When you deal with something like compassion for physical pain, which we know is very, very old in evolution - we can find evidence for it in nonhuman species - the brain processes it at a faster speed. Compassion for mental pain took many seconds longer. Antonio Damasio braincompassiondeal share on social
Imagine, for example, birds. When they look out at the world, they have a sense that they are alive. If they are in pain, they can do something about it. If they have hunger or thirst, they can satisfy that. It's this basic feeling that there is life ticking away inside of you. Antonio Damasio alivebasicbird share on social
When we talk about emotion, we really talk about a collection of behaviors that are produced by the brain. You can look at a person in the throes of an emotion and observe changes in the face, in the body posture, in the coloration of the skin and so on. Antonio Damasio behaviorbodybrain share on social
Consciousness, much like our feelings, is based on a representation of the body and how it changes when reacting to certain stimuli. Self-image would be unthinkable without this representation. Antonio Damasio basebodyconsciousness Change image and share on social
To me, body and mind are different aspects of specific biological processes. Antonio Damasio aspectbiologicalbody Change image and share on social
There is no such thing as a disembodied mind. The mind is implanted in the brain, and the brain is implanted in the body. Antonio Damasio bodybraindisembody Change image and share on social
Interestingly enough, not all feelings result from the body's reaction to external stimuli. Sometimes changes are purely simulated in the brain maps. Antonio Damasio bodybrainexternal Change image and share on social
I continue to be fascinated by the fact that feelings are not just the shady side of reason but that they help us to reach decisions as well. Antonio Damasio continuedecisionfact Change image and share on social
Some of us, for better or worse, develop very stable, consistent, and largely predictable machineries of self. But in others, the self machinery is more flexible and more open to unexpected turns. Antonio Damasio badlyconsistentdevelop Change image and share on social
The problem that we, as living organisms, face - and not we only, humans, but any living organism faces - is the management of life. Antonio Damasio facehumanlife Change image and share on social
