["PART\tTWO THE\tNATURE\tOF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE","3 When\tSmart\tIs\tDumb Exactly\t why\t David\t Pologruto,\t a\t high-school\t physics\t teacher,\t was stabbed\t with\t a\t kitchen\t knife\t by\t one\t of\t his\t star\t students\t is\t still debatable.\tBut\tthe\tfacts\tas\twidely\treported\tare\tthese: Jason\t H.,\t a\t sophomore\t and\t straight-A\t student\t at\t a\t Coral\t Springs, Florida,\t high\t school,\t was\t fixated\t on\t getting\t into\t medical\t school.\t Not just\t any\t medical\t school\u2014he\t dreamt\t of\t Harvard.\t But\t Pologruto,\t his physics\tteacher,\thad\tgiven\tJason\tan\t80\ton\ta\tquiz.\tBelieving\tthe\tgrade \u2014a\tmere\tB\u2014put\this\tdream\tin\tjeopardy,\tJason\ttook\ta\tbutcher\tknife\tto school\t and,\t in\t a\t confrontation\t with\t Pologruto\t in\t the\t physics\t lab, stabbed\t his\t teacher\t in\t the\t collarbone\t before\t being\t subdued\t in\t a struggle. A\t judge\t found\t Jason\t innocent,\t temporarily\t insane\t during\t the incident\u2014a\tpanel\tof\tfour\tpsychologists\tand\tpsychiatrists\tswore\the\twas psychotic\t during\t the\t fight.\t Jason\t claimed\t he\t had\t been\t planning\t to commit\tsuicide\tbecause\tof\tthe\ttest\tscore,\tand\thad\tgone\tto\tPologruto\tto tell\t him\t he\t was\t killing\t himself\t because\t of\t the\t bad\t grade.\t Pologruto told\ta\tdifferent\tstory:\t\u201cI\tthink\the\ttried\tto\tcompletely\tdo\tme\tin\twith\tthe knife\u201d\tbecause\the\twas\tinfuriated\tover\tthe\tbad\tgrade. After\t transferring\t to\t a\t private\t school,\t Jason\t graduated\t two\t years later\t at\t the\t top\t of\t his\t class.\t A\t perfect\t grade\t in\t regular\t classes\t would have\tgiven\thim\ta\tstraight-A,\t4.0\taverage,\tbut\tJason\thad\ttaken\tenough advanced\t courses\t to\t raise\t his\t grade-point\t average\t to\t 4.614\u2014way beyond\t A+.\t Even\t as\t Jason\t graduated\t with\t highest\t honors,\t his\t old physics\t teacher,\t David\t Pologruto,\t complained\t that\t Jason\t had\t never apologized\tor\teven\ttaken\tresponsibility\tfor\tthe\tattack.1 The\tquestion\tis,\thow\tcould\tsomeone\tof\tsuch\tobvious\tintelligence\tdo something\t so\t irrational\u2014so\t downright\t dumb?\t The\t answer:\t Academic intelligence\t has\t little\t to\t do\t with\t emotional\t life.\t The\t brightest\t among us\t can\t founder\t on\t the\t shoals\t of\t unbridled\t passions\t and\t unruly impulses;\t people\t with\t high\t IQs\t can\t be\t stunningly\t poor\t pilots\t of\t their private\tlives. One\t of\t psychology\u2019s\t open\t secrets\t is\t the\t relative\t inability\t of\t grades,","IQ,\t or\t SAT\t scores,\t despite\t their\t popular\t mystique,\t to\t predict unerringly\twho\twill\tsucceed\tin\tlife.\tTo\tbe\tsure,\tthere\tis\ta\trelationship between\tIQ\tand\tlife\tcircumstances\tfor\tlarge\tgroups\tas\ta\twhole:\tmany people\twith\tvery\tlow\tIQs\tend\tup\tin\tmenial\tjobs,\tand\tthose\twith\thigh IQs\ttend\tto\tbecome\twell-paid\u2014but\tby\tno\tmeans\talways. There\t are\t widespread\t exceptions\t to\t the\t myth\t that\t IQ\t predicts success\u2014many\t (or\t more)\t exceptions\t than\t cases\t that\t fit\t the\t rule.\t At best,\tIQ\tcontributes\tabout\t20\tpercent\tto\tthe\tfactors\tthat\tdetermine\tlife success,\t which\t leaves\t 80\t percent\t to\t other\t forces.2\t As\t one\t observer notes,\t \u201cThe\t vast\t majority\t of\t one\u2019s\t ultimate\t niche\t in\t society\t is determined\tby\tnon-IQ\tfactors,\tranging\tfrom\tsocial\tclass\tto\tluck.\u201d Even\t Richard\t Herrnstein\t and\t Charles\t Murray,\t whose\t book\t The\t Bell Curve\t imputes\t a\t primary\t importance\t to\t IQ,\t acknowledge\t this;\t as\t they point\t out,\t \u201cPerhaps\t a\t freshman\t with\t an\t SAT\t math\t score\t of\t 500\t had better\tnot\thave\this\theart\tset\ton\tbeing\ta\tmathematician,\tbut\tif\tinstead he\t wants\t to\t run\t his\t own\t business,\t become\t a\t U.S.\t Senator\t or\t make\t a million\t dollars,\t he\t should\t not\t put\t aside\t his\t dreams.\u2026\t The\t link between\ttest\tscores\tand\tthose\tachievements\tis\tdwarfed\tby\tthe\ttotality of\tother\tcharacteristics\tthat\the\tbrings\tto\tlife.\u201d3 My\t concern\t is\t with\t a\t key\t set\t of\t these\t \u201cother\t characteristics,\u201d emotional\tintelligence:\t abilities\t such\t as\t being\t able\t to\t motivate\t oneself and\t persist\t in\t the\t face\t of\t frustrations;\t to\t control\t impulse\t and\t delay gratification;\t to\t regulate\t one\u2019s\t moods\t and\t keep\t distress\t from swamping\t the\t ability\t to\t think;\t to\t empathize\t and\t to\t hope.\t Unlike\t IQ, with\tits\tnearly\tone-hundred-year\thistory\tof\tresearch\twith\thundreds\tof thousands\tof\tpeople,\temotional\tintelligence\tis\ta\tnew\tconcept.\tNo\tone can\tyet\tsay\texactly\thow\tmuch\tof\tthe\tvariability\tfrom\tperson\tto\tperson in\tlife\u2019s\tcourse\tit\taccounts\tfor.\tBut\twhat\tdata\texist\tsuggest\tit\tcan\tbe\tas powerful,\t and\t at\t times\t more\t powerful,\t than\t IQ.\t And\t while\t there\t are those\t who\t argue\t that\t IQ\t cannot\t be\t changed\t much\t by\t experience\t or education,\t I\t will\t show\t in\t Part\t Five\t that\t the\t crucial\t emotional competencies\tcan\tindeed\tbe\tlearned\tand\timproved\tupon\tby\tchildren\u2014 if\twe\tbother\tto\tteach\tthem. EMOTIONAL\tINTELLIGENCE\tAND\tDESTINY I\t remember\t the\t fellow\t in\t my\t own\t class\t at\t Amherst\t College\t who\t had attained\t five\t perfect\t 800\t scores\t on\t the\t SAT\t and\t other\t achievement tests\t he\t took\t before\t entering.\t Despite\t his\t formidable\t intellectual","abilities,\t he\t spent\t most\t of\t his\t time\t hanging\t out,\t staying\t up\t late,\t and missing\tclasses\tby\tsleeping\tuntil\tnoon.\tIt\ttook\thim\talmost\tten\tyears\tto finally\tget\this\tdegree. IQ\t offers\t little\t to\t explain\t the\t different\t destinies\t of\t people\t with roughly\tequal\tpromises,\tschooling,\tand\topportunity.\tWhen\tninety-five Harvard\t students\t from\t the\t classes\t of\t the\t 1940s\u2014a\t time\t when\t people with\ta\twider\tspread\tof\tIQ\twere\tat\tIvy\tLeague\tschools\tthan\tis\tpresently the\t case\u2014were\t followed\t into\t middle\t age,\t the\t men\t with\t the\t highest test\t scores\t in\t college\t were\t not\t particularly\t successful\t compared\t to their\t lower-scoring\t peers\t in\t terms\t of\t salary,\t productivity,\t or\t status\t in their\t field.\t Nor\t did\t they\t have\t the\t greatest\t life\t satisfaction,\t nor\t the most\thappiness\twith\tfriendships,\tfamily,\tand\tromantic\trelationships.4 A\t similar\t follow-up\t in\t middle\t age\t was\t done\t with\t 450\t boys,\t most sons\tof\timmigrants,\ttwo\tthirds\tfrom\tfamilies\ton\twelfare,\twho\tgrew\tup in\t Somerville,\t Massachusetts,\t at\t the\t time\t a\t \u201cblighted\t slum\u201d\t a\t few blocks\t from\t Harvard.\t A\t third\t had\t IQs\t below\t 90.\t But\t again\t IQ\t had little\trelationship\tto\thow\twell\tthey\thad\tdone\tat\twork\tor\tin\tthe\trest\tof their\t lives;\t for\t instance,\t 7\t percent\t of\t men\t with\t IQs\t under\t 80\t were unemployed\tfor\tten\tor\tmore\tyears,\tbut\tso\twere\t7\tpercent\tof\tmen\twith IQs\tover\t100.\tTo\tbe\tsure,\tthere\twas\ta\tgeneral\tlink\t(as\tthere\talways\tis) between\tIQ\tand\tsocioeconomic\tlevel\tat\tage\tforty-seven.\tBut\tchildhood abilities\t such\t as\t being\t able\t to\t handle\t frustrations,\t control\t emotions, and\tget\ton\twith\tother\tpeople\tmade\tthe\tgreater\tdifference.5 Consider\t also\t data\t from\t an\t ongoing\t study\t of\t eighty-one valedictorians\t and\t salutatorians\t from\t the\t 1981\t class\t in\t Illinois\t high schools.\t All,\t of\t course,\t had\t the\t highest\t grade-point\t averages\t in\t their schools.\t But\t while\t they\t continued\t to\t achieve\t well\t in\t college,\t getting excellent\t grades,\t by\t their\t late\t twenties\t they\t had\t climbed\t to\t only average\tlevels\tof\tsuccess.\tTen\tyears\tafter\tgraduating\tfrom\thigh\tschool, only\t one\t in\t four\t were\t at\t the\t highest\t level\t of\t young\t people\t of comparable\t age\t in\t their\t chosen\t profession,\t and\t many\t were\t doing much\tless\twell. Karen\t Arnold,\t professor\t of\t education\t at\t Boston\t University,\t one\t of the\t researchers\t tracking\t the\t valedictorians,\t explains,\t \u201cI\t think\t we\u2019ve discovered\t the\t \u2018dutiful\u2019\u2014people\t who\t know\t how\t to\t achieve\t in\t the system.\t But\t valedictorians\t struggle\t as\t surely\t as\t we\t all\t do.\t To\t know that\t a\t person\t is\t a\t valedictorian\t is\t to\t know\t only\t that\t he\t or\t she\t is exceedingly\t good\t at\t achievement\t as\t measured\t by\t grades.\t It\t tells\t you nothing\tabout\thow\tthey\treact\tto\tthe\tvicissitudes\tof\tlife.\u201d6 And\t that\t is\t the\t problem:\t academic\t intelligence\t offers\t virtually\t no","preparation\t for\t the\t turmoil\u2014or\t opportunity\u2014life\u2019s\t vicissitudes\t bring. Yet\t even\t though\t a\t high\t IQ\t is\t no\t guarantee\t of\t prosperity,\t prestige,\t or happiness\t in\t life,\t our\t schools\t and\t our\t culture\t fixate\t on\t academic abilities,\t ignoring\t emotional\t intelligence,\t a\t set\t of\t traits\u2014some\t might call\t it\t character\u2014that\t also\t matters\t immensely\t for\t our\t personal destiny.\tEmotional\tlife\tis\ta\tdomain\tthat,\tas\tsurely\tas\tmath\tor\treading, can\tbe\thandled\twith\tgreater\tor\tlesser\tskill,\tand\trequires\tits\tunique\tset of\t competencies.\t And\t how\t adept\t a\t person\t is\t at\t those\t is\t crucial\t to understanding\t why\t one\t person\t thrives\t in\t life\t while\t another,\t of\t equal intellect,\t dead-ends:\t emotional\t aptitude\t is\t a\t meta-ability,\t determining how\t well\t we\t can\t use\t whatever\t other\t skills\t we\t have,\t including\t raw intellect. Of\t course,\t there\t are\t many\t paths\t to\t success\t in\t life,\t and\t many domains\t in\t which\t other\t aptitudes\t are\t rewarded.\t In\t our\t increasingly knowledge-based\t society,\t technical\t skill\t is\t certainly\t one.\t There\t is\t a children\u2019s\t joke:\t \u201cWhat\t do\t you\t call\t a\t nerd\t fifteen\t years\t from\t now?\u201d The\t answer:\t \u201cBoss.\u201d\t But\t even\t among\t \u201cnerds\u201d\t emotional\t intelligence offers\t an\t added\t edge\t in\t the\t workplace,\t as\t we\t shall\t see\t in\t Part\t Three. Much\t evidence\t testifies\t that\t people\t who\t are\t emotionally\t adept\u2014who know\t and\t manage\t their\t own\t feelings\t well,\t and\t who\t read\t and\t deal effectively\t with\t other\t people\u2019s\t feelings\u2014are\t at\t an\t advantage\t in\t any domain\tof\tlife,\twhether\tromance\tand\tintimate\trelationships\tor\tpicking up\t the\t unspoken\t rules\t that\t govern\t success\t in\t organizational\t politics. People\twith\twell-developed\temotional\tskills\tare\talso\tmore\tlikely\tto\tbe content\tand\teffective\tin\ttheir\tlives,\tmastering\tthe\thabits\tof\tmind\tthat foster\t their\t own\t productivity;\t people\t who\t cannot\t marshal\t some control\tover\ttheir\temotional\tlife\tfight\tinner\tbattles\tthat\tsabotage\ttheir ability\tfor\tfocused\twork\tand\tclear\tthought. A\tDIFFERENT\tKIND\tOF\tINTELLIGENCE To\t the\t casual\t observer,\t four-year-old\t Judy\t might\t seem\t a\t wallflower among\t her\t more\t gregarious\t playmates.\t She\t hangs\t back\t from\t the action\t at\t playtime,\t staying\t on\t the\t margins\t of\t games\t rather\t than plunging\t into\t the\t center.\t But\t Judy\t is\t actually\t a\t keen\t observer\t of\t the social\t politics\t of\t her\t preschool\t classroom,\t perhaps\t the\t most sophisticated\tof\ther\tplaymates\tin\ther\tinsights\tinto\tthe\ttides\tof\tfeeling within\tthe\tothers. Her\t sophistication\t is\t not\t apparent\t until\t Judy\u2019s\t teacher\t gathers\t the","four-year-olds\taround\tto\tplay\twhat\tthey\tcall\tthe\tClassroom\tGame.\tThe Classroom\t Game\u2014a\t dollhouse\t replica\t of\t Judy\u2019s\t own\t preschool classroom,\t with\t stick\t figures\t who\t have\t for\t heads\t small\t photos\t of\t the students\tand\tteachers\u2014is\ta\ttest\tof\tsocial\tperceptiveness.\tWhen\tJudy\u2019s teacher\tasks\ther\tto\tput\teach\tgirl\tand\tboy\tin\tthe\tpart\tof\tthe\troom\tthey like\t to\t play\t in\t most\u2014the\t art\t corner,\t the\t blocks\t corner,\t and\t so\t on\u2014 Judy\t does\t so\t with\t complete\t accuracy.\t And\t when\t asked\t to\t put\t each boy\tand\tgirl\twith\tthe\tchildren\tthey\tlike\tto\tplay\twith\tmost,\tJudy\tshows she\tcan\tmatch\tbest\tfriends\tfor\tthe\tentire\tclass. Judy\u2019s\t accuracy\t reveals\t that\t she\t has\t a\t perfect\t social\t map\t of\t her class,\t a\t level\t of\t perceptiveness\t exceptional\t for\t a\t four-year-old.\t These are\tthe\tskills\tthat,\tin\tlater\tlife,\tmight\tallow\tJudy\tto\tblossom\tinto\ta\tstar in\t any\t of\t the\t fields\t where\t \u201cpeople\t skills\u201d\t count,\t from\t sales\t and management\tto\tdiplomacy. That\t Judy\u2019s\t social\t brilliance\t was\t spotted\t at\t all,\t let\t alone\t this\t early, was\t due\t to\t her\t being\t a\t student\t at\t the\t Eliot-Pearson\t Preschool\t on\t the campus\t of\t Tufts\t University,\t where\t Project\t Spectrum,\t a\t curriculum that\t intentionally\t cultivates\t a\t variety\t of\t kinds\t of\t intelligence,\t was then\t being\t developed.\t Project\t Spectrum\t recognizes\t that\t the\t human repertoire\t of\t abilities\t goes\t far\t beyond\t the\t three\t R\u2019s,\t the\t narrow\t band of\t word-and-number\t skills\t that\t schools\t traditionally\t focus\t on.\t It acknowledges\t that\t capacities\t such\t as\t Judy\u2019s\t social\t perceptiveness\t are talents\t that\t an\t education\t can\t nurture\t rather\t than\t ignore\t or\t even frustrate.\t By\t encouraging\t children\t to\t develop\t a\t full\t range\t of\t the abilities\t that\t they\t will\t actually\t draw\t on\t to\t succeed,\t or\t use\t simply\t to be\tfulfilled\tin\twhat\tthey\tdo,\tschool\tbecomes\tan\teducation\tin\tlife\tskills. The\tguiding\tvisionary\tbehind\tProject\tSpectrum\tis\tHoward\tGardner, a\t psychologist\t at\t the\t Harvard\t School\t of\t Education.7\t \u201cThe\t time\t has come,\u201d\t Gardner\t told\t me,\t \u201cto\t broaden\t our\t notion\t of\t the\t spectrum\t of talents.\tThe\tsingle\tmost\timportant\tcontribution\teducation\tcan\tmake\tto a\t child\u2019s\t development\t is\t to\t help\t him\t toward\t a\t field\t where\t his\t talents best\t suit\t him,\t where\t he\t will\t be\t satisfied\t and\t competent.\t We\u2019ve completely\t lost\t sight\t of\t that.\t Instead\t we\t subject\t everyone\t to\t an education\t where,\t if\t you\t succeed,\t you\t will\t be\t best\t suited\t to\t be\t a college\tprofessor.\tAnd\twe\tevaluate\teveryone\talong\tthe\tway\taccording to\t whether\t they\t meet\t that\t narrow\t standard\t of\t success.\t We\t should spend\t less\t time\t ranking\t children\t and\t more\t time\t helping\t them\t to identify\t their\t natural\t competencies\t and\t gifts,\t and\t cultivate\t those. There\t are\t hundreds\t and\t hundreds\t of\t ways\t to\t succeed,\t and\t many, many\tdifferent\tabilities\tthat\twill\thelp\tyou\tget\tthere.\u201d8","If\t anyone\t sees\t the\t limits\t of\t the\t old\t ways\t of\t thinking\t about intelligence,\tit\tis\tGardner.\tHe\tpoints\tout\tthat\tthe\tglory\tdays\tof\tthe\tIQ tests\t began\t during\t World\t War\t I,\t when\t two\t million\t American\t men were\tsorted\tout\tthrough\tthe\tfirst\tmass\tpaper-and-pencil\tform\tof\tthe\tIQ test,\t freshly\t developed\t by\t Lewis\t Terman,\t a\t psychologist\t at\t Stanford. This\t led\t to\t decades\t of\t what\t Gardner\t calls\t the\t \u201cIQ\t way\t of\t thinking\u201d: \u201cthat\t people\t are\t either\t smart\t or\t not,\t are\t born\t that\t way,\t that\t there\u2019s nothing\t much\t you\t can\t do\t about\t it,\t and\t that\t tests\t can\t tell\t you\t if\t you are\tone\tof\tthe\tsmart\tones\tor\tnot.\tThe\tSAT\ttest\tfor\tcollege\tadmissions is\t based\t on\t the\t same\t notion\t of\t a\t single\t kind\t of\t aptitude\t that determines\tyour\tfuture.\tThis\tway\tof\tthinking\tpermeates\tsociety.\u201d Gardner\u2019s\t influential\t 1983\t book\t Frames\t of\t Mind\t was\t a\t manifesto refuting\t the\t IQ\t view;\t it\t proposed\t that\t there\t was\t not\t just\t one, monolithic\t kind\t of\t intelligence\t that\t was\t crucial\t for\t life\t success,\t but rather\t a\t wide\t spectrum\t of\t intelligences,\t with\t seven\t key\t varieties.\t His list\t includes\t the\t two\t standard\t academic\t kinds,\t verbal\t and mathematical-logical\t alacrity,\t but\t it\t goes\t on\t to\t include\t the\t spatial capacity\tseen\tin,\tsay,\tan\toutstanding\tartist\tor\tarchitect;\tthe\tkinesthetic genius\t displayed\t in\t the\t physical\t fluidity\t and\t grace\t of\t a\t Martha Graham\tor\tMagic\tJohnson;\tand\tthe\tmusical\tgifts\tof\ta\tMozart\tor\tYoYo Ma.\t Rounding\t out\t the\t list\t are\t two\t faces\t of\t what\t Gardner\t calls\t \u201cthe personal\t intelligences\u201d:\t interpersonal\t skills,\t like\t those\t of\t a\t great therapist\t such\t as\t Carl\t Rogers\t or\t a\t world-class\t leader\t such\t as\t Martin Luther\t King,\t Jr.,\t and\t the\t \u201cintrapsychic\u201d\t capacity\t that\t could\t emerge, on\t the\t one\t hand,\t in\t the\t brilliant\t insights\t of\t Sigmund\t Freud,\t or,\t with less\t fanfare,\t in\t the\t inner\t contentment\t that\t arises\t from\t attuning\t one\u2019s life\tto\tbe\tin\tkeeping\twith\tone\u2019s\ttrue\tfeelings. The\t operative\t word\t in\t this\t view\t of\t intelligences\t is\t multiple: Gardner\u2019s\t model\t pushes\t way\t beyond\t the\t standard\t concept\t of\t IQ\t as\t a single,\timmutable\tfactor.\tIt\trecognizes\tthat\tthe\ttests\tthat\ttyrannized\tus as\twe\twent\tthrough\tschool\u2014from\tthe\tachievement\ttests\tthat\tsorted\tus out\t into\t those\t who\t would\t be\t shunted\t toward\t technical\t schools\t and those\t destined\t for\t college,\t to\t the\t SATs\t that\t determined\t what,\t if\t any, college\twe\twould\tbe\tallowed\tto\tattend\u2014are\tbased\ton\ta\tlimited\tnotion of\t intelligence,\t one\t out\t of\t touch\t with\t the\t true\t range\t of\t skills\t and abilities\tthat\tmatter\tfor\tlife\tover\tand\tbeyond\tIQ. Gardner\t acknowledges\t that\t seven\t is\t an\t arbitrary\t figure\t for\t the variety\t of\t intelligences;\t there\t is\t no\t magic\t number\t to\t the\t multiplicity of\t human\t talents.