The Hidden Power of Negative Emotions | George Loewenstein
The Hidden Power of Negative Emotions | George Loewenstein  
Podcast: The Art of Charm
Published On: Mon Aug 31 2026
Description: Your emotions don’t just change how you feel—they can change what you remember, how you judge other people, and even who you become in the moment. AJ sits down with behavioral economist George Loewenstein to explore the “empathy gap”: our surprising inability to predict how we’ll think and behave when our emotional state changes. George explains why anger can distort judgment, rejection sensitivity becomes self-fulfilling, negative experiences outweigh positive ones, and the happiness we chase often disappears faster than we expect. You’ll learn why high performers can still choke under pressure, why venting anger often makes it worse, how emotions influence self-esteem and relationships, and why you should never respond immediately to an email that makes you furious. This conversation offers a fascinating look at the hidden forces shaping our decisions—and why understanding our emotions doesn’t always mean we can control them. Episode Resources: https://www.amazon.com/Opposite-Happiness-Feelings-Make-Break/dp/0063427060/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 A Word From Our Sponsors Get $250 off select AirDoctor air purifiers by using promo code CHARM at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AirDoctorPro.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Shopify is where you go to start your business, and everything you need to sell is already there from day one. Start your free trial by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SHOPIFY.COM/charm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with top talent ready to help your business grow by going to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UPWORK.COM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. This year, skip breaking a sweat AND breaking the bank. Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mintmobile.com/charm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters 00:00 – The empathy gap: why we misjudge our own emotions08:00 – How your mood changes the way you read other people17:15 – Why one negative moment outweighs all the good24:20 – Why empathy may not work the way we think31:00 – Why we can’t predict ourselves under pressure39:05 – How emotions distort moral judgment45:00 – Why high performers still choke under pressure51:10 – Why venting anger can make it worse57:30 – Never respond to an angry email immediately01:03:00 – Negative emotions, self-compassion, and being human Keywords emotional intelligence, emotions, empathy gap, psychology, behavioral economics, emotional regulation, anger, self awareness, happiness, negative emotions, self esteem, rejection sensitivity, decision making, cognitive bias, stress, performance under pressure, relationships, emotional health, self compassion, human behavior Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices