Quick to emote
From Denis Vaughan Sir: Peter Hughes's brilliant summary of emotion as organic distinguished from sentiment as processed (Letters. 30 August) could be expanded a little. Professor Manfred Clynes demonstrated the speeds at which neural impulses cause us to be angry, to hate, to love or to feel joy. He created a machine to measure them. Emotions are fired at identical speeds for most humans, just as we all recognise colours in a similar way.
We also have 'choiceless recognition' of emotions. If someone is angry with me, it is difficult not to react angrily. That's why laughter can be infectious, when the right speed is used.
Sentiment is just thinking about these emotions and involves no gut reactions.
Denis Vaughan
London WC2
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