\t At\t one\t point,\t Gardner\t and\t his\t research\t colleagues had\t stretched\t these\t seven\t to\t a\t list\t of\t twenty\t different\t varieties\t of","intelligence.\t Interpersonal\t intelligence,\t for\t example,\t broke\t down\t into four\t distinct\t abilities:\t leadership,\t the\t ability\t to\t nurture\t relationships and\t keep\t friends,\t the\t ability\t to\t resolve\t conflicts,\t and\t skill\t at\t the\t kind of\tsocial\tanalysis\tthat\tfour-year-old\tJudy\texcels\tat. This\t multifaceted\t view\t of\t intelligence\t offers\t a\t richer\t picture\t of\t a child\u2019s\t ability\t and\t potential\t for\t success\t than\t the\t standard\t IQ.\t When Spectrum\t students\t were\t evaluated\t on\t the\t Stanford-Binet\t Intelligence Scale\u2014once\t the\t gold\t standard\t of\t IQ\t tests\u2014and\t again\t by\t a\t battery designed\tto\tmeasure\tGardner\u2019s\tspectrum\tof\tintelligences,\tthere\twas\tno significant\t relationship\t between\t children\u2019s\t scores\t on\t the\t two\t tests.9 The\t five\t children\t with\t the\t highest\t IQs\t (from\t 125\t to\t 133)\t showed\t a variety\tof\tprofiles\ton\tthe\tten\tstrengths\tmeasured\tby\tthe\tSpectrum\ttest. For\texample,\tof\tthe\tfive\t\u201csmartest\u201d\tchildren\taccording\tto\tthe\tIQ\ttests, one\t was\t strong\t in\t three\t areas,\t three\t had\t strengths\t in\t two\t areas,\t and one\t \u201csmart\u201d\t child\t had\t just\t one\t Spectrum\t strength.\t Those\t strengths were\t scattered:\t four\t of\t these\t children\u2019s\t strengths\t were\t in\t music,\t two in\t the\t visual\t arts,\t one\t in\t social\t understanding,\t one\t in\t logic,\t two\t in language.\t None\t of\t the\t five\t high-IQ\t kids\t were\t strong\t in\t movement, numbers,\t or\t mechanics;\t movement\t and\t numbers\t were\t actually\t weak spots\tfor\ttwo\tof\tthese\tfive. Gardner\u2019s\tconclusion\twas\tthat\t\u201cthe\tStanford-Binet\tIntelligence\tScale did\tnot\tpredict\tsuccessful\tperformance\tacross\tor\ton\ta\tconsistent\tsubset of\t Spectrum\t activities.\u201d\t On\t the\t other\t hand,\t the\t Spectrum\t scores\t give parents\t and\t teachers\t clear\t guidance\t about\t the\t realms\t that\t these children\t will\t take\t a\t spontaneous\t interest\t in,\t and\t where\t they\t will\t do well\t enough\t to\t develop\t the\t passions\t that\t could\t one\t day\t lead\t beyond proficiency\tto\tmastery. Gardner\u2019s\t thinking\t about\t the\t multiplicity\t of\t intelligence\t continues to\tevolve.\tSome\tten\tyears\tafter\the\tfirst\tpublished\this\ttheory,\tGardner gave\tthese\tnutshell\tsummaries\tof\tthe\tpersonal\tintelligences: Interpersonal\t intelligence\t is\t the\t ability\t to\t understand\t other\t people:\t what\t motivates them,\t how\t they\t work,\t how\t to\t work\t cooperatively\t with\t them.\t Successful\t salespeople, politicians,\t teachers,\t clinicians,\t and\t religious\t leaders\t are\t all\t likely\t to\t be\t individuals with\t high\t degrees\t of\t interpersonal\t intelligence.\t Intrapersonal\t intelligence\t \u2026\t is\t a correlative\tability,\tturned\tinward.\tIt\tis\ta\tcapacity\tto\tform\tan\taccurate,\tveridical\tmodel of\toneself\tand\tto\tbe\table\tto\tuse\tthat\tmodel\tto\toperate\teffectively\tin\tlife.10 In\t another\t rendering,\t Gardner\t noted\t that\t the\t core\t of\t interpersonal intelligence\t includes\t the\t \u201ccapacities\t to\t discern\t and\t respond","appropriately\t to\t the\t moods,\t temperaments,\t motivations,\t and\t desires of\t other\t people.\u201d\t In\t intrapersonal\t intelligence,\t the\t key\t to\t self- knowledge,\t he\t included\t \u201caccess\t to\t one\u2019s\t own\t feelings\t and\t the\t ability to\t discriminate\t among\t them\t and\t draw\t upon\t them\t to\t guide behavior.\u201d11 SPOCK\tVS.\tDATA:\tWHEN\tCOGNITION\tIS\tNOT\tENOUGH There\tis\tone\tdimension\tof\tpersonal\tintelligence\tthat\tis\tbroadly\tpointed to,\tbut\tlittle\texplored,\tin\tGardner\u2019s\telaborations:\tthe\trole\tof\temotions. Perhaps\tthis\tis\tso\tbecause,\tas\tGardner\tsuggested\tto\tme,\this\twork\tis\tso strongly\t informed\t by\t a\t cognitive-science\t model\t of\t mind.\t Thus\t his view\tof\tthese\tintelligences\temphasizes\tcognition\u2014the\tunderstanding\tof oneself\tand\tof\tothers\tin\tmotives,\tin\thabits\tof\tworking,\tand\tin\tputting that\t insight\t into\t use\t in\t conducting\t one\u2019s\t own\t life\t and\t getting\t along with\t others.\t But\t like\t the\t kinesthetic\t realm,\t where\t physical\t brilliance manifests\t itself\t nonverbally,\t the\t realm\t of\t the\t emotions\t extends,\t too, beyond\tthe\treach\tof\tlanguage\tand\tcognition. While\tthere\tis\tample\troom\tin\tGardner\u2019s\tdescriptions\tof\tthe\tpersonal intelligences\t for\t insight\t into\t the\t play\t of\t emotions\t and\t mastery\t in managing\t them,\t Gardner\t and\t those\t who\t work\t with\t him\t have\t not pursued\t in\t great\t detail\t the\t role\t of\t feeling\t in\t these\t intelligences, focusing\t more\t on\t cognitions\t about\t feeling.\t This\t focus,\t perhaps unintentionally,\t leaves\t unexplored\t the\t rich\t sea\t of\t emotions\t that makes\tthe\tinner\tlife\tand\trelationships\tso\tcomplex,\tso\tcompelling,\tand so\t often\t puzzling.\t And\t it\t leaves\t yet\t to\t be\t plumbed\t both\t the\t sense\t in which\t there\t is\t intelligence\t in\t the\t emotions\t and\t the\t sense\t in\t which intelligence\tcan\tbe\tbrought\tto\temotions. Gardner\u2019s\t emphasis\t on\t the\t cognitive\t elements\t in\t the\t personal intelligences\t reflects\t the\t zeitgeist\t of\t psychology\t that\t has\t shaped\t his views.\t Psychology\u2019s\t overemphasis\t on\t cognition\t even\t in\t the\t realm\t of emotion\t is,\t in\t part,\t due\t to\t a\t quirk\t in\t the\t history\t of\t that\t science. During\t the\t middle\t decades\t of\t this\t century\t academic\t psychology\t was dominated\tby\tbehaviorists\tin\tthe\tmold\tof\tB.\tF.\tSkinner,\twho\tfelt\tthat only\t behavior\t that\t could\t be\t seen\t objectively,\t from\t the\t outside,\t could be\t studied\t with\t scientific\t accuracy.\t The\t behaviorists\t ruled\t all\t inner life,\tincluding\temotions,\tout-of-bounds\tfor\tscience. Then,\t with\t the\t coming\t in\t the\t late\t 1960s\t of\t the\t \u201ccognitive revolution,\u201d\t the\t focus\t of\t psychological\t science\t turned\t to\t how\t the","mind\t registers\t and\t stores\t information,\t and\t the\t nature\t of\t intelligence. But\t emotions\t were\t still\t off-limits.\t Conventional\t wisdom\t among cognitive\t scientists\t held\t that\t intelligence\t entails\t a\t cold,\t hard-nosed processing\tof\tfact.\tIt\tis\thyperrational,\trather\tlike\tStar\tTreks\tMr.\tSpock, the\t archetype\t of\t dry\t information\t bytes\t unmuddied\t by\t feeling, embodying\t the\t idea\t that\t emotions\t have\t no\t place\t in\t intelligence\t and only\tmuddle\tour\tpicture\tof\tmental\tlife. The\tcognitive\tscientists\twho\tembraced\tthis\tview\thave\tbeen\tseduced by\t the\t computer\t as\t the\t operative\t model\t of\t mind,\t forgetting\t that,\t in reality,\t the\t brain\u2019s\t wetware\t is\t awash\t in\t a\t messy,\t pulsating\t puddle\t of neurochemicals,\t nothing\t like\t the\t sanitized,\t orderly\t silicon\t that\t has spawned\t the\t guiding\t metaphor\t for\t mind.\t The\t predominant\t models among\t cognitive\t scientists\t of\t how\t the\t mind\t processes\t information have\t lacked\t an\t acknowledgment\t that\t rationality\t is\t guided\t by\u2014and can\t be\t swamped\t by\u2014feeling.\t The\t cognitive\t model\t is,\t in\t this\t regard, an\timpoverished\tview\tof\tthe\tmind,\tone\tthat\tfails\tto\texplain\tthe\tSturm und\t Drang\t of\t feelings\t that\t brings\t flavor\t to\t the\t intellect.\t In\t order\t to persist\tin\tthis\tview,\tcognitive\tscientists\tthemselves\thave\thad\tto\tignore the\t relevance\t for\t their\t models\t of\t mind\t of\t their\t personal\t hopes\t and fears,\ttheir\tmarital\tsquabbles\tand\tprofessional\tjealousies\u2014the\twash\tof feeling\t that\t gives\t life\t its\t flavor\t and\t its\t urgencies,\t and\t which\t in\t every moment\t biases\t exactly\t how\t (and\t how\t well\t or\t poorly)\t information\t is processed. The\t lopsided\t scientific\t vision\t of\t an\t emotionally\t flat\t mental\t life\u2014 which\thas\tguided\tthe\tlast\teighty\tyears\tof\tresearch\ton\tintelligence\u2014is gradually\tchanging\tas\tpsychology\thas\tbegun\tto\trecognize\tthe\tessential role\tof\tfeeling\tin\tthinking.\tRather\tlike\tthe\tSpockish\tcharacter\tData\tin Star\tTrek:\tThe\tNext\tGeneration,\tpsychology\tis\tcoming\tto\tappreciate\tthe power\tand\tvirtues\tof\temotions\tin\tmental\tlife,\tas\twell\tas\ttheir\tdangers. After\t all,\t as\t Data\t sees\t (to\t his\t own\t dismay,\t could\t he\t feel\t dismay),\t his cool\t logic\t fails\t to\t bring\t the\t right\t human\t solution.\t Our\t humanity\t is most\t evident\t in\t our\t feelings;\t Data\t seeks\t to\t feel,\t knowing\t that something\t essential\t is\t missing.\t He\t wants\t friendship,\t loyalty;\t like\t the Tin\t Man\t in\t The\t Wizard\t of\t Oz,\t he\t lacks\t a\t heart.\t Lacking\t the\t lyrical sense\t that\t feeling\t brings,\t Data\t can\t play\t music\t or\t write\t poetry\t with technical\t virtuosity,\t but\t not\t feel\t its\t passion.\t The\t lesson\t of\t Data\u2019s yearning\t for\t yearning\t itself\t is\t that\t the\t higher\t values\t of\t the\t human heart\u2014faith,\t hope,\t devotion,\t love\u2014are\t missing\t entirely\t from\t the coldly\t cognitive\t view.\t Emotions\t enrich;\t a\t model\t of\t mind\t that\t leaves them\tout\tis\timpoverished.","When\t I\t asked\t Gardner\t about\t his\t emphasis\t on\t thoughts\t about feelings,\t or\t metacognition,\t more\t than\t on\t emotions\t themselves,\t he acknowledged\tthat\the\ttended\tto\tview\tintelligence\tin\ta\tcognitive\tway, but\t told\t me,\t \u201cWhen\t I\t first\t wrote\t about\t the\t personal\t intelligences,\t I was\t talking\t about\t emotion,\t especially\t in\t my\t notion\t of\t intrapersonal intelligence\u2014one\t component\t is\t emotionally\t tuning\t in\t to\t yourself.\t It\u2019s the\tvisceral-feeling\tsignals\tyou\tget\tthat\tare\tessential\tfor\tinterpersonal intelligence.\tBut\tas\tit\thas\tdeveloped\tin\tpractice,\tthe\ttheory\tof\tmultiple intelligence\t has\t evolved\t to\t focus\t more\t on\t metacognition\u201d\u2014that\t is, awareness\tof\tone\u2019s\tmental\tprocesses\u2014\u201crather\tthan\ton\tthe\tfull\trange\tof emotional\tabilities.\u201d Even\t so,\t Gardner\t appreciates\t how\t crucial\t these\t emotional\t and relationship\tabilities\tare\tin\tthe\trough-and-tumble\tof\tlife.\tHe\tpoints\tout that\t\u201cmany\tpeople\twith\tIQs\tof\t160\twork\tfor\tpeople\twith\tIQs\tof\t100,\tif the\t former\t have\t poor\t intrapersonal\t intelligence\t and\t the\t latter\t have\t a high\t one.\t And\t in\t the\t day-to-day\t world\t no\t intelligence\t is\t more important\t than\t the\t interpersonal.\t If\t you\t don\u2019t\t have\t it,\t you\u2019ll\t make poor\t choices\t about\t who\t to\t marry,\t what\t job\t to\t take,\t and\t so\t on.\t We need\tto\ttrain\tchildren\tin\tthe\tpersonal\tintelligences\tin\tschool.\u201d CAN\tEMOTIONS\tBE\tINTELLIGENT? To\tget\ta\tfuller\tunderstanding\tof\tjust\twhat\tsuch\ttraining\tmight\tbe\tlike, we\tmust\tturn\tto\tother\ttheorists\twho\tagree\twith\tGardner\u2019s\tview\u2014most notably\t psychologists\t Peter\t Salovey\t and\t John\t Mayer.\t They\t have mapped\tin\tgreat\tdetail\tthe\tways\tin\twhich\twe\tcan\tbring\tintelligence\tto our\t emotions.12\t This\t endeavor\t is\t not\t new;\t over\t the\t years\t even\t the most\t ardent\t theorists\t of\t IQ\t have\t occasionally\t tried\t to\t bring\t emotions within\t the\t domain\t of\t intelligence,\t rather\t than\t seeing\t \u201cemotion\u201d\t and \u201cintelligence\u201d\t as\t an\t inherent\t contradiction\t in\t terms.\t Thus\t E.\t L. Thorndike,\t an\t eminent\t psychologist\t who\t was\t also\t influential\t in popularizing\t the\t notion\t of\t IQ\t in\t the\t 1920s\t and\t 1930s,\t proposed\t in\t a Harper\u2019s\t Magazine\t article\t that\t one\t aspect\t of\t emotional\t intelligence, \u201csocial\u201d\tintelligence\u2014the\tability\tto\tunderstand\tothers\tand\t\u201cact\twisely in\t human\t relations\u201d\u2014was\t itself\t an\t aspect\t of\t a\t person\u2019s\t IQ.\t Other psychologists\t of\t the\t time\t took\t a\t more\t cynical\t view\t of\t social intelligence,\t seeing\t it\t in\t terms\t of\t skills\t for\t manipulating\t other\t people \u2014getting\tthem\tto\tdo\twhat\tyou\twant,\twhether\tthey\twant\tto\tor\tnot.\tBut neither\t of\t these\t formulations\t of\t social\t intelligence\t held\t much\t sway","with\t theorists\t of\t IQ,\t and\t by\t 1960\t an\t influential\t textbook\t on intelligence\ttests\tpronounced\tsocial\tintelligence\ta\t\u201cuseless\u201d\tconcept. But\t personal\t intelligence\t would\t not\t be\t ignored,\t mainly\t because\t it makes\t both\t intuitive\t and\t common\t sense.\t For\t example,\t when\t Yale psychologist\tRobert\tSternberg\tasked\tpeople\tto\tdescribe\tan\t\u201cintelligent person,\u201d\t practical\t people\t skills\t were\t among\t the\t main\t traits\t listed. More\t systematic\t research\t by\t Sternberg\t led\t him\t back\t to\t Thorndike\u2019s conclusion:\t that\t social\t intelligence\t is\t both\t distinct\t from\t academic abilities\t and\t a\t key\t part\t of\t what\t makes\t people\t do\t well\t in\t the practicalities\t of\t life.\t Among\t the\t practical\t intelligences\t that\t are,\t for instance,\t so\t highly\t valued\t in\t the\t workplace\t is\t the\t kind\t of\t sensitivity that\tallows\teffective\tmanagers\tto\tpick\tup\ttacit\tmessages.13 In\t recent\t years\t a\t growing\t group\t of\t psychologists\t has\t come\t to similar\tconclusions,\tagreeing\twith\tGardner\tthat\tthe\told\tconcepts\tof\tIQ revolved\taround\ta\tnarrow\tband\tof\tlinguistic\tand\tmath\tskills,\tand\tthat doing\t well\t on\t IQ\t tests\t was\t most\t directly\t a\t predictor\t of\t success\t in\t the classroom\tor\tas\ta\tprofessor\tbut\tless\tand\tless\tso\tas\tlife\u2019s\tpaths\tdiverged from\t academe.\t These\t psychologists\u2014Sternberg\t and\t Salovey\t among them\u2014have\ttaken\ta\twider\tview\tof\tintelligence,\ttrying\tto\treinvent\tit\tin terms\t of\t what\t it\t takes\t to\t lead\t life\t successfully.\t And\t that\t line\t of enquiry\t leads\t back\t to\t an\t appreciation\t of\t just\t how\t crucial\t \u201cpersonal\u201d or\temotional\tintelligence\tis. Salovey,\t with\t his\t colleague\t John\t Mayer,\t offered\t an\t elaborated definition\tof\temotional\tintelligence,\texpanding\tthese\tabilities\tinto\tfive main\tdomains:14 1.\tKnowing\tone\u2019s\temotions.\t Self-awareness\u2014recognizing\t a\t feeling\t as it\thappens\u2014is\tthe\tkeystone\tof\temotional\tintelligence.\tAs\twe\twill\tsee\tin Chapter\t 4,\t the\t ability\t to\t monitor\t feelings\t from\t moment\t to\t moment\t is crucial\tto\tpsychological\tinsight\tand\tself-understanding.\tAn\tinability\tto notice\t our\t true\t feelings\t leaves\t us\t at\t their\t mercy.\t People\t with\t greater certainty\t about\t their\t feelings\t are\t better\t pilots\t of\t their\t lives,\t having\t a surer\t sense\t of\t how\t they\t really\t feel\t about\t personal\t decisions\t from whom\tto\tmarry\tto\twhat\tjob\tto\ttake. 2.\tManaging\temotions.\t Handling\t feelings\t so\t they\t are\t appropriate\t is an\t ability\t that\t builds\t on\t self-awareness.\t Chapter\t 5\t will\t examine\t the capacity\t to\t soothe\t oneself,\t to\t shake\t off\t rampant\t anxiety,\t gloom,\t or irritability\u2014and\t the\t consequences\t of\t failure\t at\t this\t basic\t emotional skill.\t People\t who\t are\t poor\t in\t this\t ability\t are\t constantly\t battling feelings\t of\t distress,\t while\t those\t who\t excel\t in\t it\t can\t bounce\t back\t far","more\tquickly\tfrom\tlife\u2019s\tsetbacks\tand\tupsets. 3.\tMotivating\toneself.\tAs\tChapter\t6\t will\t show,\t marshaling\t emotions in\t the\t service\t of\t a\t goal\t is\t essential\t for\t paying\t attention,\t for\t self- motivation\t and\t mastery,\t and\t for\t creativity.\t Emotional\t self-control\u2014 delaying\t gratification\t and\t stifling\t impulsiveness\u2014underlies accomplishment\t of\t every\t sort.\t And\t being\t able\t to\t get\t into\t the\t \u201cflow\u201d state\t enables\t outstanding\t performance\t of\t all\t kinds.\t People\t who\t have this\tskill\ttend\tto\tbe\tmore\thighly\tproductive\tand\teffective\tin\twhatever they\tundertake. 4.\t Recognizing\t emotions\t in\t others.\t Empathy,\t another\t ability\t that builds\ton\temotional\tself-awareness,\tis\tthe\tfundamental\t\u201cpeople\tskill.\u201d Chapter\t 7\t will\t investigate\t the\t roots\t of\t empathy,\t the\t social\t cost\t of being\t emotionally\t tone-deaf,\t and\t the\t reason\t empathy\t kindles altruism.\t People\t who\t are\t empathic\t are\t more\t attuned\t to\t the\t subtle social\t signals\t that\t indicate\t what\t others\t need\t or\t want.\t This\t makes them\tbetter\tat\tcallings\tsuch\tas\tthe\tcaring\tprofessions,\tteaching,\tsales, and\tmanagement. 5.\t Handling\t relationships.\t The\t art\t of\t relationships\t is,\t in\t large\t part, skill\t in\t managing\t emotions\t in\t others.\t Chapter\t 8\t looks\t at\t social competence\tand\tincompetence,\tand\tthe\tspecific\tskills\tinvolved.\tThese are\t the\t abilities\t that\t undergird\t popularity,\t leadership,\t and interpersonal\teffectiveness.\tPeople\twho\texcel\tin\tthese\tskills\tdo\twell\tat anything\t that\t relies\t on\t interacting\t smoothly\t with\t others;\t they\t are social\tstars. Of\t course,\t people\t differ\t in\t their\t abilities\t in\t each\t of\t these\t domains; some\tof\tus\tmay\tbe\tquite\tadept\tat\thandling,\tsay,\tour\town\tanxiety,\tbut relatively\t inept\t at\t soothing\t someone\t else\u2019s\t upsets.