Language and social feeling: from the river of savana to the study of psychotherapy

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ABSTRACT

Verbal language developed from the gestural language of anthropomorphic monckeys. This evolution was driven by the need to cope with emotions and attitudes, which led to an improvement of communication and to the birth of empathy. Nevertheless, the development of social feeling could
be impacted by the Dunbar’s number, which can explain aggressivity and violence among groups. In this
respect, it is possible that the acquisition of verbal language is correlated to the rise of schizofrenia. Lastly
we will describe possible uses of language as encouragement for a fruitful cooperation in psychotherapy.