Limbic

/ˈlɪmbɪk/ adjective

Definition

relating to the limbic system, the part of the brain that controls emotions, memory, and basic survival instincts.

Etymology

From Latin limbus (border or edge), because the limbic system sits at the edge between the older animal brain and the newer thinking brain. Researchers named it in the 1880s.

Kelly Says

Your limbic system is evolutionarily older than your thinking brain—it's your 'lizard brain' that makes you jump at scary sounds before you even realize what it was, which is why emotions sometimes overpower logic.

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