\t The\t underlying basis\t for\t our\t level\t of\t ability\t is,\t no\t doubt,\t neural,\t but\t as\t we\t will\t see, the\t brain\t is\t remarkably\t plastic,\t constantly\t learning.\t Lapses\t in emotional\t skills\t can\t be\t remedied:\t to\t a\t great\t extent\t each\t of\t these domains\t represents\t a\t body\t of\t habit\t and\t response\t that,\t with\t the\t right effort,\tcan\tbe\timproved\ton. IQ\tAND\tEMOTIONAL\tINTELLIGENCE:\tPURE\tTYPES IQ\t and\t emotional\t intelligence\t are\t not\t opposing\t competencies,\t but rather\t separate\t ones.\t We\t all\t mix\t intellect\t and\t emotional\t acuity; people\t with\t a\t high\t IQ\t but\t low\t emotional\t intelligence\t (or\t low\t IQ\t and","high\t emotional\t intelligence)\t are,\t despite\t the\t stereotypes,\t relatively rare.\tIndeed,\tthere\tis\ta\tslight\tcorrelation\tbetween\tIQ\tand\tsome\taspects of\t emotional\t intelligence\u2014though\t small\t enough\t to\t make\t clear\t these are\tlargely\tindependent\tentities. Unlike\tthe\tfamiliar\ttests\tfor\tIQ,\tthere\tis,\tas\tyet,\tno\tsingle\tpaper-and- pencil\ttest\tthat\tyields\tan\t\u201cemotional\tintelligence\tscore\u201d\tand\tthere\tmay never\t be\t one.\t Although\t there\t is\t ample\t research\t on\t each\t of\t its components,\t some\t of\t them,\t such\t as\t empathy,\t are\t best\t tested\t by sampling\ta\tperson\u2019s\tactual\tability\tat\tthe\ttask\u2014for\texample,\tby\thaving them\tread\ta\tperson\u2019s\tfeelings\tfrom\ta\tvideo\tof\ttheir\tfacial\texpressions. Still,\tusing\ta\tmeasure\tfor\twhat\the\tcalls\t\u201cego\tresilience\u201d\twhich\tis\tquite similar\t to\t emotional\t intelligence\t (it\t includes\t the\t main\t social\t and emotional\t competences),\t Jack\t Block,\t a\t psychologist\t at\t the\t University of\t California\t at\t Berkeley,\t has\t made\t a\t comparison\t of\t two\t theoretical pure\t types:\t people\t high\t in\t IQ\t versus\t people\t high\t in\t emotional aptitudes.15\tThe\tdifferences\tare\ttelling. The\thigh-IQ\tpure\ttype\t(that\tis,\tsetting\taside\temotional\tintelligence) is\t almost\t a\t caricature\t of\t the\t intellectual,\t adept\t in\t the\t realm\t of\t mind but\t inept\t in\t the\t personal\t world.\t The\t profiles\t differ\t slightly\t for\t men and\t women.\t The\t high-IQ\t male\t is\t typified\u2014no\t surprise\u2014by\t a\t wide range\t of\t intellectual\t interests\t and\t abilities.\t He\t is\t ambitious\t and productive,\t predictable\t and\t dogged,\t and\t untroubled\t by\t concerns about\t himself.\t He\t also\t tends\t to\t be\t critical\t and\t condescending, fastidious\t and\t inhibited,\t uneasy\t with\t sexuality\t and\t sensual experience,\t unexpressive\t and\t detached,\t and\t emotionally\t bland\t and cold. By\tcontrast,\tmen\twho\tare\thigh\tin\temotional\tintelligence\tare\tsocially poised,\t outgoing\t and\t cheerful,\t not\t prone\t to\t fearfulness\t or\t worried rumination.\t They\t have\t a\t notable\t capacity\t for\t commitment\t to\t people or\tcauses,\tfor\ttaking\tresponsibility,\tand\tfor\thaving\tan\tethical\toutlook; they\t are\t sympathetic\t and\t caring\t in\t their\t relationships.\t Their emotional\t life\t is\t rich,\t but\t appropriate;\t they\t are\t comfortable\t with themselves,\tothers,\tand\tthe\tsocial\tuniverse\tthey\tlive\tin. Purely\t high-IQ\t women\t have\t the\t expected\t intellectual\t confidence, are\tfluent\tin\texpressing\ttheir\tthoughts,\tvalue\tintellectual\tmatters,\tand have\t a\t wide\t range\t of\t intellectual\t and\t aesthetic\t interests.\t They\t also tend\t to\t be\t introspective,\t prone\t to\t anxiety,\t rumination,\t and\t guilt,\t and hesitate\tto\texpress\ttheir\tanger\topenly\t(though\tthey\tdo\tso\tindirectly). Emotionally\tintelligent\twomen,\tby\tcontrast,\ttend\tto\tbe\tassertive\tand express\t their\t feelings\t directly,\t and\t to\t feel\t positive\t about\t themselves;","life\t holds\t meaning\t for\t them.\t Like\t the\t men,\t they\t are\t outgoing\t and gregarious,\t and\t express\t their\t feelings\t appropriately\t (rather\t than,\t say, in\t outbursts\t they\t later\t regret);\t they\t adapt\t well\t to\t stress.\t Their\t social poise\t lets\t them\t easily\t reach\t out\t to\t new\t people;\t they\t are\t comfortable enough\t with\t themselves\t to\t be\t playful,\t spontaneous,\t and\t open\t to sensual\t experience.\t Unlike\t the\t women\t purely\t high\t in\t IQ,\t they\t rarely feel\tanxious\tor\tguilty,\tor\tsink\tinto\trumination. These\t portraits,\t of\t course,\t are\t extremes\u2014all\t of\t us\t mix\t IQ\t and emotional\tintelligence\tin\tvarying\tdegrees.\tBut\tthey\toffer\tan\tinstructive look\t at\t what\t each\t of\t these\t dimensions\t adds\t separately\t to\t a\t person\u2019s qualities.\t To\t the\t degree\t a\t person\t has\t both\t cognitive\t and\t emotional intelligence,\t these\t pictures\t merge.\t Still,\t of\t the\t two,\t emotional intelligence\t adds\t far\t more\t of\t the\t qualities\t that\t make\t us\t more\t fully human.","4 Know\tThyself A\t belligerent\t samurai,\t an\t old\t Japanese\t tale\t goes,\t once\t challenged\t a Zen\t master\t to\t explain\t the\t concept\t of\t heaven\t and\t hell.\t But\t the\t monk replied\twith\tscorn,\t\u201cYou\u2019re\tnothing\tbut\ta\tlout\u2014I\tcan\u2019t\twaste\tmy\ttime with\tthe\tlikes\tof\tyou!\u201d His\t very\t honor\t attacked,\t the\t samurai\t flew\t into\t a\t rage\t and,\t pulling his\t sword\t from\t its\t scabbard,\t yelled,\t \u201cI\t could\t kill\t you\t for\t your impertinence.\u201d\t\u201cThat,\u201d\tthe\tmonk\tcalmly\treplied,\t\u201cis\thell.\u201d Startled\t at\t seeing\t the\t truth\t in\t what\t the\t master\t pointed\t out\t about the\tfury\tthat\thad\thim\tin\tits\tgrip,\tthe\tsamurai\tcalmed\tdown,\tsheathed his\tsword,\tand\tbowed,\tthanking\tthe\tmonk\tfor\tthe\tinsight. \u201cAnd\tthat,\u201d\tsaid\tthe\tmonk,\t\u201cis\theaven.\u201d The\t sudden\t awakening\t of\t the\t samurai\t to\t his\t own\t agitated\t state illustrates\tthe\tcrucial\tdifference\tbetween\tbeing\tcaught\tup\tin\ta\tfeeling and\t becoming\t aware\t that\t you\t are\t being\t swept\t away\t by\t it.\t Socrates\u2019s injunction\t \u201cKnow\t thyself\u201d\t speaks\t to\t this\t keystone\t of\t emotional intelligence:\tawareness\tof\tone\u2019s\town\tfeelings\tas\tthey\toccur. It\t might\t seem\t at\t first\t glance\t that\t our\t feelings\t are\t obvious;\t more thoughtful\t reflection\t reminds\t us\t of\t times\t we\t have\t been\t all\t too oblivious\t to\t what\t we\t really\t felt\t about\t something,\t or\t awoke\t to\t these feelings\tlate\tin\tthe\tgame.\tPsychologists\tuse\tthe\trather\tponderous\tterm metacognition\t to\t refer\t to\t an\t awareness\t of\t thought\t process,\t and metamood\tto\tmean\tawareness\tof\tone\u2019s\town\temotions.\tI\tprefer\tthe\tterm self-awareness,\t in\t the\t sense\t of\t an\t ongoing\t attention\t to\t one\u2019s\t internal states.1\tIn\tthis\tself-reflexive\tawareness\tmind\tobserves\tand\tinvestigates experience\titself,\tincluding\tthe\temotions.2 This\t quality\t of\t awareness\t is\t akin\t to\t what\t Freud\t described\t as\t an \u201cevenly\t hovering\t attention,\u201d\t and\t which\t he\t commended\t to\t those\t who would\t do\t psychoanalysis.\t Such\t attention\t takes\t in\t whatever\t passes through\t awareness\t with\t impartiality,\t as\t an\t interested\t yet\t unreactive witness.\tSome\tpsychoanalysts\tcall\tit\tthe\t\u201cobserving\tego,\u201d\tthe\tcapacity of\tself-awareness\tthat\tallows\tthe\tanalyst\tto\tmonitor\this\town\treactions to\t what\t the\t patient\t is\t saying,\t and\t which\t the\t process\t of\t free","association\tnurtures\tin\tthe\tpatient.3 Such\t self-awareness\t would\t seem\t to\t require\t an\t activated\t neocortex, particularly\t the\t language\t areas,\t attuned\t to\t identify\t and\t name\t the emotions\t being\t aroused.\t Self-awareness\t is\t not\t an\t attention\t that\t gets carried\t away\t by\t emotions,\t overreacting\t and\t amplifying\t what\t is perceived.\t Rather,\t it\t is\t a\t neutral\t mode\t that\t maintains\t self- reflectiveness\t even\t amidst\t turbulent\t emotions.\t William\t Styron\t seems to\t be\t describing\t something\t like\t this\t faculty\t of\t mind\t in\t writing\t of\t his deep\tdepression,\ttelling\tof\ta\tsense\t\u201cof\tbeing\taccompanied\tby\ta\tsecond self\u2014a\t wraithlike\t observer\t who,\t not\t sharing\t the\t dementia\t of\t his double,\tis\table\tto\twatch\twith\tdispassionate\tcuriosity\tas\this\tcompanion struggles.\u201d4 At\t its\t best,\t self-observation\t allows\t just\t such\t an\t equanimous awareness\t of\t passionate\t or\t turbulent\t feelings.\t At\t a\t minimum,\t it manifests\t itself\t simply\t as\t a\t slight\t stepping-back\t from\t experience,\t a parallel\t stream\t of\t consciousness\t that\t is\t \u201cmeta\u201d:\t hovering\t above\t or beside\t the\t main\t flow,\t aware\t of\t what\t is\t happening\t rather\t than\t being immersed\t and\t lost\t in\t it.\t It\t is\t the\t difference\t between,\t for\t example, being\t murderously\t enraged\t at\t someone\t and\t having\t the\t self-reflexive thought\t\u201cThis\tis\tanger\tI\u2019m\tfeeling\u201d\teven\tas\tyou\tare\tenraged.\tIn\tterms of\t the\t neural\t mechanics\t of\t awareness,\t this\t subtle\t shift\t in\t mental activity\t presumably\t signals\t that\t neocortical\t circuits\t are\t actively monitoring\t the\t emotion,\t a\t first\t step\t in\t gaining\t some\t control.\t This awareness\t of\t emotions\t is\t the\t fundamental\t emotional\t competence\t on which\tothers,\tsuch\tas\temotional\tself-control,\tbuild. Self-awareness,\tin\tshort,\tmeans\tbeing\t\u201caware\tof\tboth\tour\tmood\tand our\t thoughts\t about\t that\t mood,\u201d\t in\t the\t words\t of\t John\t Mayer,\t a University\t of\t New\t Hampshire\t psychologist\t who,\t with\t Yale\u2019s\t Peter Salovey,\t is\t a\t coformulator\t of\t the\t theory\t of\t emotional\t intelligence.5 Self-awareness\tcan\tbe\ta\tnonreactive,\tnonjudgmental\tattention\tto\tinner states.\t But\t Mayer\t finds\t that\t this\t sensibility\t also\t can\t be\t less equanimous;\t typical\t thoughts\t bespeaking\t emotional\t self-awareness include\t\u201cI\tshouldn\u2019t\tfeel\tthis\tway,\u201d\t\u201cI\u2019m\tthinking\tgood\tthings\tto\tcheer up,\u201d\t and,\t for\t a\t more\t restricted\t self-awareness,\t the\t fleeting\t thought \u201cDon\u2019t\tthink\tabout\tit\u201d\tin\treaction\tto\tsomething\thighly\tupsetting. Although\t there\t is\t a\t logical\t distinction\t between\t being\t aware\t of feelings\t and\t acting\t to\t change\t them,\t Mayer\t finds\t that\t for\t all\t practical purposes\tthe\ttwo\tusually\tgo\thand-in-hand:\tto\trecognize\ta\tfoul\tmood\tis to\twant\tto\tget\tout\tof\tit.\tThis\trecognition,\thowever,\tis\tdistinct\tfrom\tthe efforts\t we\t make\t to\t keep\t from\t acting\t on\t an\t emotional\t impulse.\t When","we\t say\t \u201cStop\t that!\u201d\t to\t a\t child\t whose\t anger\t has\t led\t him\t to\t hit\t a playmate,\t we\t may\t stop\t the\t hitting,\t but\t the\t anger\t still\t simmers.\t The child\u2019s\tthoughts\tare\tstill\tfixated\ton\tthe\ttrigger\tfor\tthe\tanger\u2014\u201cBut\the stole\tmy\ttoy!\u201d\u2014and\tthe\tanger\tcontinues\tunabated.\tSelf-awareness\thas a\t more\t powerful\t effect\t on\t strong,\t aversive\t feelings:\t the\t realization \u201cThis\tis\tanger\tI\u2019m\tfeeling\u201d\toffers\ta\tgreater\tdegree\tof\tfreedom\u2014not\tjust the\toption\tnot\tto\tact\ton\tit,\tbut\tthe\tadded\toption\tto\ttry\tto\tlet\tgo\tof\tit. Mayer\t finds\t that\t people\t tend\t to\t fall\t into\t distinctive\t styles\t for attending\tto\tand\tdealing\twith\ttheir\temotions:6 \u2022\tSelf-aware.\t Aware\t of\t their\t moods\t as\t they\t are\t having\t them,\t these people\t understandably\t have\t some\t sophistication\t about\t their emotional\t lives.\t Their\t clarity\t about\t emotions\t may\t undergird\t other personality\t traits:\t they\t are\t autonomous\t and\t sure\t of\t their\t own boundaries,\t are\t in\t good\t psychological\t health,\t and\t tend\t to\t have\t a positive\t outlook\t on\t life.\t When\t they\t get\t into\t a\t bad\t mood,\t they\t don\u2019t ruminate\t and\t obsess\t about\t it,\t and\t are\t able\t to\t get\t out\t of\t it\t sooner.\t In short,\ttheir\tmindfulness\thelps\tthem\tmanage\ttheir\temotions. \u2022\t Engulfed.\t These\t are\t people\t who\t often\t feel\t swamped\t by\t their emotions\t and\t helpless\t to\t escape\t them,\t as\t though\t their\t moods\t have taken\tcharge.\tThey\tare\tmercurial\tand\tnot\tvery\taware\tof\ttheir\tfeelings, so\tthat\tthey\tare\tlost\tin\tthem\trather\tthan\thaving\tsome\tperspective.\tAs a\t result,\t they\t do\t little\t to\t try\t to\t escape\t bad\t moods,\t feeling\t that\t they have\t no\t control\t over\t their\t emotional\t life.\t They\t often\t feel overwhelmed\tand\temotionally\tout\tof\tcontrol. \u2022\t Accepting.\t While\t these\t people\t are\t often\t clear\t about\t what\t they\t are feeling,\tthey\talso\ttend\tto\tbe\taccepting\tof\ttheir\tmoods,\tand\tso\tdon\u2019t\ttry to\tchange\tthem.\tThere\tseem\tto\tbe\ttwo\tbranches\tof\tthe\taccepting\ttype: those\twho\tare\tusually\tin\tgood\tmoods\tand\tso\thave\tlittle\tmotivation\tto change\tthem,\tand\tpeople\twho,\tdespite\ttheir\tclarity\tabout\ttheir\tmoods, are\t susceptible\t to\t bad\t ones\t but\t accept\t them\t with\t a\t laissez-faire attitude,\t doing\t nothing\t to\t change\t them\t despite\t their\t distress\u2014a pattern\tfound\tamong,\tsay,\tdepressed\tpeople\twho\tare\tresigned\tto\ttheir despair. THE\tPASSIONATE\tAND\tTHE\tINDIFFERENT Imagine\t for\t a\t moment\t that\t you\u2019re\t on\t an\t airplane\t flying\t from\t New York\t to\t San\t Francisco.\t It\u2019s\t been\t a\t smooth\t flight,\t but\t as\t you\t approach","the\t Rockies\t the\t pilot\u2019s\t voice\t comes\t over\t the\t plane\t intercom.\t \u201cLadies and\t gentlemen,\t there\u2019s\t some\t turbulence\t ahead.\t Please\t return\t to\t your seats\t and\t fasten\t your\t seatbelts.\u201d\t And\t then\t the\t plane\t hits\t the turbulence,\t which\t is\t rougher\t than\t you\u2019ve\t ever\t endured\u2014the\t airplane is\ttossed\tup\tand\tdown\tand\tside\tto\tside\tlike\ta\tbeach\tball\tin\tthe\twaves. The\t question\t is,\t what\t do\t you\t do?\t Are\t you\t the\t kind\t of\t person\t who buries\t yourself\t in\t your\t book\t or\t magazine,\t or\t continues\t watching\t the movie,\t tuning\t out\t the\t turbulence?\t Or\t are\t you\t likely\t to\t take\t out\t the emergency\t card\t and\t review\t the\t precautions,\t or\t watch\t the\t flight attendants\t to\t see\t if\t they\t show\t signs\t of\t panic,\t or\t strain\t to\t hear\t the engines\tto\tsee\tif\tthere\u2019s\tanything\tworrisome? Which\tof\tthese\tresponses\tcomes\tmore\tnaturally\tto\tus\tis\ta\tsign\tof\tour favored\tattentional\tstance\tunder\tduress.\tThe\tairplane\tscenario\titself\tis an\t item\t from\t a\t psychological\t test\t developed\t by\t Suzanne\t Miller,\t a psychologist\tat\tTemple\tUniversity,\tto\tassess\twhether\tpeople\ttend\tto\tbe vigilant,\t attending\t carefully\t to\t every\t detail\t of\t a\t distressing predicament,\t or,\t in\t contrast,\t deal\t with\t such\t anxious\t moments\t by trying\t to\t distract\t themselves.\t These\t two\t attentional\t stances\t toward distress\t have\t very\t different\t consequences\t for\t how\t people\t experience their\t own\t emotional\t reactions.\t Those\t who\t tune\t in\t under\t duress\t can, by\t the\t very\t act\t of\t attending\t so\t carefully,\t unwittingly\t amplify\t the magnitude\t of\t their\t own\t reactions\u2014especially\t if\t their\t tuning\t in\t is devoid\t of\t the\t equanimity\t of\t self-awareness.\t The\t result\t is\t that\t their emotions\tseem\tall\tthe\tmore\tintense.\tThose\twho\ttune\tout,\twho\tdistract themselves,\tnotice\tless\tabout\ttheir\town\treactions,\tand\tso\tminimize\tthe experience\tof\ttheir\temotional\tresponse,\tif\tnot\tthe\tsize\tof\tthe\tresponse itself. At\t the\t extremes,\t this\t means\t that\t for\t some\t people\t emotional awareness\tis\toverwhelming,\twhile\tfor\tothers\tit\tbarely\texists.\tConsider the\t college\t student\t who,\t one\t evening,\t spotted\t a\t fire\t that\t had\t broken out\t in\t his\t dorm,\t went\t to\t get\t a\t fire\t extinguisher,\t and\t put\t the\t fire\t out. Nothing\t unusual\u2014except\t that\t on\t his\t way\t to\t get\t the\t extinguisher\t and then\t on\t the\t way\t back\t to\t the\t fire,\t he\t walked\t instead\t of\t running.\t The reason?\tHe\tdidn\u2019t\tfeel\tthere\twas\tany\turgency. This\tstory\twas\ttold\tto\tme\tby\tEdward\tDiener,\ta\tUniversity\tof\tIllinois at\t Urbana\t psychologist\t who\t has\t been\t studying\t the\t intensity\t with which\t people\t experience\t their\t emotions.7\t The\t college\t student\t stood out\tin\this\tcollection\tof\tcase\tstudies\tas\tone\tof\tthe\tleast\tintense\tDiener had\t ever\t encountered.\t He\t was,\t essentially,\t a\t man\t without\t passions, someone\twho\tgoes\tthrough\tlife\tfeeling\tlittle\tor\tnothing,\teven\tabout\tan","emergency\tlike\ta\tfire. By\t contrast,\t consider\t a\t woman\t at\t the\t opposite\t end\t of\t Diener\u2019s spectrum.\tWhen\tshe\tonce\tlost\ther\tfavorite\tpen,\tshe\twas\tdistraught\tfor days.\t Another\t time\t she\t was\t so\t thrilled\t on\t seeing\t an\t ad\t for\t a\t big\t sale on\t women\u2019s\t shoes\t at\t an\t expensive\t store\t that\t she\t dropped\t what\t she was\t doing,\t hopped\t in\t her\t car,\t and\t drove\t three\t hours\t to\t the\t store\t in Chicago. Diener\tfinds\tthat\twomen,\tin\tgeneral,\tfeel\tboth\tpositive\tand\tnegative emotions\t more\t strongly\t than\t do\t men.\t And,\t sex\t differences\t aside, emotional\tlife\tis\tricher\tfor\tthose\twho\tnotice\tmore.\tFor\tone\tthing,\tthis enhanced\t emotional\t sensitivity\t means\t that\t for\t such\t people\t the\t least provocation\tunleashes\temotional\tstorms,\twhether\theavenly\tor\thellish, while\t those\t at\t the\t other\t extreme\t barely\t experience\t any\t feeling\t even under\tthe\tmost\tdire\tcircumstances. THE\tMAN\tWITHOUT\tFEELINGS Gary\t infuriated\t his\t fianc\u00e9e,\t Ellen,\t because\t even\t though\t he\t was intelligent,\t thoughtful,\t and\t a\t successful\t surgeon,\t Gary\t was emotionally\t flat,\t completely\t unresponsive\t to\t any\t and\t all\t shows\t of feeling.