Two very different minds. Silvan Tomkins (1911-1991) is considered by many to be the Einstein of emotional science. His theory of emotion defines a core set of indivisible neurobiological elements – “affects” -whose innate and learning conscripted behaviors aggregate to explain the entire universe of human emotion. John Steinbeck (1902-1968) also viewed humans through a biological lens. His writings transformed the struggles of ordinary, marginalized people into profound, mythic struggles for human dignity. The following is one outcome of the these two minds crossing paths.
On September 26th 2026, I had the opportunity to present my work to the members of the Silvan Tomkins organization. It began with how my story led to my learning with Drs. Gary David, Donald Nathanson, and Silvan Tomkins and how their work led my learning into the role of shame in how human beings learn to become themselves. The Q&As (41:46) are my favorite parts.
See also: What Silvan Tomkins might say: An affect-theoretical reading of the talk
Distillation of the affect-order distinctions in the 1:24-hour transcript, with point-by-point commentary by an AI proxy of Tomkins on how each point relates to affect-script theory.
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