Evolved Emotions

Book excerpt: In Evolved Emotions, Glenn Weisfeld analyzes a comprehensive list of universal emotions, detailing their elicitors, affects, behavioral tendencies, expressions, visceral changes, neural mediations, development over the life span, and presence in other species. This comparative, evolutionary perspective inspires respect for the ancient utility of our emotions and the specific, enduring adaptive value of each one. This book offers novel insights into neglected emotional behaviors such as contact comfort, pain, feeding, disgust, fatigue, sleep, play, amorousness, sex, grief, parental behavior, anger, pride and shame, and humor. This systematic study of universal human emotions offers a framework for understanding all voluntary human behavior, including developmental, personality, gender, and pathological differences, explaining how each normal emotion serves to enhance the biological fitness of the individual.