🧬 Let’s Quickly Remember

In Lesson 1 and 2, we learned:

• Genes build the brain and shape feelings

• Feelings like love, fear, and anger come from instructions written by genes

• These feelings help us survive, stay safe, and connect with others

• Genes don’t “think,” but the behaviors they build often look smart

Now, we’ll look at:

How feelings helped humans and animals stay alive long ago — and even today.

Let’s go!

🧒 A Long, Long Time Ago…

Imagine a child like you, but from 50,000 years ago.

This child had no house, no fridge, no city.

They lived in a small group of people — maybe 20 or 30 — in the wild.

There were:

• Wild animals

• Cold nights

• No supermarkets

• No phones or computers

Now ask:

How did people stay alive back then?

They needed strong bodies — and also smart feelings.

😱 Fear Helped People Stay Away from Danger

When people long ago heard a loud sound or saw something big move, they felt fear.

That feeling made them:

• Freeze

• Run

• Hide

Why?

Because it might have been:

• A tiger

• A snake

• A stranger

People who didn’t feel fear walked into danger.
They were more likely to get hurt and not survive.

So the fear-feeling genes stayed, because they helped.

❤️ Love Helped People Stick Together

Long ago, it was hard to live alone.

You needed:

• Others to help find food

• People to protect you while you sleep

• Parents to care for babies

So genes that made people feel:

• Love for family

• Warm feelings toward babies

• Trust in others

…were helpful!

These feelings made small groups stay together.

People who didn’t care about anyone else were more likely to get left behind — and not pass on their genes.

😡 Anger Helped People Protect Themselves

Imagine someone tries to take your food or hurt your friend.

What happens?

You feel angry.

Anger makes your body ready to:

• Stand up

• Shout

• Push back

• Defend

People who stood up for themselves were less likely to get bullied or pushed around.

So genes that caused useful anger helped people stay strong and safe.

Not too much anger — just enough.

😊 Other Feelings Helped Too

Let’s look at more:

• Happiness: Tells your brain, “This is good, do it more!”

• Sadness: Makes others come help you

• Jealousy: Pushes you to try harder

• Pride: Makes you feel good when others respect you

• Guilt: Helps you fix things when you do wrong

All these feelings helped humans:

• Make friends

• Keep peace

• Stay in groups

• Learn faster

🧠 Feelings Helped Brains Think Better

When you feel:

• Curious → You explore

• Safe → You learn

• Cared for → You trust

That’s how feelings help brains grow and bodies stay safe.

So even though feelings seem soft or small, they’re very powerful.

They are survival tools.

Not tools you can hold in your hand — but tools your body uses to live, learn, and grow.

🧠 Recap

✅ Feelings helped early humans survive
✅ Fear kept them safe from danger
✅ Love kept people close and safe in groups
✅ Anger helped protect what mattered
✅ Other feelings (like pride, guilt, curiosity) helped humans live smarter lives