\tWhile\tGary\tcould\tspeak\tbrilliantly\tof\tscience\tand\tart,\twhen\tit came\t to\t his\t feelings\u2014even\t for\t Ellen\u2014he\t fell\t silent.\t Try\t as\t she\t might to\t elicit\t some\t passion\t from\t him,\t Gary\t was\t impassive,\t oblivious.\t \u201cI don\u2019t\tnaturally\texpress\tmy\tfeelings,\u201d\tGary\ttold\tthe\ttherapist\the\tsaw\tat Ellen\u2019s\t insistence.\t When\t it\t came\t to\t emotional\t life,\t he\t added,\t \u201cI\t don\u2019t know\t what\t to\t talk\t about;\t I\t have\t no\t strong\t feelings,\t either\t positive\t or negative.\u201d Ellen\t was\t not\t alone\t in\t being\t frustrated\t by\t Gary\u2019s\t aloofness;\t as\t he confided\t to\t his\t therapist,\t he\t was\t unable\t to\t speak\t openly\t about\t his feelings\twith\tanyone\tin\this\tlife.\tThe\treason:\tHe\tdid\tnot\tknow\twhat\the felt\t in\t the\t first\t place.\t So\t far\t as\t he\t could\t tell,\t he\t had\t no\t angers,\t no sadnesses,\tno\tjoys.8 As\this\town\ttherapist\tobserves,\tthis\temotional\tblankness\tmakes\tGary and\t others\t like\t him\t colorless,\t bland:\t \u201cThey\t bore\t everybody.\t That\u2019s why\ttheir\twives\tsend\tthem\tinto\ttreatment.\u201d\tGary\u2019s\temotional\tflatness exemplifies\t what\t psychiatrists\t call\t alexithymia,\t from\t the\t Greek\t a-for \u201clack,\u201d\tlexis\tfor\t \u201cword,\u201d\t and\t thymos\t for\t \u201cemotion.\u201d\t Such\t people\t lack words\tfor\ttheir\tfeelings.\tIndeed,\tthey\tseem\tto\tlack\tfeelings\taltogether, although\t this\t may\t actually\t be\t because\t of\t their\t inability\t to\t express","emotion\t rather\t than\t from\t an\t absence\t of\t emotion\t altogether.\t Such people\t were\t first\t noticed\t by\t psychoanalysts\t puzzled\t by\t a\t class\t of patients\t who\t were\t untreatable\t by\t that\t method\t because\t they\t reported no\t feelings,\t no\t fantasies,\t and\t colorless\t dreams\u2014in\t short,\t no\t inner emotional\t life\t to\t talk\t about\t at\t all.9\t The\t clinical\t features\t that\t mark alexithymics\t include\t having\t difficulty\t describing\t feelings\u2014their\t own or\t anyone\t else\u2019s\u2014and\t a\t sharply\t limited\t emotional\t vocabulary.10 What\u2019s\t more,\t they\t have\t trouble\t discriminating\t among\t emotions\t as well\tas\tbetween\temotion\tand\tbodily\tsensation,\tso\tthat\tthey\tmight\ttell of\t having\t butterflies\t in\t the\t stomach,\t palpitations,\t sweating,\t and dizziness\u2014but\tthey\twould\tnot\tknow\tthey\tare\tfeeling\tanxious. \u201cThey\t give\t the\t impression\t of\t being\t different,\t alien\t beings,\t having come\tfrom\tan\tentirely\tdifferent\tworld,\tliving\tin\tthe\tmidst\tof\ta\tsociety which\tis\tdominated\tby\tfeelings,\u201d\tis\tthe\tdescription\tgiven\tby\tDr.\tPeter Sifneos,\t the\t Harvard\t psychiatrist\t who\t in\t 1972\t coined\t the\t term alexithymia.11\t Alexithymics\t rarely\t cry,\t for\t example,\t but\t if\t they\t do their\t tears\t are\t copious.\t Still,\t they\t are\t bewildered\t if\t asked\t what\t the tears\t are\t all\t about.\t One\t patient\t with\t alexithymia\t was\t so\t upset\t after seeing\ta\tmovie\tabout\ta\twoman\twith\teight\tchildren\twho\twas\tdying\tof cancer\t that\t she\t cried\t herself\t to\t sleep.\t When\t her\t therapist\t suggested that\t perhaps\t she\t was\t upset\t because\t the\t movie\t reminded\t her\t of\t her own\t mother,\t who\t was\t in\t actuality\t dying\t of\t cancer,\t the\t woman\t sat motionless,\tbewildered\tand\tsilent.\tWhen\ther\ttherapist\tthen\tasked\ther how\t she\t felt\t at\t that\t moment,\t she\t said\t she\t felt\t \u201cawful,\u201d\t but\t couldn\u2019t clarify\t her\t feelings\t beyond\t that.\t And,\t she\t added,\t from\t time\t to\t time she\tfound\therself\tcrying,\tbut\tnever\tknew\texactly\twhat\tshe\twas\tcrying about.12 And\tthat\tis\tthe\tnub\tof\tthe\tproblem.\tIt\tis\tnot\tthat\talexithymics\tnever feel,\t but\t that\t they\t are\t unable\t to\t know\u2014and\t especially\t unable\t to\t put into\twords\u2014precisely\twhat\ttheir\tfeelings\tare.\tThey\tare\tutterly\tlacking in\t the\t fundamental\t skill\t of\t emotional\t intelligence,\t self-awareness\u2014 knowing\twhat\twe\tare\tfeeling\tas\temotions\troil\twithin\tus.\tAlexithymics belie\t the\t common-sense\t notion\t that\t it\t is\t perfectly\t self-evident\t what we\tare\tfeeling:\tthey\thaven\u2019t\ta\tclue.\tWhen\tsomething\u2014or\tmore\tlikely, someone\u2014does\t move\t them\t to\t feeling,\t they\t find\t the\t experience baffling\t and\t overwhelming,\t something\t to\t avoid\t at\t all\t costs.\t Feelings come\t to\t them,\t when\t they\t come\t at\t all,\t as\t a\t befuddling\t bundle\t of distress;\t as\t the\t patient\t who\t cried\t at\t the\t movie\t put\t it,\t they\t feel \u201cawful,\u201d\tbut\tcan\u2019t\tsay\texactly\twhich\tkind\tof\tawful\tit\tis\tthey\tfeel. This\t basic\t confusion\t about\t feelings\t often\t seems\t to\t lead\t them\t to","complain\t of\t vague\t medical\t problems\t when\t they\t are\t actually experiencing\t emotional\t distress\u2014a\t phenomenon\t known\t in\t psychiatry as\tsomaticizing,\t mistaking\t an\t emotional\t ache\t for\t a\t physical\t one\t (and different\tfrom\ta\tpsychosomatic\tdisease,\tin\twhich\temotional\tproblems cause\tgenuine\tmedical\tones).\tIndeed,\tmuch\tof\tthe\tpsychiatric\tinterest in\t alexithymics\t is\t in\t weeding\t them\t out\t from\t among\t those\t who\t come to\tdoctors\tseeking\thelp,\tfor\tthey\tare\tprone\tto\tlengthy\u2014and\tfruitless\u2014 pursuit\t of\t a\t medical\t diagnosis\t and\t treatment\t for\t what\t is\t actually\t an emotional\tproblem. While\t no\t one\t can\t as\t yet\t say\t for\t sure\t what\t causes\t alexithymia,\t Dr. Sifneos\t proposes\t a\t disconnection\t between\t the\t limbic\t system\t and\t the neocortex,\tparticularly\tits\tverbal\tcenters,\twhich\tfits\twell\twith\twhat\twe are\t learning\t about\t the\t emotional\t brain.\t Patients\t with\t severe\t seizures who\thad\tthat\tconnection\tsurgically\tsevered\tto\trelieve\ttheir\tsymptoms, notes\t Sifneos,\t became\t emotionally\t flat,\t like\t people\t with\t alexithymia, unable\tto\tput\ttheir\tfeelings\tinto\twords\tand\tsuddenly\tdevoid\tof\tfantasy life.\t In\t short,\t though\t the\t circuits\t of\t the\t emotional\t brain\t may\t react with\t feelings,\t the\t neocortex\t is\t not\t able\t to\t sort\t out\t these\t feelings\t and add\t the\t nuance\t of\t language\t to\t them.\t As\t Henry\t Roth\t observed\t in\t his novel\t Call\t It\t Sleep\t about\t this\t power\t of\t language,\t \u201cIf\t you\t could\t put words\tto\twhat\tyou\tfelt,\tit\twas\tyours.\u201d\tThe\tcorollary,\tof\tcourse,\tis\tthe alexithymic\u2019s\t dilemma:\t having\t no\t words\t for\t feelings\t means\t not making\tthe\tfeelings\tyour\town. IN\tPRAISE\tOF\tGUT\tFEELING Elliot\u2019s\t tumor,\t growing\t just\t behind\t his\t forehead,\t was\t the\t size\t of\t a small\t orange;\t surgery\t removed\t it\t completely.\t Although\t the\t surgery was\tdeclared\ta\tsuccess,\tafterward\tpeople\twho\tknew\thim\twell\tsaid\tthat Elliot\t was\t no\t longer\t Elliot\u2014he\t had\t undergone\t a\t drastic\t personality change.\t Once\t a\t successful\t corporate\t lawyer,\t Elliot\t could\t no\t longer hold\t a\t job.\t His\t wife\t left\t him.\t Squandering\t his\t savings\t in\t fruitless investments,\t he\t was\t reduced\t to\t living\t in\t a\t spare\t bedroom\t at\t his brother\u2019s\thome. There\t was\t a\t puzzling\t pattern\t to\t Elliot\u2019s\t problem.\t Intellectually\t he was\t as\t bright\t as\t ever,\t but\t he\t used\t his\t time\t terribly,\t getting\t lost\t in minor\tdetails;\the\tseemed\tto\thave\tlost\tall\tsense\tof\tpriority.\tReprimands made\t no\t difference;\t he\t was\t fired\t from\t a\t succession\t of\t legal\t jobs. Though\t extensive\t intellectual\t tests\t found\t nothing\t wrong\t with\t Elliot\u2019s","mental\t faculties,\t he\t went\t to\t see\t a\t neurologist\t anyway,\t hoping\t that discovery\t of\t a\t neurological\t problem\t might\t get\t him\t the\t disability benefits\t to\t which\t he\t felt\t he\t was\t entitled.\t Otherwise\t the\t conclusion seemed\tto\tbe\tthat\the\twas\tjust\ta\tmalingerer. Antonio\t Damasio,\t the\t neurologist\t Elliot\t consulted,\t was\t struck\t by one\t element\t missing\t from\t Elliot\u2019s\t mental\t repertoire:\t though\t nothing was\t wrong\t with\t his\t logic,\t memory,\t attention,\t or\t any\t other\t cognitive ability,\t Elliot\t was\t virtually\t oblivious\t to\t his\t feelings\t about\t what\t had happened\t to\t him.13\t Most\t strikingly,\t Elliot\t could\t narrate\t the\t tragic events\t of\t his\t life\t with\t complete\t dispassion,\t as\t though\t he\t were\t an onlooker\t to\t the\t losses\t and\t failures\t of\t his\t past\u2014without\t a\t note\t of regret\t or\t sadness,\t frustration\t or\t anger\t at\t life\u2019s\t unfairness.\t His\t own tragedy\tbrought\thim\tno\tpain;\tDamasio\tfelt\tmore\tupset\tby\tElliot\u2019s\tstory than\tdid\tElliot\thimself. The\tsource\tof\tthis\temotional\tunawareness,\tDamasio\tconcluded,\twas the\tremoval,\talong\twith\tthe\tbrain\ttumor,\tof\tpart\tof\tElliot\u2019s\tprefrontal lobes.\t In\t effect,\t the\t surgery\t had\t severed\t ties\t between\t the\t lower centers\t of\t the\t emotional\t brain,\t especially\t the\t amygdala\t and\t related circuits,\t and\t the\t thinking\t abilities\t of\t the\t neocortex.\t Elliot\u2019s\t thinking had\tbecome\tcomputerlike,\table\tto\tmake\tevery\tstep\tin\tthe\tcalculus\tof\ta decision,\t but\t unable\t to\t assign\t values\t to\t differing\t possibilities.\t Every option\t was\t neutral.\t And\t that\t overly\t dispassionate\t reasoning, suspected\t Damasio,\t was\t the\t core\t of\t Elliot\u2019s\t problem:\t too\t little awareness\t of\t his\t own\t feelings\t about\t things\t made\t Elliot\u2019s\t reasoning faulty. The\t handicap\t showed\t up\t even\t in\t mundane\t decisions.\t When Damasio\t tried\t to\t choose\t a\t time\t and\t date\t for\t the\t next\t appointment with\tElliot,\tthe\tresult\twas\ta\tmuddle\tof\tindecisiveness:\tElliot\tcould\tfind arguments\t for\t and\t against\t every\t date\t and\t time\t that\t Damasio proposed,\t but\t could\t not\t choose\t among\t them.\t At\t the\t rational\t level, there\t were\t perfectly\t good\t reasons\t for\t objecting\t to\t or\t accepting virtually\t every\t possible\t time\t for\t the\t appointment.\t But\t Elliot\t lacked any\t sense\t of\t how\t he\t felt\t about\t any\t of\t the\t times.\t Lacking\t that awareness\tof\this\town\tfeelings,\the\thad\tno\tpreferences\tat\tall. One\t lesson\t from\t Elliot\u2019s\t indecisiveness\t is\t the\t crucial\t role\t of\t feeling in\t navigating\t the\t endless\t stream\t of\t life\u2019s\t personal\t decisions.\t While strong\tfeelings\tcan\tcreate\thavoc\tin\treasoning,\tthe\tlack\tof\tawareness\tof feeling\t can\t also\t be\t ruinous,\t especially\t in\t weighing\t the\t decisions\t on which\tour\tdestiny\tlargely\tdepends:\twhat\tcareer\tto\tpursue,\twhether\tto stay\t with\t a\t secure\t job\t or\t switch\t to\t one\t that\t is\t riskier\t but\t more","interesting,\twhom\tto\tdate\tor\tmarry,\twhere\tto\tlive,\twhich\tapartment\tto rent\t or\t house\t to\t buy\u2014and\t on\t and\t on\t through\t life.\t Such\t decisions cannot\t be\t made\t well\t through\t sheer\t rationality;\t they\t require\t gut feeling,\tand\tthe\temotional\twisdom\tgarnered\tthrough\tpast\texperiences. Formal\tlogic\talone\tcan\tnever\twork\tas\tthe\tbasis\tfor\tdeciding\twhom\tto marry\tor\ttrust\tor\teven\twhat\tjob\tto\ttake;\tthese\tare\trealms\twhere\treason without\tfeeling\tis\tblind. The\t intuitive\t signals\t that\t guide\t us\t in\t these\t moments\t come\t in\t the form\t of\t limbic-driven\t surges\t from\t the\t viscera\t that\t Damasio\t calls \u201csomatic\t markers\u201d\u2014literally,\t gut\t feelings.\t The\t somatic\t marker\t is\t a kind\t of\t automatic\t alarm,\t typically\t calling\t attention\t to\t a\t potential danger\t from\t a\t given\t course\t of\t action.\t More\t often\t than\t not\t these markers\t steer\t us\t away\t from\t some\t choice\t that\t experience\t warns\t us against,\t though\t they\t can\t also\t alert\t us\t to\t a\t golden\t opportunity.\t We usually\t do\t not,\t at\t that\t moment,\t recall\t what\t specific\t experiences formed\t this\t negative\t feeling;\t all\t we\t need\t is\t the\t signal\t that\t a\t given potential\t course\t of\t action\t could\t be\t disastrous.\t Whenever\t such\t a\t gut feeling\t rises\t up,\t we\t can\t immediately\t drop\t or\t pursue\t that\t avenue\t of consideration\twith\tgreater\tconfidence,\tand\tso\tpare\tdown\tour\tarray\tof choices\t to\t a\t more\t manageable\t decision\t matrix.\t The\t key\t to\t sounder personal\tdecision-making,\tin\tshort:\tbeing\tattuned\tto\tour\tfeelings. PLUMBING\tTHE\tUNCONSCIOUS Elliot\u2019s\t emotional\t vacuity\t suggests\t that\t there\t may\t be\t a\t spectrum\t of people\u2019s\t ability\t to\t sense\t their\t emotions\t as\t they\t have\t them.\t By\t the logic\t of\t neuroscience,\t if\t the\t absence\t of\t a\t neural\t circuit\t leads\t to\t a deficit\t in\t an\t ability,\t then\t the\t relative\t strength\t or\t weakness\t of\t that same\t circuit\t in\t people\t whose\t brains\t are\t intact\t should\t lead\t to comparable\tlevels\tof\tcompetence\tin\tthat\tsame\tability.\tIn\tterms\tof\tthe role\t of\t prefrontal\t circuits\t in\t emotional\t attunement,\t this\t suggests\t that for\t neurological\t reasons\t some\t of\t us\t may\t more\t easily\t detect\t the stirring\tof\tfear\tor\tjoy\tthan\tdo\tothers,\tand\tso\tbe\tmore\temotionally\tself- aware. It\tmay\tbe\tthat\ta\ttalent\tfor\tpsychological\tintrospection\thinges\ton\tthis same\t circuitry.\t Some\t of\t us\t are\t naturally\t more\t attuned\t to\t the emotional\tmind\u2019s\tspecial\tsymbolic\tmodes:\tmetaphor\tand\tsimile,\talong with\tpoetry,\tsong,\tand\tfable,\tare\tall\tcast\tin\tthe\tlanguage\tof\tthe\theart. So\t too\t are\t dreams\t and\t myths,\t in\t which\t loose\t associations\t determine","the\t flow\t of\t narrative,\t abiding\t by\t the\t logic\t of\t the\t emotional\t mind. Those\twho\thave\ta\tnatural\tattunement\tto\ttheir\town\theart\u2019s\tvoice\u2014the language\t of\t emotion\u2014are\t sure\t to\t be\t more\t adept\t at\t articulating\t its messages,\t whether\t as\t a\t novelist,\t songwriter,\t or\t psychotherapist.\t This inner\tattunement\tshould\tmake\tthem\tmore\tgifted\tin\tgiving\tvoice\tto\tthe \u201cwisdom\t of\t the\t unconscious\u201d\u2014the\t felt\t meanings\t of\t our\t dreams\t and fantasies,\tthe\tsymbols\tthat\tembody\tour\tdeepest\twishes. Self-awareness\t is\t fundamental\t to\t psychological\t insight;\t this\t is\t the faculty\t that\t much\t of\t psychotherapy\t means\t to\t strengthen.\t Indeed, Howard\t Gardner\u2019s\t model\t for\t intrapsychic\t intelligence\t is\t Sigmund Freud,\t the\t great\t mapper\t of\t the\t psyche\u2019s\t secret\t dynamics.\t As\t Freud made\t clear,\t much\t of\t emotional\t life\t is\t unconscious;\t feelings\t that\t stir within\tus\tdo\tnot\talways\tcross\tthe\tthreshold\tinto\tawareness.\tEmpirical verification\t of\t this\t psychological\t axiom\t comes,\t for\t instance,\t from experiments\ton\tunconscious\temotions,\tsuch\tas\tthe\tremarkable\tfinding that\t people\t form\t definite\t likings\t for\t things\t they\t do\t not\t even\t realize they\t have\t seen\t before.\t Any\t emotion\t can\t be\u2014and\t often\t is\u2014 unconscious. The\tphysiological\tbeginnings\tof\tan\temotion\ttypically\toccur\tbefore\ta person\t is\t consciously\t aware\t of\t the\t feeling\t itself.\t For\t example,\t when people\twho\tfear\tsnakes\tare\tshown\tpictures\tof\tsnakes,\tsensors\ton\ttheir skin\twill\tdetect\tsweat\tbreaking\tout,\ta\tsign\tof\tanxiety,\tthough\tthey\tsay they\t do\t not\t feel\t any\t fear.\t The\t sweat\t shows\t up\t in\t such\t people\t even when\tthe\tpicture\tof\ta\tsnake\tis\tpresented\tso\trapidly\tthat\tthey\thave\tno conscious\tidea\tof\twhat,\texactly,\tthey\tjust\tsaw,\tlet\talone\tthat\tthey\tare beginning\t to\t get\t anxious.\t As\t such\t preconscious\t emotional\t stirrings continue\tto\tbuild,\tthey\teventually\tbecome\tstrong\tenough\tto\tbreak\tinto awareness.\t Thus\t there\t are\t two\t levels\t of\t emotion,\t conscious\t and unconscious.\t The\t moment\t of\t an\t emotion\t coming\t into\t awareness marks\tits\tregistering\tas\tsuch\tin\tthe\tfrontal\tcortex.14 Emotions\tthat\tsimmer\tbeneath\tthe\tthreshold\tof\tawareness\tcan\thave a\t powerful\t impact\t on\t how\t we\t perceive\t and\t react,\t even\t though\t we have\t no\t idea\t they\t are\t at\t work.\t Take\t someone\t who\t is\t annoyed\t by\t a rude\t encounter\t early\t in\t the\t day,\t and\t then\t is\t peevish\t for\t hours afterward,\t taking\t affront\t where\t none\t is\t intended\t and\t snapping\t at people\tfor\tno\treal\treason.\tHe\tmay\twell\tbe\toblivious\tto\this\tcontinuing irritability\t and\t will\t be\t surprised\t if\t someone\t calls\t attention\t to\t it, though\tit\tstews\tjust\tout\tof\this\tawareness\tand\tdictates\this\tcurt\treplies. But\tonce\tthat\treaction\tis\tbrought\tinto\tawareness\u2014once\tit\tregisters\tin the\t cortex\u2014he\t can\t evaluate\t things\t anew,\t decide\t to\t shrug\t off\t the","feelings\t left\t earlier\t in\t the\t day,\t and\t change\t his\t outlook\t and\t mood.\t In this\t way\t emotional\t self-awareness\t is\t the\t building\t block\t of\t the\t next fundamental\t of\t emotional\t intelligence:\t being\t able\t to\t shake\t off\t a\t bad mood.","5 Passion\u2019s\tSlaves Thou\thast\tbeen\t\u2026 A\tman\tthat\tFortune\u2019s\tbuffets\tand\trewards Has\ttaken\twith\tequal\tthanks\t\u2026\t.\tGive\tme\tthat\tman That\tis\tnot\tpassion\u2019s\tslave,\tand\tI\twill\twear\thim In\tmy\theart\u2019s\tcore,\taye,\tin\tmy\theart\tof\thearts As\tI\tdo\tthee.\u2026 \u2014HAMLET\tTO\tHIS\tFRIEND\tHORATIO A\t sense\t of\t self-mastery,\t of\t being\t able\t to\t withstand\t the\t emotional storms\t that\t the\t buffeting\t of\t Fortune\t brings\t rather\t than\t being \u201cpassion\u2019s\tslave,\u201d\thas\tbeen\tpraised\tas\ta\tvirtue\tsince\tthe\ttime\tof\tPlato. The\t ancient\t Greek\t word\t for\t it\t was\t sophrosyne,\t\u201ccare\tand\tintelligence in\t conducting\t one\u2019s\t life;\t a\t tempered\t balance\t and\t wisdom,\u201d\t as\t Page DuBois,\t a\t Greek\t scholar,\t translates\t it.