Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Why Love Matters summary
Sue Gerhardt
How Affection Shapes a Baby's Brain
24 mins
Brief summary
'Why Love Matters' by Sue Gerhardt explains how early childhood experiences shape our emotional and mental development. It highlights the profound impact of love and nurturing in the future well-being of a person.
Table of Contents
Why Love Matters
Summary of 8 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 8
The brain evolved in stages, and the social brain developed last.
English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge once observed that a tiger stays the same whether you imagine it living alone or in a “society” with thousands of other tigers. Either way, a tiger is a tiger.
But humans are different. We are, in Coleridge’s words, “truly altered” by our relationships with other humans. Without these relationships, we wouldn’t develop qualities like empathy or the ability to read social cues.
Today, we have a name for what Coleridge was describing. We call it the social brain.
The key message in this blink is: The brain evolved in stages, and the social brain developed last.
In everyday speech, we usually refer to “the brain,” but this isn’t quite accurate. We actually have what neuroscientists call a triune brain, or three brains in one. Each of these brains reflects a different stage in our evolution.
In the first stage, we developed a brain similar to that found in reptiles. This simple cognitive setup was based around the brainstem, and supported basic life functions like breathing.
In the second stage, we developed a mammalian brain around this reptilian core. It allowed for basic emotions, which in turn added new qualities, like the ability to nurture offspring.
In the third and final stage, we developed the cerebral cortex in the outer layers of the brain. This is where the social brain – the thing that makes humans human – formed.
The social brain is activated when we control our emotions, follow social cues, and experience empathy. It also allows us to go beyond instinctive ways of behaving.
So, instead of simply experiencing primal emotions like fear, anger, or satisfaction, we can diversify these feelings into more complex intermediary states, like sadness, shame, guilt, love, pleasure, happiness, and more. Metaphorically speaking, while most mammals see the world in black and white, our social brain allows us to see it in technicolor.
Here’s where things get interesting. A newborn baby’s brain has several systems to ensure survival. It has a functioning nervous system that makes it possible for her to breathe, a visual system that lets her track movement, and a core consciousness in the brainstem that enables her to react to sensory stimuli like temperature. But the social brain is missing. And, as we’ll see in the next blink, it only begins developing after a baby is born.
Want to see all full key ideas from Why Love Matters?
Key ideas in Why Love Matters
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Why Love Matters about?
Why Love Matters (2004) is a study of how our early years shape who we become later in life. But this isn’t about rehashing the old nature-versus-nurture debate. As we’ll see in these blinks, the weight of scientific evidence points to a much more fascinating conclusion: that we’re “co-produced” by genetics and social experience during babyhood. This means that many of the social and psychological problems that affect us as adults can be traced back to these formative years.
Why Love Matters Review
Why Love Matters (2004) is a thought-provoking book that explores the critical role of early relationships in shaping our lives. Here's why you should give it a read:
- With compelling research and insightful case studies, the book reveals how the quality of early attachments has a profound impact on our emotional well-being.
- It offers a deep understanding of the importance of love and nurturing in the early years, shedding light on how it shapes our brain development and long-term relationships.
- Through engaging storytelling and accessible language, the book demystifies complex scientific concepts, making it a captivating and enlightening read.
Best quote from Why Love Matters
When social relationships are denied, there is little hope of fully recovering these lost social abilities.
—Sue Gerhardt
Who should read Why Love Matters?
- Mental health professionals
- Parents with babies or toddlers
- Would-be mothers and fathers
Categories with Why Love Matters
Book summaries like Why Love Matters
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
33 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Why Love Matters FAQs
What is the main message of Why Love Matters?
The main message of Why Love Matters is that love and emotional connection are vital for a child's healthy development.
How long does it take to read Why Love Matters?
The estimated reading time for Why Love Matters is several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Why Love Matters a good book? Is it worth reading?
Why Love Matters is worth reading for its insights into the importance of love in child development.
Who is the author of Why Love Matters?
Sue Gerhardt is the author of Why Love Matters.
What to read after Why Love Matters?
If you're wondering what to read next after Why Love Matters, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- What’s Going on in There? by Lise Eliot
- Becoming Attached by Robert Karen
- The Happy Kid Handbook by Katie Hurley
- Moms on Call by Laura Hunter & Jennifer Walker
- The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) by Philippa Perry
- Theories of Childhood by Carol Garhart Mooney
- The Fifth Trimester by Lauren Smith Brody
- The Opposite of Spoiled by Ron Lieber
- Difficult Conversations Don't Have to Be Difficult by Jon Gordon & Amy P. Kelly
- The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch