The ancient Inca are known to have performed the first surgical procedure in human history by drilling holes in the skull. This procedure, known as "trepanation," is considered highly complex and risky even by modern medical standards. Why, then, did they take such risks to drill holes in the head? This book argues that it was "to help people manage their emotions," analyzing that the issue of emotional regulation is closely tied to the course of human history itself.

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The author, a professor at the Department of Psychology and Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, bases his argument on historians' inferences that the ancient Inca likely used trepanation to treat emotional regulation disorders such as depression or mania. Throughout history, humans have made various efforts to control their emotions. Methods included attaching leeches to the head, performing exorcisms, and in the 17th century, cauterizing the head with heated iron rods. In 1949, neurologist Ant?nio Egas Moniz was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for developing a surgical method to treat extreme emotional states by inserting a probe behind the eye and severing key neural connections. However, due to ethical and medical concerns, this procedure is now banned worldwide.

The book traces the history of emotional management and focuses on how modern medicine deals with emotions. One of the main points is that experiencing (negative) emotions is a completely natural phenomenon, and there is no right or wrong in this regard. For example, if a disability rights activist faces delays while traveling by subway to attend an important event due to a protest for disability mobility rights, the immediate annoyance they feel is a natural reaction. However, working to advocate for disability rights afterward is a different matter altogether. The saying "Fear is a reaction, but courage is a decision" is widely cited in psychology for this reason.

If immediate feelings are uncontrollable, the regulation of emotions that follows is something we can control. In a 2000 survey of 437 incoming college students, 40% of respondents said they could not control their emotions. The author acknowledges that humans cannot control their emotions, but clarifies that "this is true only for the first stage of emotion processing, the trigger." While different stimuli can activate triggers, whether emotions persist is up to the individual. "We cannot control the world around us, nor can we control the emergence of emotions themselves. But this is only half of the emotional equation. A flame may ignite on its own, but once it is burning, we can choose whether to extinguish it or fan it further. In other words, we can control the path our emotions take."

In the late 1960s, renowned psychologist Albert Bandura's snake experiment demonstrated the possibility of emotional control. The experiment involved four participants with severe snake phobias gradually approaching a snake. Initially, they only observed the snake through a one-way mirror, but through a series of steps, they eventually overcame their phobia. Through this process, participants recognized their previously unknown ability to control emotions, which led to an increase in self-efficacy. Over the 20 years following Bandura's experiment, more than 114 studies involving 22,000 participants confirmed a 28% increase in self-efficacy.

The author challenges the established view in psychology that negative experiences must be confronted head-on. He argues that there is no single answer in psychotherapy and that appropriate methods should be applied according to the situation. He emphasizes that avoidance can also be an effective therapeutic approach, introducing NBA rebounder Dennis Rodman as an example of someone who used avoidance to relieve psychological pressure.

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He advises using the "law of least effort" as a way to escape psychological distress. Instead of always striving to find better solutions in difficult situations, he suggests leveraging our tendency to choose the easier option and remain within familiar pain. He also recommends, much like how U.S. Navy special forces prepare response plans for every scenario before a mission, that pre-planning responses to anticipated situations can reduce the effort needed to take action.

According to the Dunedin Project, which began in New Zealand in 1972, a 50-year follow-up of 1,037 children measuring their emotional regulation abilities showed that those with better emotional regulation excelled in terms of economic status, health, and aging. Conversely, those with poor emotional regulation were more likely to struggle with crime, addiction, and health problems. It would be a mistake to attribute this solely to innate temperament. The author asserts that the human prefrontal cortex has the power to control thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and that the choice lies with each individual.

He boldly rejects the claim that there is a single answer in psychology and that freedom can only be achieved by meeting certain standards. He challenges the conventional belief that one can only be free by confronting the source of pain, instead teaching that different methods are needed for different people, times, and environments. While the book is generally well-supported by evidence and examples, some parts leave the reader wishing for just a bit more depth.

The Science of Emotion: SHIFT | Written by Ethan Kross | Translated by Wang Sumin | Woongjin Knowledge House | 376 pages | 19,500 won