sad songs? Do you seek out beauty in everyday life? If so, you may have a bittersweet disposition. In Bittersweet, Susan Cain defines bittersweetness as the state of experiencing intense joy, sadness, and yearning simultaneously. She argues that you can glean greater meaning and wisdom from life when you embrace bittersweetness, even if you don’t naturally have a bittersweet disposition.

In this guide, we’ll explore different facets of bittersweetness, starting with the link between bittersweetness and our yearning for love and belonging. We’ll also discuss the hidden power of sadness for fostering empathy and creativity. Finally, we’ll examine how awareness of life’s impermanence can help us find deeper meaning in our relationships and everyday lives. In our commentary, we’ll discuss the science behind bittersweet emotions, different perspectives on how to think about impermanence, and further suggestions for coping with grief.

In The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, child psychiatrist Bruce Perry describes a series of child abuse and neglect cases to illustrate how trauma impacts the developing brain and explain how he and his colleagues established a more effective therapy model for traumatized children.

In our guide, we’ll explain the psychiatric principles that Perry discovered during his years of working with traumatized children, including the stress response, the effects of trauma in infancy versus trauma at a later age, dissociation in response to trauma, and the role that relationships play in the treatment of traumatized children. We’ll also look at specific case studies that contributed to Perry’s Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics. Our commentary explores research supporting and expanding on Perry’s ideas, as well as scientific and social context on how trauma can manifest and the nuances of treatment.