When Emotions Make Better Decisions Antonio Damasio

Antonio Damasio, acclaimed researcher and professor of neuroscience, explains the importance of emotions in decision-making.

He speaks with David Brooks about people who suffer from brain damage and are unable to make simple decisions. Damasio explains that they are unable to choose because emotions allow us to mark things as good, bad or indifferent. Without conjuring up the emotion, they are unable to make a decision. He also ties emotion to memory.

Would people with brain damage, like those Damasio describes, be able to affective forecast? Without emotional reactions, would the risk-as-feelings hypothesis work to help brain-damaged people make decisions?