Episode 12: Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett and the Myth of the Emotional Brain
- Georgina Brown (hershe)
- Sep 8, 2025
- 3 min read
Rethinking Emotional Intelligence, One Construct at a Time
Feelings. We all have them.
But what are they, exactly?
Are emotions hard-wired and universal?
Or are they cultural, contextual, and constructed?
Enter: Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett: neuroscientist, psychology disruptor, and myth-buster-in-chief.
In her groundbreaking work, Barrett takes a wrecking ball to some of our most beloved brain beliefs—including how we think about emotional intelligence, empathy, and inclusion.
At BARDO Inclusive, her work doesn’t just challenge our assumptions, it reconstructs how we think about culture change, bias, and what it means to be human in a room together.
Because if emotions aren’t universal but constructed, then empathy isn’t just “feeling what others feel.” It’s an act of imagination, attention, and cultural decoding.
And that? That changes everything.
The Science Bit: Emotions Are Not What You Think
Barrett’s core thesis:
Emotions are not hardwired programs.
They are constructed in the moment, by your brain, using past experiences, bodily sensations, social cues, and cultural learning.
In other words:
There’s no single “fear circuit.”
No universal facial expression for “anger.”
No one-size-fits-all “emotional truth.”
Your brain is constantly guessing: “What does this internal state mean right now, in this context?”
Barrett calls this “predictive coding.” Your brain doesn’t react, it predicts, drawing on memory and language to interpret what you feel.
Why does this matter for inclusion?
Because it means:
Emotions aren’t objective, they’re interpreted
People from different cultures or lived experiences may construct emotion differently
Emotional intelligence isn’t about reading faces, it’s about listening deeply, suspending assumptions, and translating across contexts
How Barrett Supports the NIMM
In the Neuro-Inclusive Maturity Model (NIMM), Barrett’s ideas are a wake-up call, especially for how we train, assess, and relate.
Neuroscience-Informed – emotions aren’t buttons to push; they’re predictions to explore
Mindset-Shifting – emotional intelligence isn’t a fixed trait; it’s a skill of cultural fluency
Trust-Building – requires shared language and meaning-making, not just “being nice
Bias-Disrupting – challenges assumptions that “tone” or “expression” are neutral
System-Aware – recognises how systems define and reward certain emotional norms (e.g. “professionalism” = suppression)
Barrett reminds us: what counts as “appropriate emotion” is often a cultural construct.
And for many marginalised groups, emotional norms are policed more harshly.
That’s not neuroscience. That’s bias masquerading as emotional standards.
Real Inclusion Requires Emotional Humility
Here’s the deal:
If emotions are constructed, then we can’t assume we know what someone is feeling just by observing.
We must ask.
We must co-create meaning.
We must bring curiosity into every emotional interaction.
It also means emotional intelligence is trainable, adaptable, and entirely context-dependent.
So forget rigid “EQ” assessments.
Try cultivating a workplace culture where:
People define what emotional safety means to them
Emotion vocabulary is expanded, not standardised
There’s room for emotional nuance, not just “happy/angry/productive”
As Barrett writes:“Your brain is not reacting to the world. It is actively constructing your experience of the world.” That includes your colleagues, your stress, and your next awkward 1:1.
Try This: A Constructed Emotion Micro-Practice for Your Team
Before your next feedback conversation, try this:
Ask yourself: “What emotion am I predicting this person will show, and what am I assuming it means?”
Then ask them:
“How are you feeling about this, and what does that feeling mean for you right now?”
Listen without correcting.
Notice how your body responds.
Reflect on where your interpretation came from.
This practice builds emotional literacy, not just EQ scorecards.
Want More Barrett? Start Here:
How Emotions Are Made – her seminal book; game-changing and surprisingly accessible
Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain – quick, engaging science with a philosophical twist
Her TED Talk: “You aren’t at the mercy of your emotions — your brain creates them”
Podcast episodes on Hidden Brain, Ten Percent Happier, and Your Undivided Attention
Reflect:
Where do emotional “rules” show up in your workplace culture?Who benefits from them—and who gets shut down?
What if we saw emotion not as something to manage, but as a co-created language for being human together?
Next Up in the Series:
Episode 13: Resmaa Menakem and the Body Keeps the Score of Inclusion: Racialised Trauma, Somatics, and Why Culture Change Must Happen Through the Body
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