\t The\t Romans\t and\t the\t early Christian\t church\t called\t it\t temperantia,\t temperance,\t the\t restraining\t of emotional\t excess.\t The\t goal\t is\t balance,\t not\t emotional\t suppression: every\t feeling\t has\t its\t value\t and\t significance.\t A\t life\t without\t passion would\tbe\ta\tdull\twasteland\tof\tneutrality,\tcut\toff\tand\tisolated\tfrom\tthe richness\t of\t life\t itself.\t But,\t as\t Aristotle\t observed,\t what\t is\t wanted\t is appropriate\t emotion,\t feeling\t proportionate\t to\t circumstance.\t When emotions\t are\t too\t muted\t they\t create\t dullness\t and\t distance;\t when\t out of\tcontrol,\ttoo\textreme\tand\tpersistent,\tthey\tbecome\tpathological,\tas\tin immobilizing\t depression,\t overwhelming\t anxiety,\t raging\t anger,\t manic agitation. Indeed,\t keeping\t our\t distressing\t emotions\t in\t check\t is\t the\t key\t to emotional\t well-being;\t extremes\u2014emotions\t that\t wax\t too\t intensely\t or for\t too\t long-undermine\t our\t stability.\t Of\t course,\t it\t is\t not\t that\t we should\t feel\t only\t one\t kind\t of\t emotion;\t being\t happy\t all\t the\t time somehow\tsuggests\tthe\tblandness\tof\tthose\tsmiley-face\tbadges\tthat\thad a\t faddish\t moment\t in\t the\t 1970s.\t There\t is\t much\t to\t be\t said\t for\t the constructive\t contribution\t of\t suffering\t to\t creative\t and\t spiritual\t life; suffering\tcan\ttemper\tthe\tsoul.","Downs\t as\t well\t as\t ups\t spice\t life,\t but\t need\t to\t be\t in\t balance.\t In\t the calculus\t of\t the\t heart\t it\t is\t the\t ratio\t of\t positive\t to\t negative\t emotions that\t determines\t the\t sense\t of\t well-being\u2014at\t least\t that\t is\t the\t verdict from\t studies\t of\t mood\t in\t which\t hundreds\t of\t men\t and\t women\t have carried\t beepers\t that\t reminded\t them\t at\t random\t times\t to\t record\t their emotions\t at\t that\t moment.1\t It\t is\t not\t that\t people\t need\t to\t avoid unpleasant\tfeelings\tto\tfeel\tcontent,\tbut\trather\tthat\tstormy\tfeelings\tnot go\tunchecked,\tdisplacing\tall\tpleasant\tmoods.\tPeople\twho\thave\tstrong episodes\t of\t anger\t or\t depression\t can\t still\t feel\t a\t sense\t of\t well-being\t if they\thave\ta\tcountervailing\tset\tof\tequally\tjoyous\tor\thappy\ttimes.\tThese studies\t also\t affirm\t the\t independence\t of\t emotional\t from\t academic intelligence,\tfinding\tlittle\tor\tno\trelationship\tbetween\tgrades\tor\tIQ\tand people\u2019s\temotional\twell-being. Just\t as\t there\t is\t a\t steady\t murmur\t of\t background\t thoughts\t in\t the mind,\t there\t is\t a\t constant\t emotional\t hum;\t beep\t someone\t at\t six\t A.M.\t or seven\tP.M.\tand\the\twill\talways\tbe\tin\tsome\tmood\tor\tother.\tOf\tcourse,\ton any\ttwo\tmornings\tsomeone\tcan\thave\tvery\tdifferent\tmoods;\tbut\twhen people\u2019s\t moods\t are\t averaged\t over\t weeks\t or\t months,\t they\t tend\t to reflect\t that\t person\u2019s\t overall\t sense\t of\t well-being.\t It\t turns\t out\t that\t for most\tpeople,\textremely\tintense\tfeelings\tare\trelatively\trare;\tmost\tof\tus fall\t into\t the\t gray\t middle\t range,\t with\t mild\t bumps\t in\t our\t emotional roller\tcoaster. Still,\t managing\t our\t emotions\t is\t something\t of\t a\t full-time\t job:\t much of\twhat\twe\tdo\u2014especially\tin\tour\tfree\ttime\u2014is\tan\tattempt\tto\tmanage mood.\t Everything\t from\t reading\t a\t novel\t or\t watching\t television\t to\t the activities\tand\tcompanions\twe\tchoose\tcan\tbe\ta\tway\tto\tmake\tourselves feel\t better.\t The\t art\t of\t soothing\t ourselves\t is\t a\t fundamental\t life\t skill; some\t psychoanalytic\t thinkers,\t such\t as\t John\t Bowlby\t and\t D.\t W. Winnicott,\t see\t this\t as\t one\t of\t the\t most\t essential\t of\t all\t psychic\t tools. The\t theory\t holds\t that\t emotionally\t sound\t infants\t learn\t to\t soothe themselves\t by\t treating\t themselves\t as\t their\t caretakers\t have\t treated them,\t leaving\t them\t less\t vulnerable\t to\t the\t upheavals\t of\t the\t emotional brain. As\t we\t have\t seen,\t the\t design\t of\t the\t brain\t means\t that\t we\t very\t often have\tlittle\tor\tno\tcontrol\tover\twhen\twe\tare\tswept\tby\temotion,\tnor\tover what\t emotion\t it\t will\t be.\t But\t we\t can\t have\t some\t say\t in\t how\t long\t an emotion\t will\t last.\t The\t issue\t arises\t not\t with\t garden-variety\t sadness, worry,\t or\t anger;\t normally\t such\t moods\t pass\t with\t time\t and\t patience. But\t when\t these\t emotions\t are\t of\t great\t intensity\t and\t linger\t past\t an","appropriate\t point,\t they\t shade\t over\t into\t their\t distressing\t extremes\u2014 chronic\t anxiety,\t uncontrollable\t rage,\t depression.\t And,\t at\t their\t most severe\t and\t intractable,\t medication,\t psychotherapy,\t or\t both\t may\t be needed\tto\tlift\tthem. In\tthese\ttimes,\tone\tsign\tof\tthe\tcapacity\tfor\temotional\tself-regulation may\t be\t recognizing\t when\t chronic\t agitation\t of\t the\t emotional\t brain\t is too\t strong\t to\t be\t overcome\t without\t pharmacologic\t help.\t For\t example, two\tthirds\tof\tthose\twho\tsuffer\tfrom\tmanic-depression\thave\tnever\tbeen treated\tfor\tthe\tdisorder.\tBut\tlithium\tor\tnewer\tmedications\tcan\tthwart the\t characteristic\t cycle\t of\t paralyzing\t depression\t alternating\t with manic\tepisodes\tthat\tmix\tchaotic\telation\tand\tgrandiosity\twith\tirritation and\trage.\tOne\tproblem\twith\tmanic-depression\tis\tthat\twhile\tpeople\tare in\tthe\tthroes\tof\tmania\tthey\toften\tfeel\tso\toverly\tconfident\tthat\tthey\tsee no\tneed\tfor\thelp\tof\tany\tkind\tdespite\tthe\tdisastrous\tdecisions\tthey\tare making.\t In\t such\t severe\t emotional\t disorders\t psychiatric\t medication offers\ta\ttool\tfor\tmanaging\tlife\tbetter. But\t when\t it\t comes\t to\t vanquishing\t the\t more\t usual\t range\t of\t bad moods,\t we\t are\t left\t to\t our\t own\t devices.\t Unfortunately,\t those\t devices are\t not\t always\t effective\u2014at\t least\t such\t is\t the\t conclusion\t reached\t by Diane\t Tice,\t a\t psychologist\t at\t Case\t Western\t Reserve\t University,\t who asked\t more\t than\t four\t hundred\t men\t and\t women\t about\t the\t strategies they\tused\tto\tescape\tfoul\tmoods,\tand\thow\tsuccessful\tthose\ttactics\twere for\tthem.2 Not\teveryone\tagrees\twith\tthe\tphilosophical\tpremise\tthat\tbad\tmoods should\t be\t changed;\t there\t are,\t Tice\t found,\t \u201cmood\t purists,\u201d\t the\t 5 percent\t or\t so\t of\t people\t who\t said\t they\t never\t try\t to\t change\t a\t mood since,\t in\t their\t view,\t all\t emotions\t are\t \u201cnatural\u201d\t and\t should\t be experienced\t just\t as\t they\t present\t themselves,\t no\t matter\t how dispiriting.\t And\t then\t there\t were\t those\t who\t regularly\t sought\t to\t get into\t unpleasant\t moods\t for\t pragmatic\t reasons:\t physicians\t who\t needed to\tbe\tsomber\tto\tgive\tpatients\tbad\tnews;\tsocial\tactivists\twho\tnurtured their\toutrage\tat\tinjustice\tso\tas\tto\tbe\tmore\teffective\tin\tbattling\tit;\teven a\t young\t man\t who\t told\t of\t working\t up\t his\t anger\t to\t help\t his\t little brother\t with\t playground\t bullies.\t And\t some\t people\t were\t positively Machiavellian\t about\t manipulating\t moods\u2014witness\t the\t bill\t collectors who\t purposely\t worked\t themselves\t into\t a\t rage\t in\t order\t to\t be\t all\t the firmer\t with\t deadbeats.3\t But\t these\t rare\t purposive\t cultivations\t of unpleasantness\t aside,\t most\t everyone\t complained\t of\t being\t at\t the mercy\t of\t their\t moods.\t People\u2019s\t track\t records\t at\t shaking\t bad\t moods were\tdecidedly\tmixed.","THE\tANATOMY\tOF\tRAGE Say\t someone\t in\t another\t car\t cuts\t dangerously\t close\t to\t you\t as\t you\t are driving\t on\t the\t freeway.\t If\t your\t reflexive\t thought\t is\t \u201cThat\t son\t of\t a bitch!\u201d\t it\t matters\t immensely\t for\t the\t trajectory\t of\t rage\t whether\t that thought\t is\t followed\t by\t more\t thoughts\t of\t outrage\t and\t revenge:\t \u201cHe could\thave\thit\tme!\tThat\tbastard\u2014I\tcan\u2019t\tlet\thim\tget\taway\twith\tthat!\u201d Your\tknuckles\twhiten\tas\tyou\ttighten\tyour\thold\ton\tthe\tsteering\twheel, a\tsurrogate\tfor\tstrangling\this\tthroat.\tYour\tbody\tmobilizes\tto\tfight,\tnot run\u2014leaving\t you\t trembling,\t beads\t of\t sweat\t on\t your\t forehead,\t your heart\tpounding,\tthe\tmuscles\tin\tyour\tface\tlocked\tin\ta\tscowl.\tYou\twant to\tkill\tthe\tguy.\tThen,\tshould\ta\tcar\tbehind\tyou\thonk\tbecause\tyou\thave slowed\tdown\tafter\tthe\tclose\tcall,\tyou\tare\tapt\tto\texplode\tin\trage\tat\tthat driver\t too.\t Such\t is\t the\t stuff\t of\t hypertension,\t reckless\t driving,\t even freeway\tshootings. Contrast\tthat\tsequence\tof\tbuilding\trage\twith\ta\tmore\tcharitable\tline of\t thought\t toward\t the\t driver\t who\t cut\t you\t off:\t \u201cMaybe\t he\t didn\u2019t\t see me,\tor\tmaybe\the\thad\tsome\tgood\treason\tfor\tdriving\tso\tcarelessly,\tsuch as\t a\t medical\t emergency.\u201d\t That\t line\t of\t possibility\t tempers\t anger\t with mercy,\t or\t at\t least\t an\t open\t mind,\t short-circuiting\t the\t buildup\t of\t rage. The\t problem,\t as\t Aristotle\u2019s\t challenge\t to\t have\t only\t appropriate\t anger reminds\t us,\t is\t that\t more\t often\t than\t not\t our\t anger\t surges\t out\t of control.\t Benjamin\t Franklin\t put\t it\t well:\t \u201cAnger\t is\t never\t without\t a reason,\tbut\tseldom\ta\tgood\tone.\u201d There\t are,\t of\t course,\t different\t kinds\t of\t anger.\t The\t amygdala\t may well\tbe\ta\tmain\tsource\tof\tthe\tsudden\tspark\tof\trage\twe\tfeel\tat\tthe\tdriver whose\t carelessness\t endangers\t us.\t But\t the\t other\t end\t of\t the\t emotional circuitry,\t the\t neocortex,\t most\t likely\t foments\t more\t calculated\t angers, such\t as\t cool-headed\t revenge\t or\t outrage\t at\t unfairness\t or\t injustice. Such\t thoughtful\t angers\t are\t those\t most\t likely,\t as\t Franklin\t put\t it,\t to \u201chave\tgood\treasons\u201d\tor\tseem\tto. Of\t all\t the\t moods\t that\t people\t want\t to\t escape,\t rage\t seems\t to\t be\t the most\t intransigent;\t Tice\t found\t anger\t is\t the\t mood\t people\t are\t worst\t at controlling.\t Indeed,\t anger\t is\t the\t most\t seductive\t of\t the\t negative emotions;\tthe\tself-righteous\tinner\tmonologue\tthat\tpropels\tit\talong\tfills the\tmind\twith\tthe\tmost\tconvincing\targuments\tfor\tventing\trage.\tUnlike sadness,\t anger\t is\t energizing,\t even\t exhilarating.\t Anger\u2019s\t seductive, persuasive\tpower\tmay\tin\titself\texplain\twhy\tsome\tviews\tabout\tit\tare\tso common:\t that\t anger\t is\t uncontrollable,\t or\t that,\t at\t any\t rate,\t it\t should not\t be\t controlled,\t and\t that\t venting\t anger\t in\t \u201ccatharsis\u201d\t is\t all\t to\t the","good.\tA\tcontrasting\tview,\tperhaps\ta\treaction\tagainst\tthe\tbleak\tpicture of\t these\t other\t two,\t holds\t that\t anger\t can\t be\t prevented\t entirely.\t But\t a careful\t reading\t of\t research\t findings\t suggests\t that\t all\t these\t common attitudes\ttoward\tanger\tare\tmisguided,\tif\tnot\toutright\tmyths.4 The\ttrain\tof\tangry\tthoughts\tthat\tstokes\tanger\tis\talso\tpotentially\tthe key\t to\t one\t of\t the\t most\t powerful\t ways\t to\t defuse\t anger:\t undermining the\tconvictions\tthat\tare\tfueling\tthe\tanger\tin\tthe\tfirst\tplace.\tThe\tlonger we\truminate\tabout\twhat\thas\tmade\tus\tangry,\tthe\tmore\t\u201cgood\treasons\u201d and\t self-justifications\t for\t being\t angry\t we\t can\t invent.\t Brooding\t fuels anger\u2019s\tflames.\tBut\tseeing\tthings\tdifferently\tdouses\tthose\tflames.\tTice found\t that\t reframing\t a\t situation\t more\t positively\t was\t one\t of\t the\t most potent\tways\tto\tput\tanger\tto\trest. The\tRage\t\u201cRush\u201d That\t finding\t squares\t well\t with\t the\t conclusions\t of\t University\t of Alabama\t psychologist\t Dolf\t Zillmann,\t who,\t in\t a\t lengthy\t series\t of careful\t experiments,\t has\t taken\t precise\t measure\t of\t anger\t and\t the anatomy\t of\t rage.5\t Given\t the\t roots\t of\t anger\t in\t the\t fight\t wing\t of\t the fight-or-flight\t response,\t it\t is\t no\t surprise\t that\t Zillmann\t finds\t that\t a universal\t trigger\t for\t anger\t is\t the\t sense\t of\t being\t endangered. Endangerment\tcan\tbe\tsignaled\tnot\tjust\tby\tan\toutright\tphysical\tthreat but\talso,\tas\tis\tmore\toften\tthe\tcase,\tby\ta\tsymbolic\tthreat\tto\tself-esteem or\t dignity:\t being\t treated\t unjustly\t or\t rudely,\t being\t insulted\t or demeaned,\t being\t frustrated\t in\t pursuing\t an\t important\t goal.\t These perceptions\tact\tas\tthe\tinstigating\ttrigger\tfor\ta\tlimbic\tsurge\tthat\thas\ta dual\t effect\t on\t the\t brain.\t One\t part\t of\t that\t surge\t is\t a\t release\t of catecholamines,\t which\t generate\t a\t quick,\t episodic\t rush\t of\t energy, enough\tfor\t\u201cone\tcourse\tof\tvigorous\taction,\u201d\tas\tZillmann\tputs\tit,\t\u201csuch as\tin\tfight\tor\tflight.\u201d\tThis\tenergy\tsurge\tlasts\tfor\tminutes,\tduring\twhich it\t readies\t the\t body\t for\t a\t good\t fight\t or\t a\t quick\t flight,\t depending\t on how\tthe\temotional\tbrain\tsizes\tup\tthe\topposition. Meanwhile,\t another\t amygdala-driven\t ripple\t through\t the adrenocortical\t branch\t of\t the\t nervous\t system\t creates\t a\t general\t tonic background\t of\t action\t readiness,\t which\t lasts\t much\t longer\t than\t the catecholamine\t energy\t surge.\t This\t generalized\t adrenal\t and\t cortical excitation\t can\t last\t for\t hours\t and\t even\t days,\t keeping\t the\t emotional brain\t in\t special\t readiness\t for\t arousal,\t and\t becoming\t a\t foundation\t on which\t subsequent\t reactions\t can\t build\t with\t particular\t quickness.\t In general,\t the\t hair-trigger\t condition\t created\t by\t adrenocortical\t arousal","explains\t why\t people\t are\t so\t much\t more\t prone\t to\t anger\t if\t they\t have already\tbeen\tprovoked\tor\tslightly\tirritated\tby\tsomething\telse.\tStress\tof all\t sorts\t creates\t adrenocortical\t arousal,\t lowering\t the\t threshold\t for what\tprovokes\tanger.\tThus\tsomeone\twho\thas\thad\ta\thard\tday\tat\twork is\t especially\t vulnerable\t to\t becoming\t enraged\t later\t at\t home\t by something\u2014the\t kids\t being\t too\t noisy\t or\t messy,\t say\u2014that\t under\t other circumstances\t would\t not\t be\t powerful\t enough\t to\t trigger\t an\t emotional hijacking. Zillmann\t comes\t to\t these\t insights\t on\t anger\t through\t careful experimentation.\tIn\ta\ttypical\tstudy,\tfor\texample,\the\thad\ta\tconfederate provoke\t men\t and\t women\t who\t had\t volunteered\t by\t making\t snide remarks\t about\t them.\t The\t volunteers\t then\t watched\t a\t pleasant\t or upsetting\tfilm.\tLater\tthe\tvolunteers\twere\tgiven\tthe\tchance\tto\tretaliate against\t the\t confederate\t by\t giving\t an\t evaluation\t they\t thought\t would be\tused\tin\ta\tdecision\twhether\tor\tnot\tto\thire\thim.\tThe\tintensity\tof\ttheir retaliation\t was\t directly\t proportional\t to\t how\t aroused\t they\t had\t gotten from\t the\t film\t they\t had\t just\t watched;\t they\t were\t angrier\t after\t seeing the\tunpleasant\tfilm,\tand\tgave\tthe\tworst\tratings. Anger\tBuilds\ton\tAnger Zillmann\u2019s\t studies\t seem\t to\t explain\t the\t dynamic\t at\t work\t in\t a\t familiar domestic\t drama\t I\t witnessed\t one\t day\t while\t shopping.\t Down\t the supermarket\t aisle\t drifted\t the\t emphatic,\t measured\t tones\t of\t a\t young mother\tto\ther\tson,\tabout\tthree:\t\u201cPut\t\u2026\tit\t\u2026\tback!\u201d \u201cBut\t I\t want\t it!\u201d\t he\t whined,\t clinging\t more\t tightly\t to\t a\t Ninja\t Turtles cereal\tbox. \u201cPut\tit\tback!\u201d\tLouder,\ther\tanger\ttaking\tover. At\tthat\tmoment\tthe\tbaby\tin\ther\tshopping\tcart\tseat\tdropped\tthe\tjar of\t jelly\t she\t had\t been\t mouthing.\t When\t it\t shattered\t on\t the\t floor\t the mother\t yelled,\t \u201cThat\u2019s\t it!\u201d\t and,\t in\t a\t fury,\t slapped\t the\t baby,\t grabbed the\t three-year-old\u2019s\t box\t and\t slammed\t it\t onto\t the\t nearest\t shelf, scooped\thim\tup\tby\tthe\twaist,\tand\trushed\tdown\tthe\taisle,\tthe\tshopping cart\t careening\t perilously\t in\t front,\t the\t baby\t now\t crying,\t her\t son,\t his legs\tdangling,\tprotesting,\t\u201cPut\tme\tdown,\tput\tme\tdown!\u201d Zillmann\t has\t found\t that\t when\t the\t body\t is\t already\t in\t a\t state\t of edginess,\t like\t the\t mother\u2019s,\t and\t something\t triggers\t an\t emotional hijacking,\t the\t subsequent\t emotion,\t whether\t anger\t or\t anxiety,\t is\t of especially\t great\t intensity.\t This\t dynamic\t is\t at\t work\t when\t someone becomes\t enraged.\t Zillmann\t sees\t escalating\t anger\t as\t \u201ca\t sequence\t of","provocations,\t each\t triggering\t an\t excitatory\t reaction\t that\t dissipates slowly.\u201d\tIn\tthis\tsequence\tevery\tsuccessive\tanger-provoking\tthought\tor perception\t becomes\t a\t minitrigger\t for\t amygdala-driven\t surges\t of catecholamines,\t each\t building\t on\t the\t hormonal\t momentum\t of\t those that\twent\tbefore.\tA\tsecond\tcomes\tbefore\tthe\tfirst\thas\tsubsided,\tand\ta third\t on\t top\t of\t those,\t and\t so\t on;\t each\t wave\t rides\t the\t tails\t of\t those before,\t quickly\t escalating\t the\t body\u2019s\t level\t of\t physiological\t arousal.\t A thought\tthat\tcomes\tlater\tin\tthis\tbuildup\ttriggers\ta\tfar\tgreater\tintensity of\tanger\tthan\tone\tthat\tcomes\tat\tthe\tbeginning.\tAnger\tbuilds\ton\tanger; the\t emotional\t brain\t heats\t up.\t By\t then\t rage,\t unhampered\t by\t reason, easily\terupts\tin\tviolence. At\t this\t point\t people\t are\t unforgiving\t and\t beyond\t being\t reasoned with;\ttheir\tthoughts\trevolve\taround\trevenge\tand\treprisal,\toblivious\tto what\tthe\tconsequences\tmay\tbe.