• Site display :
  • Normal
  • Text only
  •        
  • Accessibility :
  • BSL
  • Audio
  • Skip to content Privacy and cookies|
  • Sign up to our newsletter
Science Museum logo

Astonishing Science. Spectacular museum.

  • Home
  • Visit The Museum
  • Online Stuff
  • Educators
  • Shop Online
  • About Us

Who am I?

  • Visit gallery
  • Play Thingdom
  • Find out more
  • Home
  • Your body
  • Your brain
  • Your genes

Search A-Z

Home  >  Your brain  >  What are emotions?  >  Why do you have emotions?

  • How does your brain work?
  • How can illness affect the brain?
  • What happens when you’re asleep?
  • What are your senses?
  • How do drugs affect your brain?
  • How does your brain grow?
  • What is special about human language?
  • Why is your memory so important?
  • What are emotions?
    • Which area of your brain controls emotions?
    • Why do you have emotions?
      • How do you use your emotions?
      • What happens if you lose your emotions?
      • What happened to Gage?
    • Can you recognise emotions?
    • What do mirror neurons mirror?
    • What’s the problem with extreme emotions?

Why do you have emotions?

If you feel afraid, you try and escape from the danger. If you're happy, you relax. If you are disgusted, you may feel sick. Your emotions influence your behaviour. Our ancestors relied on their emotions to survive. But these days, we use our emotions more for making lifestyle decisions than simply staying alive.

Enlarge

Next topic

How do you use your emotions?

How do you use your emotions?

Related topic

What are emotions?

What are emotions?

Did you know?

Discover something different

Bookmark and Share:

  • Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Bookmark this on Delicious
 

Principal Funder:

Wellcome trust

Major Sponsors:

GlaxoSmithKline life technologies
  • Contact us|
  • Support us|
  • Press and Media|
  • Enquiries/Freedom of Information|