When all decisions/emotions/attractions/thoughts etc. originate form the brain, why do people use “heart” in such contexts?
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Historically primitive people would have observed a physical change in their heart that regularly accompanied strong emotions, so they would have incorrectly deduced that the heart was the source of their emotions.
In modern times our ‘heart’ is just a word we use to describe the parts of our brain that are responsible for emotions.
Other than the mentioned heart rate and tightness in the chest its most likely an influence of ancient societies. Many of them thought of the heart as home of the soul and thus the center of emotion.
With this there comes a distinction of the heart as emotional decision-making in contrast to the brain as rational decisions-making.
Back before they knew much biology, the heart was thought to be the brain of the body… the bit that does the thinking.
It seems an obvious conclusion, really. It goes fast when you like things etc, so obviously it’s involved.
Except it’s not.
It’s a carryover from those days that it’s associated with love.
Many classical philosophers and scientists, including Aristotle, considered the heart the seat of thought, reason, or emotion, often disregarding the brain as contributing to those functions. The identification of the heart as the seat of emotions in particular is due to the Roman physician Galen, who also located the seat of the passions in the liver, and the seat of reason in the brain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart#Symbolism
Your heart pumps the blood that keeps your body alive by filling your muscles, erogenous zones, finger tips and brain with oxygen to function. It is the organ that engages with visceral reality. It is rhythmic and its rhythm increases when we are excited and our passions are aroused. The brain may create thought only after the heart has filled it with blood to do so.
Maybe because heart rate can change with emotions? If you get experience fear or excitement, your heart rate picks up, when you are content and happy, your heart rate decreases.
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For the lack of better candidates. What were we supposed to choose? Butt? Genitals?
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