\tThis\thigh\tlevel\tof\texcitation,\tZillmann says,\t\u201cfosters\tan\tillusion\tof\tpower\tand\tinvulnerability\tthat\tmay\tinspire and\t facilitate\t aggression\u201d\t as\t the\t enraged\t person,\t \u201cfailing\t cognitive guidance,\u201d\t falls\t back\t on\t the\t most\t primitive\t of\t responses.\t The\t limbic urge\tis\tascendant;\tthe\trawest\tlessons\tof\tlife\u2019s\tbrutality\tbecome\tguides to\taction. Balm\tfor\tAnger Given\t this\t analysis\t of\t the\t anatomy\t of\t rage,\t Zillmann\t sees\t two\t main ways\t of\t intervening.\t One\t way\t of\t defusing\t anger\t is\t to\t seize\t on\t and challenge\t the\t thoughts\t that\t trigger\t the\t surges\t of\t anger,\t since\t it\t is\t the original\t appraisal\t of\t an\t interaction\t that\t confirms\t and\t encourages\t the first\t burst\t of\t anger,\t and\t the\t subsequent\t reappraisals\t that\t fan\t the flames.\t Timing\t matters;\t the\t earlier\t in\t the\t anger\t cycle\t the\t more effective.\t Indeed,\t anger\t can\t be\t completely\t short-circuited\t if\t the mitigating\tinformation\tcomes\tbefore\tthe\tanger\tis\tacted\ton. The\t power\t of\t understanding\t to\t deflate\t anger\t is\t clear\t from\t another of\t Zillmann\u2019s\t experiments,\t in\t which\t a\t rude\t assistant\t (a\t confederate) insulted\t and\t provoked\t volunteers\t who\t were\t riding\t an\t exercise\t bike. When\t the\t volunteers\t were\t given\t the\t chance\t to\t retaliate\t against\t the rude\t experimenter\t (again,\t by\t giving\t a\t bad\t evaluation\t they\t thought would\t be\t used\t in\t weighing\t his\t candidacy\t for\t a\t job)\t they\t did\t so\t with an\t angry\t glee.\t But\t in\t one\t version\t of\t the\t experiment\t another confederate\t entered\t after\t the\t volunteers\t had\t been\t provoked,\t and\t just before\t the\t chance\t to\t retaliate;\t she\t told\t the\t provocative\t experimenter he\thad\ta\tphone\tcall\tdown\tthe\thall.\tAs\the\tleft\the\tmade\ta\tsnide\tremark","to\ther\ttoo.\tBut\tshe\ttook\tit\tin\tgood\tspirits,\texplaining\tafter\the\tleft\tthat he\t was\t under\t terrible\t pressures,\t upset\t about\t his\t upcoming\t graduate orals.\t After\t that\t the\t irate\t volunteers,\t when\t offered\t the\t chance\t to retaliate\tagainst\tthe\trude\tfellow,\tchose\tnot\tto;\tinstead\tthey\texpressed compassion\tfor\this\tplight. Such\t mitigating\t information\t allows\t a\t reappraisal\t of\t the\t anger- provoking\t events.\t But\t there\t is\t a\t specific\t window\t of\t opportunity\t for this\t de-escalation.\t Zillmann\t finds\t it\t works\t well\t at\t moderate\t levels\t of anger;\tat\thigh\tlevels\tof\trage\tit\tmakes\tno\tdifference\tbecause\tof\twhat\the calls\t\u201ccognitive\tincapacitation\u201d\u2014in\tother\twords,\tpeople\tcan\tno\tlonger think\t straight.\t When\t people\t were\t already\t highly\t enraged,\t they dismissed\t the\t mitigating\t information\t with\t \u201cThat\u2019s\t just\t too\t bad!\u201d\t or \u201cthe\t strongest\t vulgarities\t the\t English\t language\t has\t to\t offer,\u201d\t as Zillmann\tput\tit\twith\tdelicacy. Cooling\tDown Once\twhen\tI\twas\tabout\t13,\tin\tan\tangry\tfit,\tI\twalked\tout\tof\tthe\thouse\tvowing\tI\twould never\t return.\t It\t was\t a\t beautiful\t summer\t day,\t and\t I\t walked\t far\t along\t lovely\t lanes,\t till gradually\t the\t stillness\t and\t beauty\t calmed\t and\t soothed\t me,\t and\t after\t some\t hours\t I returned\t repentant\t and\t almost\t melted.\t Since\t then\t when\t I\t am\t angry,\t I\t do\t this\t if\t I\t can, and\tfind\tit\tthe\tbest\tcure. The\taccount\tis\tby\ta\tsubject\tin\tone\tof\tthe\tvery\tfirst\tscientific\tstudies of\tanger,\tdone\tin\t1899.6\tIt\tstill\tstands\tas\ta\tmodel\tof\tthe\tsecond\tway\tof de-escalating\t anger:\t cooling\t off\t physiologically\t by\t waiting\t out\t the adrenal\t surge\t in\t a\t setting\t where\t there\t are\t not\t likely\t to\t be\t further triggers\t for\t rage.\t In\t an\t argument,\t for\t instance,\t that\t means\t getting away\tfrom\tthe\tother\tperson\tfor\tthe\ttime\tbeing.\tDuring\tthe\tcooling-off period,\t the\t angered\t person\t can\t put\t the\t brakes\t on\t the\t cycle\t of escalating\t hostile\t thought\t by\t seeking\t out\t distractions.\t Distraction, Zillmann\tfinds,\tis\ta\thighly\tpowerful\tmood-altering\tdevice,\tfor\ta\tsimple reason:\tIt\u2019s\thard\tto\tstay\tangry\twhen\twe\u2019re\thaving\ta\tpleasant\ttime.\tThe trick,\tof\tcourse,\tis\tto\tget\tanger\tto\tcool\tto\tthe\tpoint\twhere\tsomeone\tcan have\ta\tpleasant\ttime\tin\tthe\tfirst\tplace. Zillmann\u2019s\t analysis\t of\t the\t ways\t anger\t escalates\t and\t de-escalates explains\t many\t of\t Diane\t Tice\u2019s\t findings\t about\t the\t strategies\t people commonly\t say\t they\t use\t to\t ease\t anger.\t One\t such\t fairly\t effective strategy\t is\t going\t off\t to\t be\t alone\t while\t cooling\t down.\t A\t large proportion\tof\tmen\ttranslate\tthis\tinto\tgoing\tfor\ta\tdrive\u2014a\tfinding\tthat","gives\tone\tpause\twhen\tdriving\t(and,\tTice\ttold\tme,\tinspired\ther\tto\tdrive more\tdefensively).\tPerhaps\ta\tsafer\talternative\tis\tgoing\tfor\ta\tlong\twalk; active\t exercise\t also\t helps\t with\t anger.\t So\t do\t relaxation\t methods\t such as\t deep\t breathing\t and\t muscle\t relaxation,\t perhaps\t because\t they change\tthe\tbody\u2019s\tphysiology\tfrom\tthe\thigh\tarousal\tof\tanger\tto\ta\tlow- arousal\t state,\t and\t perhaps\t too\t because\t they\t distract\t from\t whatever triggered\t the\t anger.\t Active\t exercise\t may\t cool\t anger\t for\t something\t of the\t same\t reason:\t after\t high\t levels\t of\t physiological\t activation\t during the\texercise,\tthe\tbody\trebounds\tto\ta\tlow\tlevel\tonce\tit\tstops. But\t a\t cooling-down\t period\t will\t not\t work\t if\t that\t time\t is\t used\t to pursue\tthe\ttrain\tof\tanger-inducing\tthought,\tsince\teach\tsuch\tthought\tis in\t itself\t a\t minor\t trigger\t for\t more\t cascades\t of\t anger.\t The\t power\t of distraction\tis\tthat\tit\tstops\tthat\tangry\ttrain\tof\tthought.\tIn\ther\tsurvey\tof people\u2019s\tstrategies\tfor\thandling\tanger,\tTice\tfound\tthat\tdistractions\tby and\t large\t help\t calm\t anger:\t TV,\t movies,\t reading,\t and\t the\t like\t all interfere\t with\t the\t angry\t thoughts\t that\t stoke\t rage.\t But,\t Tice\t found, indulging\t in\t treats\t such\t as\t shopping\t for\t oneself\t and\t eating\t do\t not have\tmuch\teffect;\tit\tis\tall\ttoo\teasy\tto\tcontinue\twith\tan\tindignant\ttrain of\t thought\t while\t cruising\t a\t shopping\t mall\t or\t devouring\t a\t piece\t of chocolate\tcake. To\t these\t strategies\t add\t those\t developed\t by\t Redford\t Williams,\t a psychiatrist\t at\t Duke\t University\t who\t sought\t to\t help\t hostile\t people, who\t are\t at\t higher\t risk\t for\t heart\t disease,\t to\t control\t their\t irritability.7 One\t of\t his\t recommendations\t is\t to\t use\t self-awareness\t to\t catch\t cynical or\t hostile\t thoughts\t as\t they\t arise,\t and\t write\t them\t down.\t Once\t angry thoughts\t are\t captured\t this\t way,\t they\t can\t be\t challenged\t and reappraised,\t though,\t as\t Zillmann\t found,\t this\t approach\t works\t better before\tanger\thas\tescalated\tto\trage. The\tVentilation\tFallacy As\tI\tsettle\tinto\ta\tNew\tYork\tCity\tcab,\ta\tyoung\tman\tcrossing\tthe\tstreet stops\t in\t front\t of\t the\t cab\t to\t wait\t for\t traffic\t to\t clear.\t The\t driver, impatient\tto\tstart,\thonks,\tmotioning\tfor\tthe\tyoung\tman\tto\tmove\tout\tof the\tway.\tThe\treply\tis\ta\tscowl\tand\tan\tobscene\tgesture. \u201cYou\t son\t of\t a\t bitch!\u201d\t the\t driver\t yells,\t making\t threatening\t lunges with\tthe\tcab\tby\thitting\tthe\taccelerator\tand\tbrake\tat\tthe\tsame\ttime.\tAt this\t lethal\t threat,\t the\t young\t man\t sullenly\t moves\t aside,\t barely,\t and smacks\this\tfist\tagainst\tthe\tcab\tas\tit\tinches\tby\tinto\ttraffic.\tAt\tthis,\tthe driver\tshouts\ta\tfoul\tlitany\tof\texpletives\tat\tthe\tman.","As\t we\t move\t along\t the\t driver,\t still\t visibly\t agitated,\t tells\t me,\t \u201cYou can\u2019t\ttake\tany\tshit\tfrom\tanyone.\tYou\tgotta\tyell\tback\u2014at\tleast\tit\tmakes you\tfeel\tbetter!\u201d Catharsis\u2014giving\t vent\t to\t rage\u2014is\t sometimes\t extolled\t as\t a\t way\t of handling\t anger.\t The\t popular\t theory\t holds\t that\t \u201cit\t makes\t you\t feel better.\u201d\t But,\t as\t Zillmann\u2019s\t findings\t suggest,\t there\t is\t an\t argument against\t catharsis.\t It\t has\t been\t made\t since\t the\t 1950s,\t when psychologists\t started\t to\t test\t the\t effects\t of\t catharsis\t experimentally and,\t time\t after\t time,\t found\t that\t giving\t vent\t to\t anger\t did\t little\t or nothing\tto\tdispel\tit\t(though,\tbecause\tof\tthe\tseductive\tnature\tof\tanger, it\tmay\tfeel\tsatisfying).8\t There\t may\t be\t some\t specific\t conditions\t under which\tlashing\tout\tin\tanger\tdoes\twork:\twhen\tit\tis\texpressed\tdirectly\tto the\t person\t who\t is\t its\t target,\t when\t it\t restores\t a\t sense\t of\t control\t or rights\tan\tinjustice,\tor\twhen\tit\tinflicts\t\u201cappropriate\tharm\u201d\ton\tthe\tother person\t and\t gets\t him\t to\t change\t some\t grievous\t activity\t without retaliating.\tBut\tbecause\tof\tthe\tincendiary\tnature\tof\tanger,\tthis\tmay\tbe easier\tto\tsay\tthan\tto\tdo.9 Tice\t found\t that\t ventilating\t anger\t is\t one\t of\t the\t worst\t ways\t to\t cool down:\t outbursts\t of\t rage\t typically\t pump\t up\t the\t emotional\t brain\u2019s arousal,\tleaving\tpeople\t feeling\t more\t angry,\t not\t less.\t Tice\t found\t that when\tpeople\ttold\tof\ttimes\tthey\thad\ttaken\ttheir\trage\tout\ton\tthe\tperson who\t provoked\t it,\t the\t net\t effect\t was\t to\t prolong\t the\t mood\t rather\t than end\t it.\t Far\t more\t effective\t was\t when\t people\t first\t cooled\t down,\t and then,\t in\t a\t more\t constructive\t or\t assertive\t manner,\t confronted\t the person\t to\t settle\t their\t dispute.\t As\t I\t once\t heard\t Chogyam\t Trungpa,\t a Tibetan\t teacher,\t reply\t when\t asked\t how\t best\t to\t handle\t anger:\t \u201cDon\u2019t suppress\tit.\tBut\tdon\u2019t\tact\ton\tit.\u201d SOOTHING\tANXIETY:\tWHAT,\tME\tWORRY? Oh,\t no!\t The\t muffler\t sounds\t bad.\u2026\t What\t if\t I\t have\t to\t take\t it\t to\t the\t shop?\u2026\t I\t can\u2019t afford\tthe\texpense.\u2026\tI\u2019d\thave\tto\tdraw\tthe\tmoney\tfrom\tJamie\u2019s\tcollege\tfund.\u2026\tWhat\tif I\t can\u2019t\t afford\t his\t tuition?\u2026\t That\t bad\t school\t report\t last\t week.\u2026\t What\t if\t his\t grades\t go down\tand\the\tcan\u2019t\tget\tinto\tcollege?\u2026\tMuffler\tsounds\tbad.\u2026 And\tso\tthe\tworrying\tmind\tspins\ton\tin\tan\tendless\tloop\tof\tlow-grade melodrama,\tone\tset\tof\tconcerns\tleading\ton\tto\tthe\tnext\tand\tback\tagain. The\t above\t specimen\t is\t offered\t by\t Lizabeth\t Roemer\t and\t Thomas Borkovec,\t Pennsylvania\t State\t University\t psychologists,\t whose","research\t on\t worrying\u2014the\t heart\t of\t all\t anxiety\u2014has\t raised\t the\t topic from\t neurotic\u2019s\t art\t to\t science.10\t There\t is,\t of\t course,\t no\t hitch\t when worry\t works;\t by\t mulling\t over\t a\t problem\u2014that\t is,\t employing constructive\t reflection,\t which\t can\t look\t like\t worrying\u2014a\t solution\t can appear.\t Indeed,\t the\t reaction\t that\t underlies\t worry\t is\t the\t vigilance\t for potential\t danger\t that\t has,\t no\t doubt,\t been\t essential\t for\t survival\t over the\t course\t of\t evolution.\t When\t fear\t triggers\t the\t emotional\t brain,\t part of\tthe\tresulting\tanxiety\tfixates\tattention\ton\tthe\tthreat\tat\thand,\tforcing the\t mind\t to\t obsess\t about\t how\t to\t handle\t it\t and\t ignore\t anything\t else for\tthe\ttime\tbeing.\tWorry\tis,\tin\ta\tsense,\ta\trehearsal\tof\twhat\tmight\tgo wrong\t and\t how\t to\t deal\t with\t it;\t the\t task\t of\t worrying\t is\t to\t come\t up with\t positive\t solutions\t for\t life\u2019s\t perils\t by\t anticipating\t dangers\t before they\tarise. The\t difficulty\t is\t with\t chronic,\t repetitive\t worries,\t the\t kind\t that recycle\t on\t and\t on\t and\t never\t get\t any\t nearer\t a\t positive\t solution.\t A close\tanalysis\tof\tchronic\tworry\tsuggests\tthat\tit\thas\tall\tthe\tattributes\tof a\t low-grade\t emotional\t hijacking:\t the\t worries\t seem\t to\t come\t from nowhere,\t are\t uncontrollable,\t generate\t a\t steady\t hum\t of\t anxiety,\t are impervious\t to\t reason,\t and\t lock\t the\t worrier\t into\t a\t single,\t inflexible view\t of\t the\t worrisome\t topic.\t When\t this\t same\t cycle\t of\t worry intensifies\t and\t persists,\t it\t shades\t over\t the\t line\t into\t full-blown\t neural hijackings,\t the\t anxiety\t disorders:\t phobias,\t obsessions\t and compulsions,\tpanic\tattacks.\tIn\teach\tof\tthese\tdisorders\tworry\tfixates\tin a\t distinct\t fashion;\t for\t the\t phobic,\t anxieties\t rivet\t on\t the\t feared situation;\t for\t the\t obsessive,\t they\t fixate\t on\t preventing\t some\t feared calamity;\tin\tpanic\tattacks,\tthe\tworries\tcan\tfocus\ton\ta\tfear\tof\tdying\tor on\tthe\tprospect\tof\thaving\tthe\tattack\titself. In\tall\tthese\tconditions\tthe\tcommon\tdenominator\tis\tworry\trun\tamok. For\t example,\t a\t woman\t being\t treated\t for\t obsessive-compulsive disorder\t had\t a\t series\t of\t rituals\t that\t took\t most\t of\t her\t waking\t hours: forty-five-minute\t showers\t several\t times\t daily,\t washing\t her\t hands\t for five\t minutes\t twenty\t or\t more\t times\t a\t day.\t She\t would\t not\t sit\t down unless\t she\t first\t swabbed\t the\t seat\t with\t rubbing\t alcohol\t to\t sterilize\t it. Nor\twould\tshe\ttouch\ta\tchild\tor\tan\tanimal\u2014both\twere\t\u201ctoo\tdirty.\u201d\tAll these\t compulsions\t were\t stirred\t by\t her\t underlying\t morbid\t fear\t of germs;\t she\t worried\t constantly\t that\t without\t her\t washing\t and sterilizing\tshe\twould\tcatch\ta\tdisease\tand\tdie.11 A\t woman\t being\t treated\t for\t \u201cgeneralized\t anxiety\t disorder\u201d\u2014the psychiatric\t nomenclature\t for\t being\t a\t constant\t worrier\u2014responded\t to the\trequest\tto\tworry\taloud\tfor\tone\tminute\tthis\tway:","I\tmight\tnot\tdo\tthis\tright.\tThis\tmay\tbe\tso\tartificial\tthat\tit\twon\u2019t\tbe\tan\tindication\tof\tthe real\t thing\t and\t we\t need\t to\t get\t at\t the\t real\t thing.\u2026\t Because\t if\t we\t don\u2019t\t get\t at\t the\t real thing,\tI\twon\u2019t\tget\twell.\tAnd\tif\tI\tdon\u2019t\tget\twell\tI\u2019ll\tnever\tbe\thappy.12 In\t this\t virtuoso\t display\t of\t worrying\t about\t worrying,\t the\t very request\t to\t worry\t for\t one\t minute\t had,\t within\t a\t few\t short\t seconds, escalated\t to\t contemplation\t of\t a\t lifelong\t catastrophe:\t \u201cI\u2019ll\t never\t be happy.\u201d\tWorries\ttypically\tfollow\tsuch\tlines,\ta\tnarrative\tto\toneself\tthat jumps\t from\t concern\t to\t concern\t and\t more\t often\t than\t not\t includes catastrophizing,\t imagining\t some\t terrible\t tragedy.\t Worries\t are\t almost always\texpressed\tin\tthe\tmind\u2019s\tear,\tnot\tits\teye\u2014that\tis,\tin\twords,\tnot images\u2014a\tfact\tthat\thas\tsignificance\tfor\tcontrolling\tworry. Borkovec\t and\t his\t colleagues\t began\t to\t study\t worrying\t per\t se\t when they\t were\t trying\t to\t come\t up\t with\t a\t treatment\t for\t insomnia.\t Anxiety, other\t researchers\t have\t observed,\t comes\t in\t two\t forms:\t cognitive,\t or worrisome\t thoughts,\t and\t somatic,\t the\t physiological\t symptoms\t of anxiety,\tsuch\tas\tsweating,\ta\tracing\theart,\tor\tmuscle\ttension.\tThe\tmain trouble\t with\t insomniacs,\t Borkovec\t found,\t was\t not\t the\t somatic arousal.\t What\t kept\t them\t up\t were\t intrusive\t thoughts.\t They\t were chronic\t worriers,\t and\t could\t not\t stop\t worrying,\t no\t matter\t how\t sleepy they\t were.\t The\t one\t thing\t that\t worked\t in\t helping\t them\t get\t to\t sleep was\t getting\t their\t minds\t off\t their\t worries,\t focusing\t instead\t on\t the sensations\t produced\t by\t a\t relaxation\t method.\t In\t short,\t the\t worries could\tbe\tstopped\tby\tshifting\tattention\taway. Most\tworriers,\thowever,\tcan\u2019t\tseem\tto\tdo\tthis.\tThe\treason,\tBorkovec believes,\t has\t to\t do\t with\t a\t partial\t payoff\t from\t worrying\t that\t is\t highly reinforcing\t to\t the\t habit.\t There\t is,\t it\t seems,\t something\t positive\t in worries:\tworries\tare\tways\tto\tdeal\twith\tpotential\tthreats,\twith\tdangers that\tmay\tcome\tone\u2019s\tway.\tThe\twork\tof\tworrying\u2014when\tit\tsucceeds\u2014 is\t to\t rehearse\t what\t those\t dangers\t are,\t and\t to\t reflect\t on\t ways\t to\t deal with\t them.\t But\t worry\t doesn\u2019t\t work\t all\t that\t well.\t New\t solutions\t and fresh\tways\tof\tseeing\ta\tproblem\tdo\tnot\ttypically\tcome\tfrom\tworrying, especially\tchronic\tworry.\tInstead\tof\tcoming\tup\twith\tsolutions\tto\tthese potential\t problems,\t worriers\t typically\t simply\t ruminate\t on\t the\t danger itself,\timmersing\tthemselves\tin\ta\tlow-key\tway\tin\tthe\tdread\tassociated with\t it\t while\t staying\t in\t the\t same\t rut\t of\t thought.\t Chronic\t worriers worry\t about\t a\t wide\t range\t of\t things,\t most\t of\t which\t have\t almost\t no chance\tof\thappening;\tthey\tread\tdangers\tinto\tlife\u2019s\tjourney\tthat\tothers never\tnotice. Yet\t chronic\t worriers\t tell\t Borkovec\t that\t worrying\t helps\t them,\t and","that\t their\t worries\t are\t self-perpetuating,\t an\t endless\t loop\t of\t angst- ridden\tthought.\tWhy\tshould\tworry\tbecome\twhat\tseems\tto\tamount\tto\ta mental\t addiction?\t Oddly,\t as\t Borkovec\t points\t out,\t the\t worry\t habit\t is reinforcing\t in\t the\t same\t sense\t that\t superstitions\t are.\t Since\t people worry\tabout\tmany\tthings\tthat\thave\ta\tvery\tlow\tprobability\tof\tactually occurring\u2014a\t loved\t one\t dying\t in\t a\t plane\t crash,\t going\t bankrupt,\t and the\t like\u2014there\t is,\t to\t the\t primitive\t limbic\t brain\t at\t least,\t something magical\tabout\tit.