Social Emotions and Feelings

What's true of an individual is also observable in social behaviors, such as fluctuating confidence levels in the stock market, or in the body language and behavior of teams during a game. For example, basketball teams often have confident streaks during which they play very effectively—followed by an awkward period during which they suddenly seem to have lost confidence in themselves. Their body language often communicates their current emotional state and consequent level of play.

The social behavior that preceded the Iraq war paralleled what occurs within a single brain. The national and international debate that was sparked by a proposal for war focused on an assessment of our respective levels of alertness, strength, and energy—but also heavily on our motivation for the enterprise. How much will a war cost? How long will it take? How many will die? What will happen if we don't invade Iraq? What about the aftermath? Should we only do it if other nations join us in a coalition, or should we go it alone? Should we do it, even if we can do it?

We can assume that the post-war analysis will be as emotionally driven and perplexing as the pre-war analysis. There's not much difference between an individual and a social group when it comes to the emotional analysis of a major challenge. Damasio sees this as an integral part of who we are as human beings. We have preferences and we make choices. Sometimes we're wise, and sometimes we're foolish.