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“Emotions Make Sense” by DaystarEld
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Manage episode 498734502 series 3364760
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For the past five years I've been teaching a class at various rationality camps, workshops, conferences, etc. I’ve done it maybe 50 times in total, and I think I’ve only encountered a handful out of a few hundred teenagers and adults who really had a deep sense of what it means for emotions to “make sense.” Even people who have seen Inside Out, and internalized its message about the value of Sadness as an emotion, still think things like “I wish I never felt Jealousy,” or would have trouble answering “What's the point of Boredom?”
The point of the class was to give them not a simple answer for each emotion, but to internalize the model by which emotions, as a whole, are understood to be evolutionarily beneficial adaptations; adaptations that may not in fact all be well suited to the modern, developed world, but which can still help [...]
---
Outline:
(01:00) Inside Out
(05:46) Pick an Emotion, Any Emotion
(07:05) Anxiety
(08:27) Jealousy/Envy
(11:13) Boredom/Frustration/Laziness
(15:31) Confusion
(17:35) Apathy and Ennui (aan-wee)
(21:23) Hatred/Panic/Depression
(28:33) What this Means for You
(29:20) Emotions as Chemicals
(30:51) Emotions as Motivators
(34:13) Final Thoughts
---
First published:
August 3rd, 2025
Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/PkRXkhsEHwcGqRJ9Z/emotions-make-sense
---
Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
---
…
continue reading
The point of the class was to give them not a simple answer for each emotion, but to internalize the model by which emotions, as a whole, are understood to be evolutionarily beneficial adaptations; adaptations that may not in fact all be well suited to the modern, developed world, but which can still help [...]
---
Outline:
(01:00) Inside Out
(05:46) Pick an Emotion, Any Emotion
(07:05) Anxiety
(08:27) Jealousy/Envy
(11:13) Boredom/Frustration/Laziness
(15:31) Confusion
(17:35) Apathy and Ennui (aan-wee)
(21:23) Hatred/Panic/Depression
(28:33) What this Means for You
(29:20) Emotions as Chemicals
(30:51) Emotions as Motivators
(34:13) Final Thoughts
---
First published:
August 3rd, 2025
Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/PkRXkhsEHwcGqRJ9Z/emotions-make-sense
---
Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
---
Images from the article:
Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

577 episodes
MP3•Episode home
Manage episode 498734502 series 3364760
Content provided by LessWrong. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by LessWrong or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
For the past five years I've been teaching a class at various rationality camps, workshops, conferences, etc. I’ve done it maybe 50 times in total, and I think I’ve only encountered a handful out of a few hundred teenagers and adults who really had a deep sense of what it means for emotions to “make sense.” Even people who have seen Inside Out, and internalized its message about the value of Sadness as an emotion, still think things like “I wish I never felt Jealousy,” or would have trouble answering “What's the point of Boredom?”
The point of the class was to give them not a simple answer for each emotion, but to internalize the model by which emotions, as a whole, are understood to be evolutionarily beneficial adaptations; adaptations that may not in fact all be well suited to the modern, developed world, but which can still help [...]
---
Outline:
(01:00) Inside Out
(05:46) Pick an Emotion, Any Emotion
(07:05) Anxiety
(08:27) Jealousy/Envy
(11:13) Boredom/Frustration/Laziness
(15:31) Confusion
(17:35) Apathy and Ennui (aan-wee)
(21:23) Hatred/Panic/Depression
(28:33) What this Means for You
(29:20) Emotions as Chemicals
(30:51) Emotions as Motivators
(34:13) Final Thoughts
---
First published:
August 3rd, 2025
Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/PkRXkhsEHwcGqRJ9Z/emotions-make-sense
---
Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
---
…
continue reading
The point of the class was to give them not a simple answer for each emotion, but to internalize the model by which emotions, as a whole, are understood to be evolutionarily beneficial adaptations; adaptations that may not in fact all be well suited to the modern, developed world, but which can still help [...]
---
Outline:
(01:00) Inside Out
(05:46) Pick an Emotion, Any Emotion
(07:05) Anxiety
(08:27) Jealousy/Envy
(11:13) Boredom/Frustration/Laziness
(15:31) Confusion
(17:35) Apathy and Ennui (aan-wee)
(21:23) Hatred/Panic/Depression
(28:33) What this Means for You
(29:20) Emotions as Chemicals
(30:51) Emotions as Motivators
(34:13) Final Thoughts
---
First published:
August 3rd, 2025
Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/PkRXkhsEHwcGqRJ9Z/emotions-make-sense
---
Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
---
Images from the article:
Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

577 episodes
All episodes
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