Antonio Damasio

Cognitive Science Portuguese-American 1944 100 quotes

A distinguished neuroscientist known for his research on the neural basis of emotion, decision-making, and consciousness, emphasizing the role of the body.

Quotes by Antonio Damasio

We are not thinking machines that feel; rather, we are feeling machines that think.

Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain 1994

The organism, in its most fundamental form, is a feeling entity.

Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain 1994

Emotion is not a luxury; it is a highly intelligent way of knowing.

Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain 2003

The brain's primary business is to manage the body.

Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain 1994

Consciousness is not a thing; it is a process.

The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness 1999

The self is not a homunculus in the brain; it is a continuously reconstructed narrative.

The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness 1999

Reason, far from being independent from emotion, is deeply intertwined with it.

Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain 1994

The body is the primary stage for the drama of our lives.

The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness 1999

Feelings are mental experiences of body states.

Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain 2003

The brain is not just a thinking organ; it is a feeling organ.

Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain 1994

We are not born with a fully formed self; it is constructed through experience.

The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness 1999

The essence of being human lies in our capacity to feel.

Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain 2003

Emotions are not irrational; they are a form of rationality.

Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain 1994

The brain's main purpose is to ensure the survival of the organism.

Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain 1994

Consciousness is the feeling of knowing.

The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness 1999

The self is a biological imperative.

The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness 1999

Our decisions are often guided by our emotions, even when we believe we are being purely rational.

Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain 1994

The body is not merely a vessel for the mind; it is an integral part of the mind.

The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness 1999

Joy and sorrow are not just mental states; they are deeply rooted in our biology.

Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain 2003

The brain is a mapmaker of the body.

Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain 1994