Summary Of The Science Of Heartbreak And How Music Heals

Everyone probably has or will experience heartbreak in their life. In “The Science of Heartbreak and How Music Heals” Christie Wilcox talks about her personal experience with heartache and explains how music and writing can relieve the pain that comes from heartbreak. She also describes how emotional pain and physical pain are similar since they originate from the same area of the brain. Wilcox uses types of evidence and pathos in the essay to effectively develop her argument by appealing to the reader's emotions and persuade the reader that music and writing can successfully ease emotional pain. In the essay, Wilcox talks about the emotional pain that comes from heartbreak. She tries to reach the people who have been heartbroken themselves

First, she explains how evolutionary biologists have known that our emotions have hijacked the pain system. As human beings we are dependent on others from birth, so it’s necessary that we create and maintain relationships in order to survive and be able to pass on our genes. The main way our bodies inform us that something is wrong is through pain. We really dislike the feeling of pain, which then causes us to quickly change our behavior to make sure that we don’t hurt anymore. Wilcox states in the essay that “since the need to maintain social bonds is crucial to mammalian survival, experiencing pain when they are threatened is an adaptive way to prevent the potential danger of being alone.” She includes the biological explanations relating to pain to establish pathos in her writing and connect to the

Music has known to have a powerful effect on the human brain. Wilcox says, “music evokes strong emotions and changes how we perceive the world around us. Simply listening to music causes the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to the brain’s reward system and feelings of happiness.” She also brings up the point that various studies have found that listening to music changes our perception of painful stimuli, and it strengthens our feelings of control. She states that people are capable of tolerating pain for longer periods of time when listening to music. Similarly, expressive writing can also help with lowering the pain of heartache. She says, “expressive writing about traumatic, stressful or emotional events is more than just a way to let out emotion—college students told to write about their most upsetting moments, for example, were found to be in remarkably better health four months later than their counterparts who wrote on frivolous topics.” She also states that “while negative emotions may have commandeered our pain response, art has tapped into the neurochemical pathways of happiness and healing.” Through including the explanation behind music's ability to relieve pain and using the results from the case studies, she strengthens her argument by appealing to the reader's emotions. It helps get her point about how music and writing can be useful when dealing with heartbreak across to the