Conscious emotions drive all we do, except for automatic tasks like breathing. Specifically, they enable the operation of incentives—like hunger for eating—that motivate us to perform tasks that are vital to our lives. Indeed, we act because we want to act, and desire is an emotion. Next, we want to act because we expect the action to lead to some positive emotion such as pleasure, enjoyment, satisfaction, comfort, fulfillment, …. Finally, to feel this emotion, we must perceive—consciously experience—the outer world. Conscious emotions also operate indirectly, as when driving an automobile: Though most driving is nonconscious, each particular journey is consciously undertaken for some specific reason; also, emotions operated consciously during the period in which driving was being learned, and for some time afterwards. In short, we suggest that the adaptive function of consciousness is to enable conscious emotions to operate.

中文翻译：

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为什么是意识？

有意识的情绪驱动我们所做的一切，除了呼吸等自动任务。具体来说，它们使激励措施发挥作用，比如对食物的饥饿感，从而激励我们执行对我们生活至关重要的任务。事实上，我们行动是因为我们想行动，而欲望是一种情感。接下来，我们想要采取行动，因为我们期望该行动会带来一些积极的情绪，例如快乐、享受、满足、舒适、成就感……。最后，为了感受这种情感，我们必须感知——有意识地体验——外部世界。有意识的情绪也会间接地发挥作用，就像开车时一样：虽然大多数驾驶是无意识的，但每一次特定的旅程都是出于某种特定的原因有意识地进行的；此外，在学习驾驶期间以及之后的一段时间内，情绪有意识地发挥作用。简而言之，我们认为意识的适应性功能是使意识情绪能够运作。