\tLike\tan\tamulet\tthat\twards\toff\tsome\tanticipated\tevil, the\t worry\t psychologically\t gets\t the\t credit\t for\t preventing\t the\t danger\t it obsesses\tabout. The\tWork\tof\tWorrying She\thad\tmoved\tto\tLos\tAngeles\tfrom\tthe\tMidwest,\tlured\tby\ta\tjob\twith\ta\tpublisher.\tBut the\t publisher\t was\t bought\t by\t another\t soon\t after,\t and\t she\t was\t left\t without\t a\t job. Turning\tto\tfreelance\twriting,\tan\terratic\tmarketplace,\tshe\tfound\therself\teither\tswamped with\t work\t or\t unable\t to\t pay\t her\t rent.\t She\t often\t had\t to\t ration\t phone\t calls,\t and\t for\t the first\t time\t was\t without\t health\t insurance.\t This\t lack\t of\t coverage\t was\t particularly distressing:\t she\t found\t herself\t catastrophizing\t about\t her\t health,\t sure\t every\t headache signaled\t a\t brain\t tumor,\t picturing\t herself\t in\t an\t accident\t whenever\t she\t had\t to\t drive somewhere.\t She\t often\t found\t herself\t lost\t in\t a\t long\t reverie\t of\t worry,\t a\t medley\t of distress.\tBut,\tshe\tsaid,\tshe\tfound\ther\tworries\talmost\taddictive. Borkovec\tdiscovered\tanother\tunexpected\tbenefit\tto\tworrying.\tWhile people\t are\t immersed\t in\t their\t worried\t thoughts,\t they\t do\t not\t seem\t to notice\t the\t subjective\t sensations\t of\t the\t anxiety\t those\t worries\t stir\u2014the speedy\theartbeat,\tthe\tbeads\tof\tsweat,\tthe\tshakiness\u2014and\tas\tthe\tworry proceeds\tit\tactually\tseems\tto\tsuppress\tsome\tof\tthat\tanxiety,\tat\tleast\tas reflected\t in\t heart\t rate.\t The\t sequence\t presumably\t goes\t something\t like this:\t The\t worrier\t notices\t something\t that\t triggers\t the\t image\t of\t some potential\t threat\t or\t danger;\t that\t imagined\t catastrophe\t in\t turn\t triggers a\tmild\tattack\tof\tanxiety.\tThe\tworrier\tthen\tplunges\tinto\ta\tlong\tseries\tof distressed\tthoughts,\teach\tof\twhich\tprimes\tyet\tanother\ttopic\tfor\tworry; as\t attention\t continues\t to\t be\t carried\t along\t by\t this\t train\t of\t worry, focusing\t on\t these\t very\t thoughts\t takes\t the\t mind\t off\t the\t original catastrophic\t image\t that\t triggered\t the\t anxiety.\t Images,\t Borkovec found,\t are\t more\t powerful\t triggers\t for\t physiological\t anxiety\t than\t are thoughts,\t so\t immersion\t in\t thoughts,\t to\t the\t exclusion\t of\t catastrophic images,\t partially\t alleviates\t the\t experience\t of\t being\t anxious.\t And,\t to that\t extent,\t the\t worry\t is\t also\t reinforced,\t as\t a\t halfway\t antidote\t to\t the","very\tanxiety\tit\tevoked. But\tchronic\tworries\tare\tself-defeating\ttoo\tin\tthat\tthey\ttake\tthe\tform of\t stereotyped,\t rigid\t ideas,\t not\t creative\t breakthroughs\t that\t actually move\t toward\t solving\t the\t problem.\t This\t rigidity\t shows\t up\t not\t just\t in the\t manifest\t content\t of\t worried\t thought,\t which\t simply\t repeats\t more or\tless\tthe\tsame\tideas\tover\tand\tover.\tBut\tat\ta\tneurological\tlevel\tthere seems\tto\tbe\ta\tcortical\trigidity,\ta\tdeficit\tin\tthe\temotional\tbrain\u2019s\tability to\trespond\tflexibly\tto\tchanging\tcircumstance.\tIn\tshort,\tchronic\tworry works\t in\t some\t ways,\t but\t not\t in\t other,\t more\t consequential\t ones:\t it eases\tsome\tanxiety,\tbut\tnever\tsolves\tthe\tproblem. The\t one\t thing\t that\t chronic\t worriers\t cannot\t do\t is\t follow\t the\t advice they\t are\t most\t often\t given:\t \u201cJust\t stop\t worrying\u201d\t (or,\t worse,\t \u201cDon\u2019t worry\u2014be\t happy\u201d).\t Since\t chronic\t worries\t seem\t to\t be\t low-grade amygdala\t episodes,\t they\t come\t unbidden.\t And,\t by\t their\t very\t nature, they\t persist\t once\t they\t arise\t in\t the\t mind.\t But\t after\t much experimentation,\tBorkovec\tdiscovered\tsome\tsimple\tsteps\tthat\tcan\thelp even\tthe\tmost\tchronic\tworrier\tcontrol\tthe\thabit. The\t first\t step\t is\t self-awareness,\t catching\t the\t worrisome\t episodes\t as near\t their\t beginning\t as\t possible\u2014ideally,\t as\t soon\t as\t or\t just\t after\t the fleeting\tcatastrophic\timage\ttriggers\tthe\tworry-anxiety\tcycle.\tBorkovec trains\t people\t in\t this\t approach\t by\t first\t teaching\t them\t to\t monitor\t cues for\t anxiety,\t especially\t learning\t to\t identify\t situations\t that\t trigger worry,\t or\t the\t fleeting\t thoughts\t and\t images\t that\t initiate\t the\t worry,\t as well\t as\t the\t accompanying\t sensations\t of\t anxiety\t in\t the\t body.\t With practice,\tpeople\tcan\tidentify\tthe\tworries\tat\tan\tearlier\tand\tearlier\tpoint in\t the\t anxiety\t spiral.\t People\t also\t learn\t relaxation\t methods\t that\t they can\t apply\t at\t the\t moment\t they\t recognize\t the\t worry\t beginning,\t and practice\t the\t relaxation\t method\t daily\t so\t they\t will\t be\t able\t to\t use\t it\t on the\tspot,\twhen\tthey\tneed\tit\tthe\tmost. The\t relaxation\t method,\t though,\t is\t not\t enough\t in\t itself.\t Worriers also\t need\t to\t actively\t challenge\t the\t worrisome\t thoughts;\t failing\t this, the\t worry\t spiral\t will\t keep\t coming\t back.\t So\t the\t next\t step\t is\t to\t take\t a critical\t stance\t toward\t their\t assumptions:\t Is\t it\t very\t probable\t that\t the dreaded\t event\t will\t occur?\t Is\t it\t necessarily\t the\t case\t that\t there\t is\t only one\tor\tno\talternative\tto\tletting\tit\thappen?\tAre\tthere\tconstructive\tsteps to\t be\t taken?\t Does\t it\t really\t help\t to\t run\t through\t these\t same\t anxious thoughts\tover\tand\tover? This\t combination\t of\t mindfulness\t and\t healthy\t skepticism\t would, presumably,\t act\t as\t a\t brake\t on\t the\t neural\t activation\t that\t underlies low-grade\t anxiety.\t Actively\t generating\t such\t thoughts\t may\t prime\t the","circuitry\t that\t can\t inhibit\t the\t limbic\t driving\t of\t worry;\t at\t the\t same time,\tactively\tinducing\ta\trelaxed\tstate\tcounters\tthe\tsignals\tfor\tanxiety the\temotional\tbrain\tis\tsending\tthroughout\tthe\tbody. Indeed,\t Borkovec\t points\t out,\t these\t strategies\t establish\t a\t train\t of mental\t activity\t that\t is\t incompatible\t with\t worry.\t When\t a\t worry\t is allowed\t to\t repeat\t over\t and\t over\t unchallenged,\t it\t gains\t in\t persuasive power;\t challenging\t it\t by\t contemplating\t a\t range\t of\t equally\t plausible points\t of\t view\t keeps\t the\t one\t worried\t thought\t from\t being\t naively taken\tas\ttrue.\tEven\tsome\tpeople\twhose\tworrying\tis\tserious\tenough\tto qualify\tfor\ta\tpsychiatric\tdiagnosis\thave\tbeen\trelieved\tof\tthe\tworrying habit\tthis\tway. On\t the\t other\t hand,\t for\t people\t with\t worries\t so\t severe\t they\t have flowered\t into\t phobia,\t obsessive-compulsive\t disorder,\t or\t panic disorder,\tit\tmay\tbe\tprudent\u2014indeed,\ta\tsign\tof\tself-awareness\u2014to\tturn to\t medication\t to\t interrupt\t the\t cycle.\t A\t retraining\t of\t the\t emotional circuitry\tthrough\ttherapy\tis\tstill\tcalled\tfor,\thowever,\tin\torder\tto\tlessen the\t likelihood\t that\t anxiety\t disorders\t will\t recur\t when\t medication\t is stopped.13 MANAGING\tMELANCHOLY The\t single\t mood\t people\t generally\t put\t most\t effort\t into\t shaking\t is sadness;\t Diane\t Tice\t found\t that\t people\t are\t most\t inventive\t when\t it comes\tto\ttrying\tto\tescape\tthe\tblues.\tOf\tcourse,\tnot\tall\tsadness\tshould be\t escaped;\t melancholy,\t like\t every\t other\t mood,\t has\t its\t benefits.\t The sadness\tthat\ta\tloss\tbrings\thas\tcertain\tinvariable\teffects:\tit\tcloses\tdown our\t interest\t in\t diversions\t and\t pleasures,\t fixes\t attention\t on\t what\t has been\tlost,\tand\tsaps\tour\tenergy\tfor\tstarting\tnew\tendeavors\u2014at\tleast\tfor the\t time\t being.\t In\t short,\t it\t enforces\t a\t kind\t of\t reflective\t retreat\t from life\u2019s\t busy\t pursuits,\t and\t leaves\t us\t in\t a\t suspended\t state\t to\t mourn\t the loss,\t mull\t over\t its\t meaning,\t and,\t finally,\t make\t the\t psychological adjustments\tand\tnew\tplans\tthat\twill\tallow\tour\tlives\tto\tcontinue. Bereavement\tis\tuseful;\tfull-blown\tdepression\tis\tnot.\tWilliam\tStyron renders\tan\teloquent\tdescription\tof\t\u201cthe\tmany\tdreadful\tmanifestations of\t the\t disease,\u201d\t among\t them\t self-hatred,\t a\t sense\t of\t worthlessness,\t a \u201cdank\t joylessness\u201d\t with\t \u201cgloom\t crowding\t in\t on\t me,\t a\t sense\t of\t dread and\talienation\tand,\tabove\tall,\ta\tstifling\tanxiety.\u201d14\tThen\tthere\tare\tthe intellectual\t marks:\t \u201cconfusion,\t failure\t of\t mental\t focus\t and\t lapse\t of memories,\u201d\t and,\t at\t a\t later\t stage,\t his\t mind\t \u201cdominated\t by\t anarchic","distortions,\u201d\tand\t\u201ca\tsense\tthat\tmy\tthought\tprocesses\twere\tengulfed\tby a\t toxic\t and\t unnameable\t tide\t that\t obliterated\t any\t enjoyable\t response to\t the\t living\t world.\u201d\t There\t are\t the\t physical\t effects:\t sleeplessness, feeling\tas\tlistless\tas\ta\tzombie,\t\u201ca\tkind\tof\tnumbness,\tan\tenervation,\tbut more\tparticularly\tan\todd\tfragility,\u201d\talong\twith\ta\t\u201cfidgety\trestlessness.\u201d Then\t there\t is\t the\t loss\t of\t pleasure:\t \u201cFood,\t like\t everything\t else\t within the\t scope\t of\t sensation,\t was\t utterly\t without\t savor.\u201d\t Finally,\t there\t was the\tvanishing\tof\thope\tas\tthe\t\u201cgray\tdrizzle\tof\thorror\u201d\ttook\ton\ta\tdespair so\t palpable\t it\t was\t like\t physical\t pain,\t a\t pain\t so\t unendurable\t that suicide\tseemed\ta\tsolution. In\t such\t major\t depression,\t life\t is\t paralyzed;\t no\t new\t beginnings emerge.\tThe\tvery\tsymptoms\tof\tdepression\tbespeak\ta\tlife\ton\thold.\tFor Styron,\t no\t medication\t or\t therapy\t helped;\t it\t was\t the\t passing\t of\t time and\t the\t refuge\t of\t a\t hospital\t that\t finally\t cleared\t away\t the despondency.\t But\t for\t most\t people,\t especially\t those\t with\t less\t severe cases,\t psychotherapy\t can\t help,\t as\t can\t medication\u2014Prozac\t is\t the treatment\t of\t the\t hour,\t but\t there\t are\t more\t than\t a\t dozen\t other compounds\toffering\tsome\thelp,\tespecially\tfor\tmajor\tdepression. My\t focus\t here\t is\t the\t far\t more\t common\t sadness\t that\t at\t its\t upper limits\tbecomes,\ttechnically\tspeaking,\ta\t\u201csubclinical\tdepression\u201d\u2014that is,\t ordinary\t melancholy.\t This\t is\t a\t range\t of\t despondency\t that\t people can\t handle\t on\t their\t own,\t if\t they\t have\t the\t internal\t resources. Unfortunately,\t some\t of\t the\t strategies\t most\t often\t resorted\t to\t can backfire,\t leaving\t people\t feeling\t worse\t than\t before.\t One\t such\t strategy is\t simply\t staying\t alone,\t which\t is\t often\t appealing\t when\t people\t are feeling\t down;\t more\t often\t than\t not,\t however,\t it\t only\t adds\t a\t sense\t of loneliness\t and\t isolation\t to\t the\t sadness.\t That\t may\t partly\t explain\t why Tice\t found\t the\t most\t popular\t tactic\t for\t battling\t depression\t is socializing\u2014going\tout\tto\teat,\tto\ta\tballgame\tor\tmovie;\tin\tshort,\tdoing something\t with\t friends\t or\t family.\t That\t works\t well\t if\t the\t net\t effect\t is to\t get\t the\t person\u2019s\t mind\t off\t his\t sadness.\t But\t it\t simply\t prolongs\t the mood\t if\t he\t uses\t the\t occasion\t just\t to\t mull\t over\t what\t put\t him\t in\t the funk. Indeed,\tone\tof\tthe\tmain\tdeterminants\tof\twhether\ta\tdepressed\tmood will\t persist\t or\t lift\t is\t the\t degree\t to\t which\t people\t ruminate.\t Worrying about\t what\u2019s\t depressing\t us,\t it\t seems,\t makes\t the\t depression\t all\t the more\tintense\tand\tprolonged.\tIn\tdepression,\tworry\ttakes\tseveral\tforms, all\t focusing\t on\t some\t aspect\t of\t the\t depression\t itself\u2014how\t tired\t we feel,\t how\t little\t energy\t or\t motivation\t we\t have,\t for\t instance,\t or\t how little\t work\t we\u2019re\t getting\t done.\t Typically\t none\t of\t this\t reflection\t is","accompanied\tby\tany\tconcrete\tcourse\tof\taction\tthat\tmight\talleviate\tthe problem.\t Other\t common\t worries\t include\t \u201cisolating\t yourself\t and thinking\tabout\thow\tterrible\tyou\tfeel,\tworrying\tthat\tyour\tspouse\tmight reject\tyou\tbecause\tyou\tare\tdepressed,\tand\twondering\twhether\tyou\tare going\t to\t have\t another\t sleepless\t night,\u201d\t says\t Stanford\t psychologist Susan\t Nolen-Hoeksma,\t who\t has\t studied\t rumination\t in\t depressed people.15 Depressed\t people\t sometimes\t justify\t this\t kind\t of\t rumination\t by saying\tthey\tare\ttrying\tto\t\u201cunderstand\tthemselves\tbetter\u201d;\tin\tfact,\tthey are\t priming\t the\t feelings\t of\t sadness\t without\t taking\t any\t steps\t that might\t actually\t lift\t their\t mood.\t Thus\t in\t therapy\t it\t might\t be\t perfectly helpful\tto\treflect\tdeeply\ton\tthe\tcauses\tof\ta\tdepression,\tif\tthat\tleads\tto insights\tor\tactions\tthat\twill\tchange\tthe\tconditions\tthat\tcause\tit.\tBut\ta passive\timmersion\tin\tthe\tsadness\tsimply\tmakes\tit\tworse. Rumination\t can\t also\t make\t the\t depression\t stronger\t by\t creating conditions\t that\t are,\t well,\t more\t depressing.\t Nolen-Hoeksma\t gives\t the example\t of\t a\t saleswoman\t who\t gets\t depressed\t and\t spends\t so\t many hours\tworrying\tabout\tit\tthat\tshe\tdoesn\u2019t\tget\taround\tto\timportant\tsales calls.\t Her\t sales\t then\t decline,\t making\t her\t feel\t like\t a\t failure,\t which feeds\t her\t depression.\t But\t if\t she\t reacted\t to\t depression\t by\t trying\t to distract\therself,\tshe\tmight\twell\tplunge\tinto\tthe\tsales\tcalls\tas\ta\tway\tto get\ther\tmind\toff\tthe\tsadness.\tSales\twould\tbe\tless\tlikely\tto\tdecline,\tand the\tvery\texperience\tof\tmaking\ta\tsale\tmight\tbolster\ther\tself-confidence, lessening\tthe\tdepression\tsomewhat. Women,\t Nolen-Hoeksma\t finds,\t are\t far\t more\t prone\t to\t ruminate when\t they\t are\t depressed\t than\t are\t men.\t This,\t she\t proposes,\t may\t at least\t partly\t explain\t the\t fact\t that\t women\t are\t diagnosed\t with depression\t twice\t as\t often\t as\t are\t men.\t Of\t course,\t other\t factors\t may come\t into\t play,\t such\t as\t women\t being\t more\t open\t to\t disclosing\t their distress\tor\thaving\tmore\tin\ttheir\tlives\tto\tbe\tdepressed\tabout.\tAnd\tmen may\t drown\t their\t depression\t in\t alcoholism,\t for\t which\t their\t rate\t is about\ttwice\tthat\tof\twomen. Cognitive\t therapy\t aimed\t at\t changing\t these\t thought\t patterns\t has been\tfound\tin\tsome\tstudies\tto\tbe\ton\ta\tpar\twith\tmedication\tfor\ttreating mild\tclinical\tdepression,\tand\tsuperior\tto\tmedication\tin\tpreventing\tthe return\t of\t mild\t depression.\t Two\t strategies\t are\t particularly\t effective\t in the\tbattle.16\tOne\tis\tto\tlearn\tto\tchallenge\tthe\tthoughts\tat\tthe\tcenter\tof rumination\u2014to\t question\t their\t validity\t and\t think\t of\t more\t positive alternatives.\t The\t other\t is\t to\t purposely\t schedule\t pleasant,\t distracting events.","One\t reason\t distraction\t works\t is\t that\t depressing\t thoughts\t are automatic,\t intruding\t on\t one\u2019s\t state\t of\t mind\t unbidden.\t Even\t when depressed\tpeople\ttry\tto\tsuppress\ttheir\tdepressing\tthoughts,\tthey\toften cannot\t come\t up\t with\t better\t alternatives;\t once\t the\t depressive\t tide\t of thought\t has\t started,\t it\t has\t a\t powerful\t magnetic\t effect\t on\t the\t train\t of association.\t For\t example,\t when\t depressed\t people\t were\t asked\t to unscramble\t jumbled\t six-word\t sentences,\t they\t were\t much\t better\t at figuring\tout\tthe\tdepressing\tmessages\t(\u201cThe\tfuture\tlooks\tvery\tdismal\u201d) than\tthe\tupbeat\tones\t(\u201cThe\tfuture\tlooks\tvery\tbright\u201d).17 The\t tendency\t for\t depression\t to\t perpetuate\t itself\t shades\t even\t the kinds\t of\t distractions\t people\t choose.\t When\t depressed\t people\t were given\t a\t list\t of\t upbeat\t or\t ponderous\t ways\t to\t get\t their\t minds\t off something\tsad,\tsuch\tas\tthe\tfuneral\tof\ta\tfriend,\tthey\tpicked\tmore\tof\tthe melancholy\t activities.\t Richard\t Wenzlaff,\t the\t University\t of\t Texas psychologist\t who\t did\t these\t studies,\t concludes\t that\t people\t who\t are already\t depressed\t need\t to\t make\t a\t special\t effort\t to\t get\t their\t attention on\t something\t that\t is\t completely\t upbeat,\t being\t careful\t not\t to inadvertently\tchoose\tsomething\u2014a\ttearjerker\tmovie,\ta\ttragic\tnovel\u2014 that\twill\tdrag\ttheir\tmood\tdown\tagain. Mood-lifters Imagine\t that\t you\u2019re\t driving\t on\t an\t unfamiliar,\t steep,\t and\t winding\t road\t through\t fog. Suddenly\ta\tcar\tpulls\tout\tof\ta\tdriveway\tonly\ta\tfew\tfeet\tin\tfront\tof\tyou,\ttoo\tclose\tfor\tyou to\tstop\tin\ttime.\tYour\tfoot\tslams\tthe\tbrake\tto\tthe\tfloor\tand\tyou\tgo\tinto\ta\tskid,\tyour\tcar sliding\t into\t the\t side\t of\t the\t other\t one.\t You\t see\t that\t the\t car\t is\t full\t of\t youngsters,\t a carpool\t on\t the\t way\t to\t preschool\u2014just\t before\t the\t explosion\t of\t glass\t shattering\t and metal\tbending\tinto\tmetal.\tThen,\tout\tof\tthe\tsudden\tsilence\tafter\tthe\tcollision,\tyou\thear a\t chorus\t of\t crying.\t You\t manage\t to\t run\t to\t the\t other\t car,\t and\t see\t that\t one\t of\t the children\t is\t lying\t motionless.\t You\t are\t flooded\t with\t remorse\t and\t sadness\t over\t this tragedy.\u2026 Such\t heart-wrenching\t scenarios\t were\t used\t to\t get\t volunteers\t upset in\t one\t of\t Wenzlaff\u2019s\t experiments.\t The\t volunteers\t then\t tried\t to\t keep the\tscene\tout\tof\ttheir\tminds\twhile\tthey\tjotted\tnotes\tabout\tthe\tstream of\t their\t thoughts\t for\t nine\t minutes.\t Each\t time\t the\t thought\t of\t the disturbing\tscene\tintruded\tinto\ttheir\tminds,\tthey\tmade\ta\tcheck\tmark\tas they\twrote.\tWhile\tmost\tpeople\tthought\tabout\tthe\tupsetting\tscene\tless and\t less\t as\t time\t went\t on,\t those\t volunteers\t who\t were\t more\t depressed actually\t showed\t a\t pronounced\t increase\t in\t intruding\t thoughts\t of\t the","scene\t as\t time\t passed,\t and\t even\t made\t oblique\t references\t to\t it\t in\t the thoughts\tthat\twere\tsupposed\tto\tbe\tdistractions\tfrom\tit. What\u2019s\tmore,\tthe\tdepression-prone\tvolunteers\tused\tother\tdistressing thoughts\t to\t distract\t themselves.