Why we have emotions?
The Function of Emotions: A DBT and Evolutionary Lens on Humanity’s Emotional Superpower
Emotions are not arbitrary or accidental; they are evolutionary tools deeply embedded in the human experience. From the perspective of history and science, emotions helped our ancestors survive, reproduce, and thrive. Those who ignored their emotions—like the fear that warned of predators or the anger that defended resources—were less likely to survive and pass their genes down to us. As a result, the ability to perceive and respond to emotions became a defining feature of human evolution. While we cannot control the emergence of our emotional experiences, we can learn to manage how we respond to them. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers practical tools to navigate this process, empowering individuals to avoid acting on maladaptive urges and harness their emotional experiences to live fulfilling lives.
Emotions: Why We Have Them
From an evolutionary perspective, emotions developed because they served critical survival and social functions. Their primary purpose can be understood through three key roles:
1. Preparing the Body for Action
Emotions are signals that gear the body to act, creating immediate physiological changes that help us respond to challenges. For example, fear activates the fight-or-flight response, increasing heart rate, dilating pupils, and directing blood to muscles to either confront or escape danger. These physical sensations may feel overwhelming, but they are our body’s way of optimizing survival. Anger, similarly, triggers energy and focus to confront perceived threats or injustices. Without these biological changes, our ancestors would not have been able to respond quickly to life-or-death situations.
2. Communicating with Others
Emotions are an essential part of human communication. As social creatures, we are hardwired to understand and respond to the emotions of others through mechanisms like mirror neurons, which allow us to empathize by “mirroring” another person’s emotional state. For example, when someone in a group expressed fear, it would alert others to a potential danger, helping the entire tribe survive. Similarly, joy and laughter promoted bonding and cooperation within social groups. Emotions, in this way, are a universal language that connects us to others.
3. Communicating with Ourselves
Most importantly, emotions act as internal guides, helping us understand what we need, value, or want. They are a gateway to living a meaningful life. For example, feelings of excitement might signal that we are on the right path, while sadness could indicate a loss of something we cherish or a change we find hard to accept. Emotions communicate the state of our internal world, offering insight into how we should navigate the external world. Without this emotional compass, we would struggle to make decisions that align with our values and goals. When this happens, one may feel emptiness, stuckness, and lack of meaning in life.
The Catch-22 of Emotions
Despite their evolutionary purpose, emotions are not always reliable interpreters of reality. This paradox—the “catch-22” of emotions—lies in the fact that while we often rely on emotions to understand ourselves and our environment, they can sometimes mislead us. For instance, fear, an emotion designed to protect us from harm, might cause us to avoid harmless situations, such as public speaking, because it triggers the same physiological response as confronting a genuine threat. Similarly, shame, which likely evolved to promote social cohesion and cooperation, can, in modern complex societies, devolve into debilitating self-criticism. This can leave individuals feeling worthless and like failures, potentially overshadowing the constructive purpose of the emotion—encouraging behavioral change or challenging the distorted perspectives it may reflect..
DBT recognizes that emotions are valid but not always accurate. Emotions are not “truth”; they are a combination of thoughts, physical sensations, and actions. When we break emotions down into these components, we can better understand them and decide how to respond. For instance, fear might include rapid heartbeats (physical), thoughts like “I can’t do this” (cognitive), and an urge to escape (action). By analyzing emotions through this lens, DBT teaches us to manage our responses, ensuring we don’t act impulsively on urges that might harm us in the long run.
Mindfulness and the Power of Response
We cannot control whether emotions arise—they are automatic processes shaped by evolution. However, through mindfulness, we can create space between the emotion and our response. This is crucial for managing maladaptive urges, such as lashing out in anger or avoiding important challenges due to fear. Mindfulness allows us to observe our emotions nonjudgmentally, validating their presence without letting them dictate our actions. For example, if someone feels overwhelming shame after a mistake, mindfulness can help them recognize the emotion, assess its validity, and choose a constructive response, such as apologizing or learning from the error.
Emotions are Abstract and Hard to Manage
Emotions are abstract and often hard to comprehend, let alone manage. They are not just “feelings” but a complex interplay of thoughts, physical sensations, and behaviors. For instance, anxiety might involve racing thoughts about the future, a tightening in the chest, and a tendency to avoid the situation causing distress. This complexity can make emotions overwhelming, but therapy provides tools to deconstruct and manage them. By breaking emotions into their components, individuals can better understand their triggers and patterns, paving the way for effective regulation.
Turning Emotions Into a Superpower
When we learn to regulate emotions, they transform from obstacles into superpowers. Therapy—especially DBT—teaches skills like emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, which enable individuals to harness the energy of emotions rather than be controlled by them. These tools allow people to trust their emotions when they provide useful information and challenge them when they distort reality. For example, anger can be channeled into advocating for justice, and sadness can motivate us to reconnect with what we value.
Emotional intelligence, which therapy helps develop, is the ability to recognize, understand, and effectively use emotions. This skill enhances decision-making by aligning actions with values. For instance, someone who feels unfulfilled might explore what emotions like frustration or sadness are signaling, using that insight to make changes in their career or relationships. By treating emotions as a compass, individuals can create a life that feels authentic and aligned with their subjective values and goals.
Conclusion
Emotions are an evolutionary gift—an ancient survival mechanism that has allowed humans to thrive as individuals and as a community. They prepare the body for action, connect us to others, and guide us toward lives of meaning and fulfillment. While emotions can be difficult to understand and even harder to manage, therapy provides the tools to turn them into superpowers. By cultivating emotional intelligence, individuals can navigate the complexities of life with greater clarity and purpose, creating a future that aligns with their deepest values. Emotions, when harnessed, are not barriers to overcome but powerful allies in the journey of human growth.
