Chapter 4
Conceptions
There are three types of conception: rewards, coercions and punishments.
Rewards are positive effects triggered by a conclusion. Maternal love is a positive effect triggered by the conclusion “my child is happy”.
Coercions are negative effects triggered by one conclusion and stopped by another. Revenge is a negative effect triggered by the conclusion “X harmed me by breaking the rules”. Revenge is stopped by the conclusion “I harmed X as much as X harmed me”.
Punishments are negative effects triggered by a conclusion. Maternal grief is a negative effect triggered by the conclusion “my child is dead”.
Conceptions begin to be triggered at month 24, when conceptual thought is possible. At this age, children begin to feel the group conceptions: revenge, criminal guilt, compassion, selfish guilt, pride, humiliation, humor and envy. The onset of conceptions is the first of four reasons for the terrible-two’s. The other reasons are: the end of maternal love, the end of cute and the onset of conceptual fear.
Conceptions fall into six categories of purpose: post-natal, courtship, infidelity, legal, insurance and rank.
Rewards are positive effects triggered by a conclusion. Maternal love is a positive effect triggered by the conclusion “my child is happy”.
Coercions are negative effects triggered by one conclusion and stopped by another. Revenge is a negative effect triggered by the conclusion “X harmed me by breaking the rules”. Revenge is stopped by the conclusion “I harmed X as much as X harmed me”.
Punishments are negative effects triggered by a conclusion. Maternal grief is a negative effect triggered by the conclusion “my child is dead”.
Conceptions begin to be triggered at month 24, when conceptual thought is possible. At this age, children begin to feel the group conceptions: revenge, criminal guilt, compassion, selfish guilt, pride, humiliation, humor and envy. The onset of conceptions is the first of four reasons for the terrible-two’s. The other reasons are: the end of maternal love, the end of cute and the onset of conceptual fear.
Conceptions fall into six categories of purpose: post-natal, courtship, infidelity, legal, insurance and rank.
Post-natal conceptions encourage the feeding and protection of children and mothers. Maternal love rewards mothers for feeding children. Maternal grief punishes mothers if children die. Grandmaternal love rewards grandmothers for helping with the feeding of grandchildren. Grandmaternal grief punishes grandmothers if grandchildren die. Monogynic love rewards men for supporting women. Monogynic grief punishes men if women die.
Courtship conceptions activate monogynic love. Infatuation rewards women for activating a man’s monogynic love. Heartbreak punishes women if they fail to activate monogynic love.
Infidelity conceptions discourage female infidelity. Jealousy coerces men to punish women for infidelity. Adulterous guilt punishes philandering women directly.
Legal conceptions reduce rule breaking. Revenge coerces victims to punish rule breakers. Criminal guilt punishes rule breakers directly.
Insurance conceptions encourage helping the unfortunate. Compassion coerces you to help the unfortunate. Selfish guilt punishes you if you fail to help the unfortunate.
Rank conceptions encourage maximizing rank. Pride rewards you for increasing your rank. Humiliation punishes you for not maintaining your rank. Humor rewards you for learning about rank-reducing mistakes that others make. Envy punishes you when a peer’s rank rises above yours.
The rank conceptions are the main reason we compete and cooperate.
The rank conceptions are the main reason we compete and cooperate.
Happiness Dissected is a more practical version of The Origin of Emotions.