Why is Mindfulness Difficult to Understand? (12) | Judgments Influenced by Emotions: Emotion and Rationality Are Not in Conflict
■ Introduction
Hello, I am Rina Nomura.
This time, I would like to share a story for those days when you feel like, "I got too emotional..." or "I couldn't make a calm decision..."
Whether at work or in your private life, there are moments when you regret not being able to think more rationally, aren't there?
But in fact, rational judgment and emotion are not inherently in conflict.
Rather, looking at how the brain works, it is in a sense impossible for us to "make decisions without being influenced by emotions."
In this article, I will quietly unravel:
Why emotions enter into our judgments
What it means that we can make judgments precisely because we have emotions
How mindfulness helps in that process
about these topics.
■ Reason 10: Emotions act as the "foundation of judgment"
When we think we have been "swayed by emotions," we tend to treat emotions as "interlopers."
However, as neuroscientist Antonio Damasio demonstrated, without emotion (affect), humans cannot make rational judgments.
This is because when the brain judges "good or bad" or "safe or dangerous," it uses signals from bodily sensations and emotions.
Damasio called this the "Somatic Marker Hypothesis."
Emotions perform the following functions within the brain:
Assigning value to choices
Generating risk signals
Providing intuitive guidance
Adjusting the speed of decision-making
In other words, emotions are not noise in judgment, but the "foundational system" of judgment.
Rationality and emotion are not in conflict, but in a cooperative relationship.
■ When emotional reactions are too strong, judgment becomes distorted
However, when emotional reactions become excessive, the prefrontal cortex (judgment, thinking, planning) becomes less functional.
Therefore,
rushing into decisions out of impatience
freezing up due to fear of failure
being swayed by how others feel
being swept away by self-deprecating thoughts
are states that occur.
This does not mean that "emotions are bad," but simply that the balance between emotion and the prefrontal cortex has been lost.
The brain intensifies emotional reactions "to protect you," and as a result, rational judgment is pushed aside.
■ How mindfulness works on this relationship
Mindfulness is effective for emotions and judgment not because it eliminates emotions, but because it creates a "space to distance yourself from emotions".
1 | Not accepting the intensity of emotions as they are
When the awareness of "I am angry right now" or "I am feeling impatient" enters, the amygdala's reaction weakens.
2 | The prefrontal cortex (the thinking brain) returns to a calm state
Controlling breathing and attention promotes the recovery of the prefrontal cortex.
3 | The quality of judgment naturally aligns
Emotions do not disappear, but the ability to make "judgments not swayed by emotions" returns.
What is important is that emotions are not enemies that disrupt judgment, but allies that assist it.
Developing the ability to understand and handle both is a major benefit of mindfulness.
■ Today's Work: The "5-Second Scan" for When Your Judgment Wavers
In moments when you are hesitant in your judgment or your feelings are wavering, please try the following for just 5 seconds.
1 | Briefly feel the sensations in your chest and stomach
2 | Take one long exhale
3 | Label it in your mind by saying, "I'm feeling shaken."
With just this, the flow of emotion → judgment is reset, and the function of the prefrontal cortex becomes easier to restore.
The quality of judgment is determined not by "erasing emotions," but by your "attitude toward engaging with emotions."
■ Conclusion
Judgments influenced by emotions happen to everyone.
In fact, judgment is supported by emotion.
That is precisely why there is no need to eliminate or suppress emotions.
Notice them, breathe, and try observing them from a little distance.
That small space quietly refines the quality of your thinking and judgment.
In the next installment, vol. 13, I will discuss "When the Team Isn't Clicking: Psychological Safety and a 'Non-Judgmental Attitude'."
May you be kind to yourself today as well.
■ Introduction to the Magazine
Mindfulness is something we hear about often, yet it is somehow difficult to grasp.
This is a series that gently explains "awareness" that works for everyday frustrations, connecting perspectives from psychology, brain science, business, and Buddhism.
If you like, I would be happy if you could support me with a like or a follow.
References
Damasio, A. (1994). Descartes' Error: Emotion, reason, and the human brain. G.P. Putnam.
Kiken, L. G., & Shook, N. J. (2011). Looking up: Mindfulness increases positive judgments and reduces negativity bias. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2(4), 425–431.
Pessoa, L. (2008). On the relationship between emotion and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(2), 148–158.