Robert Kurzban

Emotions Measure Problems and Motivate Responses, but Their Prompts Can Misfire

Psychologist Rob Kurzban argues that emotions are evolved systems that register problems and push people toward responses, from hunger prompting eating to jealousy prompting vigilance. But a feeling’s signal is not necessarily a good guide to action: envy and anger, for example, can urge responses that no longer fit the situation. Kurzban says asking what an emotion may be measuring can help people decide whether to act on it, while acknowledging that some emotions—depression among them—remain difficult to explain.