3 ms·

> Your brain cannot "learn" to be sad. This is ~equivocally~ unequivocally false. The portion of the brain that develops emotional intelligence forms during yo

> Your brain cannot "learn" to be sad. This is ~equivocally~ unequivocally false. The portion of the brain that develops emotional intelligence forms during your formative years and can learn to be put in a depressive mindset. * https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5984129/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5984129/ * https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6132040/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6132040/ > Humans are likely the most emotionally regulated creatures on earth. Compared to other animal species, we can modulate and modify emotional reactions and experiences, even very intense ones, through a large and sophisticated emotion regulation repertoire that includes skills of distraction, reappraisal, language, prediction, social interaction, suppression, and more.1–5 At times, these skills require effort, and at other times, they seem reflexive and automatic. But what are some of the variables in this sophisticated emotion regulation repertoire? The parent of any toddler or even adolescent can attest to the very slow development of emotion regulation processes. This slow development has been documented in empirical research, which also notes the large individual differences from one person’s ability or style of emotion regulation to another’s. Evolutionarily speaking, this slow development of emotion regulation ability in childhood that culminates in an exquisite ability in adulthood points to the benefits of a slow-maturing emotion regulation system. Indeed, humans are not only a highly emotionally regulated species, but they are slowly developing in general, relative to other species, 6 with a prolonged period of immaturity. Phylogenetically, slow development may confer benefits through an extended period of neural plasticity—a feature of a developing neural system that heightens its ability to learn from the environment. If so, then humans may owe their sophisticated emotion regulation skills to the “extension” of childhood that has evolved in us. The nature, chronicity, and quality of environmental inputs during these periods of plasticity, in particular those from close relationships (e.g., parents, friends, teachers), in large part determine emotion regulation functioning in adulthood.7 Thus, adult brain and behavioral function in this regard can be conceptualized as a historical reflection of what was experienced during development. To fully appreciate individual differences in adult emotion regulation skills, then, it is helpful to understand how the brain develops.

exo-pla-net 4y ago
[flagged]
- likeabbas 4y ago
  Practically, what is the difference between emotional state and consistently emotionally regulating into a depressive mindset? I'm not a psychiatrist and I don't care what the precise terminology is. In layman's terms, what I've stated is correct.
  - exo-pla-net 4y ago
    [flagged]
    - JimtheCoder 4y ago
      [flagged]
    - likeabbas 4y ago
      Nothing I've said is incorrect. I'm just using colloquial language to describe the issue. You are just being an asshole by trying to show off your technical knowledge in the subject, which is not helping anyone.
ASalazarMX 4y ago
> during your formidable years I had to lookup "formidable" in case it was a specialized term, but I think it's a typo. Nevertheless, I like it better this way.
- likeabbas 4y ago
  Definitely a typo. Thanks
yowlingcat 4y ago
First of all, the phrase "emotional intelligence" is a pop-psychology invention created by Daniel Goleman which has no clinically meaningful use. There's a big difference between emotional intelligence and emotional regulation. There's also a difference between traumatic experiences (such as you moving somewhere new at 10 and struggling with isolation and being bullied) and how you may have psychologically adapted to these situations. But nothing you've mentioned implies that your brain can "learn to be put into a depressive mindset" -- it's more the case that strenuous challenges that haven't been addressed, or moved past, or evolved from, will continue to cause problems until work is gradually done to address them. I have always felt it's similar to musculoskeletal issues. You can do a lot of damage to your lower back by sitting at a desk all day, or to your wrists by typing at an angle that causes repetitive strain. That damage can be "mitigated" in different ways -- medication, surgery, physical rehabilitation. While the last one is most difficult, it's also the most effective because you're training the mind-muscle connection at the point where it's fragility is causing and compounding structural damage. Even as people get older, until they reach very old age, it's rare for these kinds of MSK problems to occur in ways that cannot be unwound by adherence to physical therapy and a good exercise regimen. I think the same is true for our minds. As you mention in an earlier comment, if you do something that makes you happy, you feel happy for that time before drifting back to depression. But that in and of itself may be the point -- if you are constantly doing things which make you happy, it may not be immediate, but eventually you can re-orient your brain you being default-happy with depressive episodes rather than the other way around. That doesn't make it easy, of course, nor is there a one time fix.

exo-pla-net 4y ago

[flagged]

likeabbas 4y ago
Practically, what is the difference between emotional state and consistently emotionally regulating into a depressive mindset? I'm not a psychiatrist and I don't care what the precise terminology is. In layman's terms, what I've stated is correct.
- exo-pla-net 4y ago
  [flagged]
  - JimtheCoder 4y ago
    [flagged]
  - likeabbas 4y ago
    Nothing I've said is incorrect. I'm just using colloquial language to describe the issue. You are just being an asshole by trying to show off your technical knowledge in the subject, which is not helping anyone.

ASalazarMX 4y ago

> during your formidable years I had to lookup "formidable" in case it was a specialized term, but I think it's a typo. Nevertheless, I like it better this way.

likeabbas 4y ago
Definitely a typo. Thanks

yowlingcat 4y ago

First of all, the phrase "emotional intelligence" is a pop-psychology invention created by Daniel Goleman which has no clinically meaningful use. There's a big difference between emotional intelligence and emotional regulation. There's also a difference between traumatic experiences (such as you moving somewhere new at 10 and struggling with isolation and being bullied) and how you may have psychologically adapted to these situations. But nothing you've mentioned implies that your brain can "learn to be put into a depressive mindset" -- it's more the case that strenuous challenges that haven't been addressed, or moved past, or evolved from, will continue to cause problems until work is gradually done to address them. I have always felt it's similar to musculoskeletal issues. You can do a lot of damage to your lower back by sitting at a desk all day, or to your wrists by typing at an angle that causes repetitive strain. That damage can be "mitigated" in different ways -- medication, surgery, physical rehabilitation. While the last one is most difficult, it's also the most effective because you're training the mind-muscle connection at the point where it's fragility is causing and compounding structural damage. Even as people get older, until they reach very old age, it's rare for these kinds of MSK problems to occur in ways that cannot be unwound by adherence to physical therapy and a good exercise regimen. I think the same is true for our minds. As you mention in an earlier comment, if you do something that makes you happy, you feel happy for that time before drifting back to depression. But that in and of itself may be the point -- if you are constantly doing things which make you happy, it may not be immediate, but eventually you can re-orient your brain you being default-happy with depressive episodes rather than the other way around. That doesn't make it easy, of course, nor is there a one time fix.