It is commonly believed that rational thought is threatened by emotion, but contemporary understandings of the brain paint a more complicated picture. Today’s guest is Leonard Mlodinow and he joins us to talk about why. As a mathematician and theoretical physicist, Leonard might seem like an odd fit for this topic at first glance. However, when Leonard’s desire to discover the secrets of the universe spilled over into a curiosity about the brain, he started publishing books on the subject, his most recent being Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking. In today’s show, Leonard argues that the brain is essentially an information processing organ and that emotions play an integral role in feeding it data. As such, there is no way to separate emotions from thinking, and in fact, they often aid the decision-making process, as well as play a vital role in motivating us. However, our emotions evolved in a different world to the one we live in today, meaning that there are situations where a certain emotion might be influencing a decision in a way we don’t want, and this is where the cultivation of emotional intelligence becomes a beneficial practice. So for all of this, as well as perspectives on its ramifications for sensible investing, be sure to tune in today! Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 3:59 The Role of Emotions in Decision-Making 15:17 Affective Neuroscience 26:34 Emotions & Risk Tolerance/Motivation/Influence 59:12 How do you Define Success in your Life? Books From Today’s Episode: Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking — https://amzn.to/3HANxvx Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior — https://amzn.to/3IDLBnk Links From Today’s Episode: Rational Reminder on iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582. Rational Reminder Website — https://rationalreminder.ca/ Shop Merch — https://shop.rationalreminder.ca/ Join the Community — https://community.rationalreminder.ca/ Follow us on Twitter — https://twitter.com/RationalRemind Follow us on Instagram — @rationalreminder Benjamin on Twitter — https://twitter.com/benjaminwfelix Cameron on Twitter — https://twitter.com/CameronPassmore Leonard Mlodinow on Twitter — https://twitter.com/lmlodinow? Leonard Mlodinow on Instagram: @lmlodinow Leonard Mlodinow — https://leonardmlodinow.com/ 22 in 22 Reading Challenge — Join the Rational Reminder’s 22 in 22 reading challenge! Ben’s Reading Code (22 in 22 Challenge): 7XWESMK Cameron’s Reading Code (22 in 22 Challenge): N62IPTX