The greater the darkness the more we see

Lisa Feldman Barrett's theory of constructed emotion initially inspired this project. Among many things, this theory refutes the claim that emotions, such as sadness, happiness, or fear, are hard-wired in our brains and instantaneously activate given a particular event or situation. Instead, according to Barret's theory, emotions are concepts we develop from our past experiences, environment, and bodily state. Therefore, similar to how a few musical notes create an infinite number of melodies, these three elements can create all kinds of emotional concepts that help us make sense of our daily interactions. In this sense, we do not react to situations, but we predict their meaning based on our past experiences and then act accordingly. In a way, we fill in the gaps.