In the brain, emotions are closely linked to action. In our mammalian past, they were the single most important function of our brains. Our survival depended on quick action.
Feelings do not require reflection or thought. We feel, we act. We think later and justify our actions based on input from our more highly advanced reasoning brain.
Strong feelings are hot-wired into the brain's action centers, provoking any one of the "F" actions:
- Feeding
- Fleeing
- Fighting
- Fornicating
Emotions are simple and clear so that action is easy and fast. This is built into our brains for very clear reasons of survival as a race. We wouldn't be here talking about content marketing if our ancestors hadn't become good at all four "F" actions.
Maybe our current culture of consumerism means our brains are now hot-wired to react differently to our emotions? Maybe instead of feeding, we grab a snack, we argue or write snarky responses, and we make purchases over the internet. These things won't necessarily contribute to our survival, but they do satisfy the need for action and instant gratification.
