…..But Your Emotions Care about Facts
The popular maxim that “facts don’t care about your feelings” has become a touchstone of modern debate. It suggests that truth is harsh and objective, immune to the influence—or distortion—of emotion. But does this slogan capture the whole story?
Naturally, our emotions care profoundly about facts. They respond to them, interpret them, and help us decide what truly matters. They determine which facts will become part of the narrative. The relationship between fact and feeling is not one of conflict, but of meaning and judgment. But these claims come with a recognition and warning: that emotions, when not cultivated and working together with reason, can be manipulated by sources of media. That is why it is critical that we consider them in the larger discussion of value.
Emotions as Judgments of Value
Philosopher Martha Nussbaum challenges the view that feelings are mere disturbances or obstacles to truth. Instead, she contends that emotions are “judgments of value.” When we love, we recognize another’s unique importance; when we envy, we pass judgment on loss or injustice; when we fear, we assess risk and vulnerability. Each emotion, then, is not just a private stirring, but an active response to the world’s facts—a way of telling ourselves which details are significant, and why. This perspective doesn’t diminish the importance of learning the facts. Instead, it adds depth: emotions guide our attention, shape our sense of urgency, and provide what Nussbaum calls the “common sense” behind our choices and beliefs.
Why Sensibility and Narrative Matter
In a world awash with information and fragmented truths, it’s easy to feel lost among competing claims and cold statistics. Here, emotions become a litmus test—helping us sort, prioritize, and narrate the avalanche of data. They do not stand alone: emotions are partners with rigorous reason, together forming the arc by which meaning and truth emerge. As Nussbaum notes, emotions are not infallible. They are not the final arbiters, but they are essential evaluators. They help us place facts within the broader narrative of human experience, clarifying why some information cuts deeply, and other facts pass us by.
Justice, Compassion, and the Meaning of Facts
Nussbaum’s book Poetic Justice brings this philosophy to life. Imagine a judge deciding whether to grant a single mother public assistance. The dossier is stacked with facts—income, employment, dependents—but none of these details alone tells the whole story. If a judge relies only on data, the decision may be mechanical and inhuman. The facts are necessary, but they aren’t enough. Here is where Emotional intelligence—especially compassion—makes all the difference. Nussbaum argues that literature, by immersing us in the lives and struggles of others, sharpens our empathy and moral imagination. Informed by this cultivated emotional sense, the judge can read beyond the numbers: What does fairness require here? What suffering or dignity lies behind these facts? Emotions, mature and reflective, help us decide which facts are ethically relevant, and how justice should be served.
Integrating Truth and Feeling
Pay attention to the facts. Learn the facts. But don’t be bullied by them. We must resist the temptation to treat facts as self-explanatory or emotions as irrelevant noise. True judgment means holding both in tension—integrating data with discernment, and feeling with reason. In a world of competing narratives, reason, emotion, and good judgment work in concert to develop our most profound discernment.
