I have long been one to insist that emotion clouds reason. That the best analysis comes from a clear, dispassionate look at the situation, evaluating pros and cons, and then making a swift decision. When my friend Rob Urstein, Asst. Dean at Stanford GSB, recommended Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain I was intrigued.
The book’s premise is that contrary to popular belief emotion is essential to smart, rational decision making. It is heavy on neurobiology and evolutionary psychology, so I got lost in parts and it’s a tough read for a someone not steeped in those disciplines. This being said, it does raise some important issues. He lays out several patients with neurological diseases or deficiencies – in particular, those areas which regulate emotion – and demonstrates their faulty decision making.
I’m not totally convinced by its thesis yet, but certainly good food for thought. I recommend it if you are engaged by neuroscience and decision making.