Why do we hold the heart to be the center for our emotions when its the brain thats responsible?

Question

I mean, i'm sure everyone knows that the heart is a muscle, so saying that its responsible for emotion is like saying that the bicep is responsible for how i feel. We all know the brain is responsible for emotion, so why do we still glorify a muscle for what has to be an important part of the human psyche?

Answer 1

Most people think of their heart when reacting to emotions, not the brain. You know how people say that emotions come from inside? I think they are referring to the heart cause its in the middle of your body(or close enough)

Answer 2

The brain is like a hard disk in computer which stores information.
The spine is like the CPU which does
the data processing.

No metaphysical problem is more vigorously discussed by the present day
psychologists than that of mind and body. Most of us assume that all
thinking takes place in the brain. It is only since a few decades that
psychologists are treating body and mind as a single unit called
psycho-somatic system. This led to the development of new subjects like
Psycho-biology and Psycho-neuro-immunology. Modern medicine has
recognized the brain-spine system as a single unit, but it does not
assign thinking functions to any part of the spine. It is now known that
even when a considerable amount of brain is removed through surgery, a
person can still have reasonable mental abilities and can lead a near
normal life. Modern research found that one region in brain can perform
several tasks and so can compensate for the loss of damage of another
region. On the contrary, surgical removal of some 'safe' parts from womb
of women is known to cause problems of mind like dementia. Then, what
are the components of mind and where are they located?

Indians put their hand on the chest when they say "I am saying this from
the depths of my Manas". Manas (rational mind) is a common word used in
India, and no one shows his head when he uses that word. The Europeans
have an esoteric tradition that mind exists independently of the
physical brain, and thoughts become known to a person through the brain
[1]. During the 1970s, neurologists became increasingly dissatisfied
with the epiphenomenalism [2] theories of mind and brain. More
scientists came to suspect that mind and brain were different in a kind
and could interact.

[1] The Hutchinson Encyclopedia, The topic on "mind", Computer CD
Version, 2002.

[2] Donald Watson, A Dictionary of Mind and Spirit, Andre Deutsch Ltd.,
London, 1991.

http://profvsprasad.blog.com/

Answer 3

Have you ever had your heart broken bc if you have you'd know that it hurts in your heart the most. Same with being in love, you'd feel the warm and tingles coming from your heart. There's a reason why that "muscle" is "glorified"

Answer 4

The heart is a methaphoric representation of the center or the core of something...ie. the "heart" of the matter. Emotions are so major in human nature that it is considered the "core" of human nature.
Additionally, when you experience certain emotions, your heart tends to respond...by skipping a beat or beating faster, thus people often referring to it in relation to their emotions.

Answer 5

Yes, we know that now, but the heart is where it's felt when you have an anxiety attack or severe depression.
When people say broken heart, or whatever... they are speaking about it symbolically. They're not giving a science lesson.

Answer 6

well back in the days there wasnt scientific data on the brain producing the chemicals call love. people just felt it at their chest and they thought it was their heart that was the center of where love is produced.

Answer 7

Exactly, Deeply Shallow.

Answer 8

The first time you really fall in love and you lose the person that you love, you'll know why.