Radikal emotional

Whether in debates about the climate crisis, identity politics, or global affairs: politics is nothing more than a negotiation process over different emotions. In her debate book, neuroscientist and bestselling author Maren Urner calls for a reevaluation of our rational understanding of politics. In light of ongoing crises, we must finally stop separating reason and emotions. Only by thinking about both together and acting accordingly can we constructively shape politics.

When it comes to socio-political debates, we have always told ourselves the same story: we cannot and should not rely on our emotions. Feelings are something private that must be strictly separated from the professional and political realm. Psychological, anthropological, and neuroscientific studies radically contradict this view: everything that happens in the political sphere is shaped by emotions. Even if we desire factual discussions, reality shows us that the louder the call for rationality, the more irrational and emotionally charged the debate becomes. We are always and everywhere influenced by our emotions – feelings drive politics.

How do we escape this dilemma? It all starts with a fundamental insight: even private decisions are always political – and because we are directly affected, we react emotionally. What we eat, how we move, how we live, and how we define success – all of this always has a political dimension. Only by acknowledging that we are all affected, always and everywhere, can we bring about change.