\t As\t Wenzlaff\t told\t me,\t \u201cThoughts\t are associated\tin\tthe\tmind\tnot\tjust\tby\tcontent,\tbut\tby\tmood.\tPeople\thave what\tamounts\tto\ta\tset\tof\tbad-mood\tthoughts\tthat\tcome\tto\tmind\tmore readily\t when\t they\t are\t feeling\t down.\t People\t who\t get\t depressed\t easily tend\t to\t create\t very\t strong\t networks\t of\t association\t between\t these thoughts,\tso\tthat\tit\tis\tharder\tto\tsuppress\tthem\tonce\tsome\tkind\tof\tbad mood\t is\t evoked.\t Ironically,\t depressed\t people\t seem\t to\t use\t one depressing\ttopic\tto\tget\ttheir\tminds\toff\tanother,\twhich\tonly\tstirs\tmore negative\temotions.\u201d Crying,\tone\ttheory\tholds,\tmay\tbe\tnature\u2019s\tway\tof\tlowering\tlevels\tof the\t brain\t chemicals\t that\t prime\t distress.\t While\t crying\t can\t sometimes break\t a\t spell\t of\t sadness,\t it\t can\t also\t leave\t the\t person\t still\t obsessing about\tthe\treasons\tfor\tdespair.\tThe\tidea\tof\ta\t\u201cgood\tcry\u201d\tis\tmisleading: crying\t that\t reinforces\t rumination\t only\t prolongs\t the\t misery. Distractions\t break\t the\t chain\t of\t sadness-maintaining\t thinking;\t one\t of the\t leading\t theories\t of\t why\t electroconvulsive\t therapy\t is\t effective\t for the\t most\t severe\t depressions\t is\t that\t it\t causes\t a\t loss\t of\t short-term memory\u2014patients\t feel\t better\t because\t they\t can\u2019t\t remember\t why\t they were\tso\tsad.\tAt\tany\trate,\tto\tshake\tgarden-variety\tsadness,\tDiane\tTice found,\t many\t people\t reported\t turning\t to\t distractions\t such\t as\t reading, TV\t and\t movies,\t video\t games\t and\t puzzles,\t sleeping,\t and\t daydreams such\tas\tplanning\ta\tfantasy\tvacation.\tWenzlaff\twould\tadd\tthat\tthe\tmost effective\t distractions\t are\t ones\t that\t will\t shift\t your\t mood\u2014an\t exciting sporting\t event,\t a\t funny\t movie,\t an\t uplifting\t book.\t (A\t note\t of\t caution here:\t Some\t distractors\t in\t themselves\t can\t perpetuate\t depression. Studies\t of\t heavy\t TV\t watchers\t have\t found\t that,\t after\t watching\t TV, they\tare\tgenerally\tmore\tdepressed\tthan\tbefore\tthey\tstarted!) Aerobic\texercise,\tTice\tfound,\tis\tone\tof\tthe\tmore\teffective\ttactics\tfor lifting\t mild\t depression,\t as\t well\t as\t other\t bad\t moods.\t But\t the\t caveat here\t is\t that\t the\t mood-lifting\t benefits\t of\t exercise\t work\t best\t for\t the lazy,\tthose\twho\tusually\tdo\tnot\twork\tout\tvery\tmuch.\tFor\tthose\twith\ta daily\texercise\troutine,\twhatever\tmood-changing\tbenefits\tit\toffers\twere probably\tstrongest\twhen\tthey\tfirst\ttook\tup\tthe\texercise\thabit.\tIn\tfact, for\thabitual\texercisers\tthere\tis\ta\treverse\teffect\ton\tmood:\tthey\tstart\tto feel\t bad\t on\t those\t days\t when\t they\t skip\t their\t workout.\t Exercise\t seems to\t work\t well\t because\t it\t changes\t the\t physiological\t state\t the\t mood evokes:\t depression\t is\t a\t low-arousal\t state,\t and\t aerobics\t pitches\t the","body\t into\t high\t arousal.\t By\t the\t same\t token,\t relaxation\t techniques, which\t put\t the\t body\t into\t a\t low-arousal\t state,\t work\t well\t for\t anxiety,\t a high-arousal\t state,\t but\t not\t so\t well\t for\t depression.\t Each\t of\t these approaches\tseems\tto\twork\tto\tbreak\tthe\tcycle\tof\tdepression\tor\tanxiety because\t it\t pitches\t the\t brain\t into\t a\t level\t of\t activity\t incompatible\t with the\temotional\tstate\tthat\thas\thad\tit\tin\tits\tgrip. Cheering\t oneself\t up\t through\t treats\t and\t sensual\t pleasures\t was another\t fairly\t popular\t antidote\t to\t the\t blues.\t Common\t ways\t people soothed\t themselves\t when\t depressed\t ranged\t from\t taking\t hot\t baths\t or eating\t favorite\t foods,\t to\t listening\t to\t music\t or\t having\t sex.\t Buying oneself\t a\t gift\t or\t treat\t to\t get\t out\t of\t a\t bad\t mood\t was\t particularly popular\t among\t women,\t as\t was\t shopping\t in\t general,\t even\t if\t only window-shopping.\tAmong\tthose\tin\tcollege,\tTice\tfound\tthat\teating\twas three\ttimes\tas\tcommon\ta\tstrategy\tfor\tsoothing\tsadness\tamong\twomen than\tmen;\tmen,\ton\tthe\tother\thand,\twere\tfive\ttimes\tas\tlikely\tto\tturn\tto drinking\t or\t drugs\t when\t they\t felt\t down.\t The\t trouble\t with\t overeating or\t alcohol\t as\t antidotes,\t of\t course,\t is\t that\t they\t can\t easily\t backfire: eating\t to\t excess\t brings\t regret;\t alcohol\t is\t a\t central\t nervous\t system depressant,\tand\tso\tonly\tadds\tto\tthe\teffects\tof\tdepression\titself. A\t more\t constructive\t approach\t to\t mood-lifting,\t Tice\t reports,\t is engineering\t a\t small\t triumph\t or\t easy\t success:\t tackling\t some\t long- delayed\tchore\taround\tthe\thouse\tor\tgetting\tto\tsome\tother\tduty\tthey\u2019ve been\t wanting\t to\t clear\t up.\t By\t the\t same\t token,\t lifts\t to\t self-image\t also were\t cheering,\t even\t if\t only\t in\t the\t form\t of\t getting\t dressed\t up\t or putting\ton\tmakeup. One\tof\tthe\tmost\tpotent\u2014and,\toutside\ttherapy,\tlittle\tused\u2014antidotes to\t depression\t is\t seeing\t things\t differently,\t or\t cognitive\t refraining.\t It\t is natural\t to\t bemoan\t the\t end\t of\t a\t relationship\t and\t to\t wallow\t in\t self- pitying\tthoughts\tsuch\tas\tthe\tconviction\tthat\t\u201cthis\tmeans\tI\u2019ll\talways\tbe alone,\u201d\tbut\tit\u2019s\tsure\tto\tthicken\tthe\tsense\tof\tdespair.\tHowever,\tstepping back\t and\t thinking\t about\t the\t ways\t the\t relationship\t wasn\u2019t\t so\t great, and\t ways\t you\t and\t your\t partner\t were\t mismatched\u2014in\t other\t words, seeing\t the\t loss\t differently,\t in\t a\t more\t positive\t light\u2014is\t an\t antidote\t to the\t sadness.\t By\t the\t same\t token,\t cancer\t patients,\t no\t matter\t how serious\t their\t condition,\t were\t in\t better\t moods\t if\t they\t were\t able\t to bring\tto\tmind\tanother\tpatient\twho\twas\tin\teven\tworse\tshape\t(\u201cI\u2019m\tnot so\t bad\t off\u2014at\t least\t I\t can\t walk\u201d);\t those\t who\t compared\t themselves\t to healthy\t people\t were\t the\t most\t depressed.18\t Such\t downward comparisons\t are\t surprisingly\t cheering:\t suddenly\t what\t had\t seemed quite\tdispiriting\tdoesn\u2019t\tlook\tall\tthat\tbad.","Another\t effective\t depression-lifter\t is\t helping\t others\t in\t need.\t Since depression\t feeds\t on\t ruminations\t and\t preoccupations\t with\t the\t self, helping\t others\t lifts\t us\t out\t of\t those\t preoccupations\t as\t we\t empathize with\t people\t in\t pain\t of\t their\t own.\t Throwing\t oneself\t into\t volunteer work\u2014coaching\t Little\t League,\t being\t a\t Big\t Brother,\t feeding\t the homeless\u2014was\t one\t of\t the\t most\t powerful\t mood-changers\t in\t Tice\u2019s study.\tBut\tit\twas\talso\tone\tof\tthe\trarest. Finally,\t at\t least\t some\t people\t are\t able\t to\t find\t relief\t from\t their melancholy\t in\t turning\t to\t a\t transcendent\t power.\t Tice\t told\t me, \u201cPraying,\t if\t you\u2019re\t very\t religious,\t works\t for\t all\t moods,\t especially depression.\u201d REPRESSORS:\tUPBEAT\tDENIAL \u201cHe\t kicked\t his\t roommate\t in\t the\t stomach\t \u2026\u201d\t the\t sentence\t begins.\t It ends,\t\u201c\u2026\tbut\the\tmeant\tto\tturn\ton\tthe\tlight.\u201d That\t transformation\t of\t an\t act\t of\t aggression\t into\t an\t innocent,\t if slightly\t implausible,\t mistake\t is\t repression\t captured\t in\t vivo.\t It\t was composed\t by\t a\t college\t student\t who\t had\t volunteered\t for\t a\t study\t of repressors,\t people\t who\t habitually\t and\t automatically\t seem\t to\t blot emotional\t disturbance\t from\t their\t awareness.\t The\t beginning\t fragment \u201cHe\tkicked\this\troommate\tin\tthe\tstomach\t\u2026\u201d\twas\tgiven\tto\tthis\tstudent as\t part\t of\t a\t sentence-completion\t test.\t Other\t tests\t showed\t that\t this small\tact\tof\tmental\tavoidance\twas\tpart\tof\ta\tlarger\tpattern\tin\this\tlife,\ta pattern\t of\t tuning\t out\t most\t emotional\t upset.19\t While\t at\t first researchers\t saw\t repressors\t as\t a\t prime\t example\t of\t the\t inability\t to\t feel emotion\u2014cousins\t of\t alexithymics,\t perhaps\u2014current\t thinking\t sees them\t as\t quite\t proficient\t in\t regulating\t emotion.\t They\t have\t become\t so adept\tat\tbuffering\tthemselves\tagainst\tnegative\tfeelings,\tit\tseems,\tthat they\t are\t not\t even\t aware\t of\t the\t negativity.\t Rather\t than\t calling\t them repressors,\t as\t has\t been\t the\t custom\t among\t researchers,\t a\t more\t apt term\tmight\tbe\tunflappables. Much\t of\t this\t research,\t done\t principally\t by\t Daniel\t Weinberger,\t a psychologist\t now\t at\t Case\t Western\t Reserve\t University,\t shows\t that while\t such\t people\t may\t seem\t calm\t and\t imperturbable,\t they\t can sometimes\t seethe\t with\t physiological\t upsets\t they\t are\t oblivious\t to. During\t the\t sentence-completion\t test,\t volunteers\t were\t also\t being monitored\t for\t their\t level\t of\t physiological\t arousal.\t The\t repressors\u2019 veneer\tof\tcalm\twas\tbelied\tby\tthe\tagitation\tof\ttheir\tbodies:\twhen\tfaced","with\tthe\tsentence\tabout\tthe\tviolent\troommate\tand\tothers\tlike\tit,\tthey gave\t all\t the\t signs\t of\t anxiety,\t such\t as\t a\t racing\t heart,\t sweating,\t and climbing\tblood\tpressure.\tYet\twhen\tasked,\tthey\tsaid\tthey\tfelt\tperfectly calm. This\t continual\t tuning-out\t of\t emotions\t such\t as\t anger\t and\t anxiety\t is not\tuncommon:\tabout\tone\tperson\tin\tsix\tshows\tthe\tpattern,\taccording to\tWeinberger.\tIn\ttheory,\tchildren\tmight\tlearn\tto\tbecome\tunflappable in\t any\t of\t several\t ways.\t One\t might\t be\t as\t a\t strategy\t for\t surviving\t a troubling\t situation\t such\t as\t having\t an\t alcoholic\t parent\t in\t a\t family where\tthe\tproblem\titself\tis\tdenied.\tAnother\tmight\tbe\thaving\ta\tparent or\tparents\twho\tare\tthemselves\trepressors\tand\tso\tpass\ton\tthe\texample of\t perennial\t cheerfulness\t or\t a\t stiff\t upper\t lip\t in\t the\t face\t of\t disturbing feelings.\tOr\tthe\ttrait\tmay\tsimply\tbe\tinherited\ttemperament.\tWhile\tno one\tcan\tsay\tas\tyet\tjust\thow\tsuch\ta\tpattern\tbegins\tin\tlife,\tby\tthe\ttime repressors\treach\tadulthood\tthey\tare\tcool\tand\tcollected\tunder\tduress. The\tquestion\tremains,\tof\tcourse,\tas\tto\tjust\thow\tcalm\tand\tcool\tthey actually\t are.\t Can\t they\t really\t be\t unaware\t of\t the\t physical\t signs\t of distressing\temotions,\tor\tare\tthey\tsimply\tfeigning\tcalm?\tThe\tanswer\tto that\thas\tcome\tfrom\tclever\tresearch\tby\tRichard\tDavidson,\ta\tUniversity of\tWisconsin\tpsychologist\tand\tan\tearly\tcollaborator\twith\tWeinberger. Davidson\t had\t people\t with\t the\t unflappable\t pattern\t free-associate\t to\t a list\t of\t words,\t most\t neutral,\t but\t several\t with\t hostile\t or\t sexual meanings\t that\t stir\t anxiety\t in\t almost\t everyone.\t And,\t as\t their\t bodily reactions\t revealed,\t they\t had\t all\t the\t physiological\t signs\t of\t distress\t in response\tto\tthe\tloaded\twords,\teven\tthough\tthe\twords\tthey\tassociated to\t almost\t always\t showed\t an\t attempt\t to\t sanitize\t the\t upsetting\t words by\t linking\t them\t to\t an\t innocent\t one.\t If\t the\t first\t word\t was\t \u201chate,\u201d\t the response\tmight\tbe\t\u201clove.\u201d Davidson\u2019s\t study\t took\t advantage\t of\t the\t fact\t that\t (in\t right-handed people)\t a\t key\t center\t for\t processing\t negative\t emotion\t is\t in\t the\t right half\tof\tthe\tbrain,\twhile\tthe\tcenter\tfor\tspeaking\tis\tin\tthe\tleft.\tOnce\tthe right\themisphere\trecognizes\tthat\ta\tword\tis\tupsetting,\tit\ttransmits\tthat information\t across\t the\t corpus\t callosum,\t the\t great\t divide\t between\t the brain\u2019s\thalves,\tto\tthe\tspeech\tcenter,\tand\ta\tword\tis\tspoken\tin\tresponse. Using\tan\tintricate\tarrangement\tof\tlenses,\tDavidson\twas\table\tto\tdisplay a\t word\t so\t that\t it\t was\t seen\t in\t only\t half\t of\t the\t visual\t field.\t Because\t of the\t neural\t wiring\t of\t the\t visual\t system,\t if\t the\t display\t was\t to\t the\t left half\tof\tthe\tvisual\tfield,\tit\twas\trecognized\tfirst\tby\tthe\tright\thalf\tof\tthe brain,\t with\t its\t sensitivity\t to\t distress.\t If\t the\t display\t was\t to\t the\t right half\t of\t the\t visual\t field,\t the\t signal\t went\t to\t the\t left\t side\t of\t the\t brain","without\tbeing\tassessed\tfor\tupset. When\tthe\twords\twere\tpresented\tto\tthe\tright\themisphere,\tthere\twas a\tlag\tin\tthe\ttime\tit\ttook\tthe\tunflappables\tto\tutter\ta\tresponse\u2014but\tonly if\t the\t word\t they\t were\t responding\t to\t was\t one\t of\t the\t upsetting\t ones. They\t had\t no\t time\t lag\t in\t the\t speed\t of\t their\t associations\t to\t neutral words.\tThe\tlag\tshowed\tup\tonly\twhen\tthe\twords\twere\tpresented\tto\tthe right\themisphere,\tnot\tto\tthe\tleft.\tIn\tshort,\ttheir\tunflappableness\tseems due\tto\ta\tneural\tmechanism\tthat\tslows\tor\tinterferes\twith\tthe\ttransfer\tof upsetting\tinformation.\tThe\timplication\tis\tthat\tthey\tare\tnot\tfaking\ttheir lack\t of\t awareness\t about\t how\t upset\t they\t are;\t their\t brain\t is\t keeping that\t information\t from\t them.\t More\t precisely,\t the\t layer\t of\t mellow feeling\t that\t covers\t over\t such\t disturbing\t perceptions\t may\t well\t be\t due to\t the\t workings\t of\t the\t left\t prefrontal\t lobe.\t To\t his\t surprise,\t when Davidson\tmeasured\tactivity\tlevels\tin\ttheir\tprefrontal\tlobes,\tthey\thad\ta decided\t predominance\t of\t activity\t on\t the\t left\u2014the\t center\t for\t good feeling\u2014and\tless\ton\tthe\tright,\tthe\tcenter\tfor\tnegativity. These\tpeople\t\u201cpresent\tthemselves\tin\ta\tpositive\tlight,\twith\tan\tupbeat mood,\u201d\t Davidson\t told\t me.\t \u201cThey\t deny\t that\t stress\t is\t upsetting\t them and\t show\t a\t pattern\t of\t left\t frontal\t activation\t while\t just\t sitting\t at\t rest that\tis\tassociated\twith\tpositive\tfeelings.\tThis\tbrain\tactivity\tmay\tbe\tthe key\t to\t their\t positive\t claims,\t despite\t the\t underlying\t physiological arousal\tthat\tlooks\tlike\tdistress.\u201d\tDavidson\u2019s\ttheory\tis\tthat,\tin\tterms\tof brain\t activity,\t it\t is\t energy-demanding\t work\t to\t experience\t distressing realities\t in\t a\t positive\t light.\t The\t increased\t physiological\t arousal\t may be\t due\t to\t the\t sustained\t attempt\t by\t the\t neural\t circuitry\t to\t maintain positive\tfeelings\tor\tto\tsuppress\tor\tinhibit\tany\tnegative\tones. In\t short,\t unflappableness\t is\t a\t kind\t of\t upbeat\t denial,\t a\t positive dissociation\u2014and,\t possibly,\t a\t clue\t to\t neural\t mechanisms\t at\t play\t in the\t more\t severe\t dissociative\t states\t that\t can\t occur\t in,\t say,\t post- traumatic\t stress\t disorder.\t When\t it\t is\t simply\t involved\t in\t equanimity, says\tDavidson,\t\u201cit\tseems\tto\tbe\ta\tsuccessful\tstrategy\tfor\temotional\tself- regulation\u201d\tthough\twith\tan\tunknown\tcost\tto\tself-awareness.","6 The\tMaster\tAptitude Just\tonce\tin\tmy\tlife\thave\tI\tbeen\tparalyzed\tby\tfear.\tThe\toccasion\twas\ta\tcalculus\texam during\tmy\tfreshman\tyear\tin\tcollege\tfor\twhich\tI\tsomehow\thad\tmanaged\tnot\tto\tstudy.\tI still\t remember\t the\t room\t I\t marched\t to\t that\t spring\t morning\t with\t feelings\t of\t doom\t and foreboding\t heavy\t in\t my\t heart.\t I\t had\t been\t in\t that\t lecture\t hall\t for\t many\t classes.\t This morning,\t though,\t I\t noticed\t nothing\t through\t the\t windows\t and\t did\t not\t see\t the\t hall\t at all.\tMy\tgaze\tshrank\tto\tthe\tpatch\tof\tfloor\tdirectly\tin\tfront\tof\tme\tas\tI\tmade\tmy\tway\tto\ta seat\tnear\tthe\tdoor.\tAs\tI\topened\tthe\tblue\tcover\tof\tmy\texam\tbook,\tthere\twas\tthe\tthump in\tmy\tears\tof\theartbeat,\tthere\twas\tthe\ttaste\tof\tanxiety\tin\tthe\tpit\tof\tmy\tstomach. I\tlooked\tat\tthe\texam\tquestions\tonce,\tquickly.\tHopeless.\tFor\tan\thour\tI\tstared\tat\tthat page,\t my\t mind\t racing\t over\t the\t consequences\t I\t would\t suffer.\t The\t same\t thoughts repeated\tthemselves\tover\tand\tover,\ta\ttape\tloop\tof\tfear\tand\ttrembling.\tI\tsat\tmotionless, like\tan\tanimal\tfrozen\tin\tmid-move\tby\tcurare.\tWhat\tstrikes\tme\tmost\tabout\tthat\tdreadful moment\twas\thow\tconstricted\tmy\tmind\tbecame.\tI\tdid\tnot\tspend\tthe\thour\tin\ta\tdesperate attempt\tto\tpatch\ttogether\tsome\tsemblance\tof\tanswers\tto\tthe\ttest.\tI\tdid\tnot\tdaydream.\tI simply\tsat\tfixated\ton\tmy\tterror,\twaiting\tfor\tthe\tordeal\tto\tfinish.1 That\t narrative\t of\t an\t ordeal\t by\t terror\t is\t my\t own;\t it\t is\t to\t this\t day\t for me\t the\t most\t convincing\t evidence\t of\t the\t devastating\t impact\t of emotional\t distress\t on\t mental\t clarity.\t I\t now\t see\t that\t my\t ordeal\t was most\t likely\t a\t testament\t to\t the\t power\t of\t the\t emotional\t brain\t to overpower,\teven\tparalyze,\tthe\tthinking\tbrain. The\textent\tto\twhich\temotional\tupsets\tcan\tinterfere\twith\tmental\tlife is\tno\tnews\tto\tteachers.\tStudents\twho\tare\tanxious,\tangry,\tor\tdepressed don\u2019t\t learn;\t people\t who\t are\t caught\t in\t these\t states\t do\t not\t take\t in information\t efficiently\t or\t deal\t with\t it\t well.\t As\t we\t saw\t in\t Chapter\t5, powerful\t negative\t emotions\t twist\t attention\t toward\t their\t own preoccupations,\t interfering\t with\t the\t attempt\t to\t focus\t elsewhere. Indeed,\t one\t of\t the\t signs\t that\t feelings\t have\t veered\t over\t the\t line\t into the\tpathological\tis\tthat\tthey\tare\tso\tintrusive\tthey\toverwhelm\tall\tother thought,\tcontinually\tsabotaging\tattempts\tto\tpay\tattention\tto\twhatever other\t task\t is\t at\t hand.\t For\t the\t person\t going\t through\t an\t upsetting divorce\u2014or\tthe\tchild\twhose\tparents\tare\u2014the\tmind\tdoes\tnot\tstay\tlong"]
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