This has been bothering me this whole day. The people who suppprt the evoultion theroy say that ever adaptation has a purpose to help a species survive. So why did humans develop emotion? How do emotion help us survive as a species?
what a good looking question. i sometimes feel like a robot. Or a sociopath, personality disorders, slightly autistic...etc But then i started looking into it, and maybe i just lost attachment to my emotions because they cloud judgement and i like being able to think clear and logically. Some would call this enlightenment. but check these links out Evolution of emotion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
fear - so you dont get eaten sadness - so you dont get left out happiness - everything is going good just a few examples
There's nothing with emotions, there are constitute of two: negative ones and positive ones. Negative Emotions are anger, hatred, etc and Positive Ones such as empathy, compassion, being understanding, joy, wise, peaceful but what I noticed is that most people have low emotional intelligence because they don't know how to relate another human being and talk to them in a soft calm manner but its important to cultivate and build relationships, people aren't intimidated by you and since they aren't imitated, they want to get to know you better. I used to be over-emotional but as I started smoking marijuana, it has increased but I think it's a good thing since I feel "matured" probably more than the average human being. There are more than 8 different intelligence and EQ is one of the important ones. I advise to read the link I post below, hoped I helped. Emotional Intelligence - What Is Emotional Intelligence
I think emotion will be the downfall of the human race. Too many people base decitions off of a feeling. Instead of making thought out desisions the just go off the handle of emotion. Then they wonder why there lives are totally fucked. Just my two cents tho
humans are not the only animals that have emotions, actually most if not all animals have them, maybe not in the same vein as humans but the still do. elephants grieve after one has died, dogs connect with humans on a very emotional level, gazelle shit their pants when they see a cheetah running towards them. all animals has the burden and pleasure of possessing a wide array of emotions. pleasure, hello. pleasure is the best emotion.
I sometimes feel like emotions are lying to us, they are there because we are meant to use that particular emotion, maybe we feel pain because we know it hurts not because it hurts. Or feel happy because we're not feeling sad, Or being surprised because we are supposed to. It might not be as natural as we think it is. They are all fucked up thoughts for sure hahahah i just sometimes think of whatever and try to argue with myself so these aren't something i believe in but rather think of
[quote name='"reggaemylitis"']empathy->sympathy->understanding->evolution[/quote] Exactly what this dude said!
Pretty much already covered by some above, but survival. Fear is the most basic emotion, a fly wouldn't fly away when you swat at it if it didn't have fear. As you move up the evolutionary line, emotions become more involved. Mammals need "love" to want to take care of their babies, otherwise it'd just be another member of their species who holds no special meaning and will be left to die. Seems like a waste after having it develop inside you for months. Most (not all) fish and insects, things lower on the pole, have offspring in mass rather than having to care for a couple long term. Without emotion, we'd be more like plants.
Emotions are the dichotomy between human animals and other animals. If we relied solely on logic and instincts we would be nothing more than an animal. Eat, sleep, reproduce, die. Emotions are integral to mutually beneficial relation and relationships
It gives Humans an evolutionary advantage over other animals and their environment. Emotions "force" us to act more intensively and with a bigger vision in a given situation. E.g. If you feel jealousy of your mate, then you are most likely to want to keep him/her closer to you, maximizing your chances of survival and passing off your genetic information to the next generation that time will create. Its as if we were just a medium, a tool or vehicle of Nature, used to carry the genetic code onto the next age. Nothing but recyclable flesh and bones storage disks. Nature needs us to die, in order to increase the combinations and mutations of our DNA sequence faster than it could do if we lived forever or for a long time. There wouldn't be a lot of improvements in our forms if we were immortal, no DNA changes or new life forms. The faster we die after we complete our biological mission, to reproduce that is, the better for Nature. For Life to arise, Death must be. Like a never ending cycle of universal change.
But emotions like jealousy aren't necessary to pass on one's genetic material; I've passed on some material while barely conscious, let alone feeling any kind of love or jealousy or whatever.