Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett

You could have just told them a bad joke. They could have a bad bout of gas. A scowl is not the expression of anger. It is an expression of anger in some contexts, and it's also an expression of other states in other contexts. So what this means is that

You could have just told them a bad joke. They could have a bad bout of gas. A scowl is not the expression of anger. It is an expression of anger in some contexts, and it's also an expression of other states in other contexts. So what this means is that

know there's no really strongly reliable expression for anger that is specific to anger and the same is true for every other emotion that's ever been studied it's really clear that you're in anger or sadness or pick an emotion you know your heart rate can go up it can go down it can stay the same your blood pressure can go up it can go down it can stay the same the physiology the

know there's no really strongly reliable expression for anger that is specific to anger and the same is true for every other emotion that's ever been studied it's really clear that you're in anger or sadness or pick an emotion you know your heart rate can go up it can go down it can stay the same your blood pressure can go up it can go down it can stay the same the physiology the

that is occurring in your body is related to your brain's preparation for particular behaviors.

that is occurring in your body is related to your brain's preparation for particular behaviors.

So when you are living your everyday life.

So when you are living your everyday life.

Like right now. So right now I'm guessing that I'm saying things to you and you're perceiving what I'm saying and then you're reacting to it. That's how it feels to you, right? Yes. Okay. And that's how it feels to me too. So we sense and then we react. That's the way most people experience themselves in the world. That's not actually what's happening under the hood.

Like right now. So right now I'm guessing that I'm saying things to you and you're perceiving what I'm saying and then you're reacting to it. That's how it feels to you, right? Yes. Okay. And that's how it feels to me too. So we sense and then we react. That's the way most people experience themselves in the world. That's not actually what's happening under the hood.

Really what's happening is that your brain is not reacting, it's predicting. And what that means is if we were to stop time right now, just freeze time, your brain would be in a state and it would be remembering past experiences that are similar to this state as a way of predicting what to do next, like literally in the next moment. Should your eyes move? Should your heart rate go up?

Really what's happening is that your brain is not reacting, it's predicting. And what that means is if we were to stop time right now, just freeze time, your brain would be in a state and it would be remembering past experiences that are similar to this state as a way of predicting what to do next, like literally in the next moment. Should your eyes move? Should your heart rate go up?

Should your breathing change? Should your blood vessels dilate or should they constrict? Should you prepare to stand? Right? Movements. And these movements, the preparation for movement, literal copies of those Signals become predictions for what you will see and hear and smell and taste and think and feel.

Should your breathing change? Should your blood vessels dilate or should they constrict? Should you prepare to stand? Right? Movements. And these movements, the preparation for movement, literal copies of those Signals become predictions for what you will see and hear and smell and taste and think and feel.

So under the hood, your brain is predicting what movements it should engage in next and as a consequence, what you will experience because of those movements. So you act first and then you sense. You don't sense and then react. You predict action and then you sense.

So under the hood, your brain is predicting what movements it should engage in next and as a consequence, what you will experience because of those movements. So you act first and then you sense. You don't sense and then react. You predict action and then you sense.

Okay. So right now you and I are having a conversation and I'm speaking and you're listening. And What's really happening in your brain is that based on many gazillion repetitions of listening to language, your brain is predicting, literally predicting every single word that will come out of my mouth.

Okay. So right now you and I are having a conversation and I'm speaking and you're listening. And What's really happening in your brain is that based on many gazillion repetitions of listening to language, your brain is predicting, literally predicting every single word that will come out of my mouth.

And how surprising would it have been if I didn't say mouth, I said some other orifice of my body that words were coming out of? That would have been pretty surprising. Because your brain is predicting that. Your brain is always predicting. And it's correcting those predictions when they're incorrect. Correct.

And how surprising would it have been if I didn't say mouth, I said some other orifice of my body that words were coming out of? That would have been pretty surprising. Because your brain is predicting that. Your brain is always predicting. And it's correcting those predictions when they're incorrect. Correct.