“When emotions go high, intelligence goes low.”
— Dr. Ted Morter

At Morter HealthSystem, we often remind people that when emotions go high, intelligence goes low. By “intelligence,” we mean our ability to see reason, evaluate situations objectively, and consciously choose our responses rather than simply react.

Modern neuroscience supports this observation. When the body perceives a threat—whether real or imagined—it activates the sympathetic nervous system, commonly known as the fight-or-flight response. Stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol flood the body, preparing it for immediate action. During this process, activity shifts away from the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for reasoning, planning, and sound judgment, and toward the brain’s survival centers.

This physiological shift helps explain why people sometimes react impulsively, say things they later regret, or feel temporarily unable to see solutions that may be right in front of them. Strong emotions can narrow awareness and diminish conscious choice. The degree to which this occurs often depends on how deeply ingrained the emotional pattern is. Fortunately, there are clues that reveal when emotions may be overriding reason. One of the most reliable clues is language.

When people begin using words such as always, never, everybody, nobody, have to, or can’t, it often signals that emotions are influencing their perception of reality. Consider the word everybody. A person who insists, “Everybody smokes pot,” may be demonstrating what psychologists call an egosyntonic response—the tendency to assume that one’s own experience is shared by everyone else. The stronger the emotional attachment to a belief, the more difficult it becomes to recognize alternative viewpoints.

Likewise, words such as hopeless, helpless, and can’t often indicate a narrowing of awareness: “It’s hopeless, I’m helpless to do anything about it,I can’t change it.” These statements frequently reveal a temporary inability to perceive options and possibilities that may actually exist.

With the Morter HealthSystem, awareness is viewed as the first step toward transformation. By becoming conscious of the language being used, individuals can recognize when emotions may be driving their reactions. A simple pause to question an absolute statement—“Is that really true?” or “What other possibilities exist?”—can begin restoring access to higher reasoning and conscious choice.

The words we use reflect the way we think, and the way we think shapes the reality we experience. Eliminating even one limiting language pattern can expand awareness, increase personal responsibility, and open the door to possibilities that strong emotions may have temporarily concealed.

Link to Morter March Monday Rebroadcast: