For millennia, human culture has associated the heart with an intuitive sense of truth and knowing the right life path. I have come to suspect the heart helps determine what’s relevant.  And yet, it is a stunningly consistent feature of Western ‘scientism’ — the belief that truth is only found through science — that all challenges to head-centric cognition are ruthlessly suppressed, shamed and denigrated. Capitalism comes from the Latin word ‘capitalis’, meaning ‘of the head’. I suspect that nine out of ten people when asked what the human heart does will reply something to the effect of 'it pumps blood'.

Western culture seemingly understands that the heart’s job is essential, but more as a plumber than a knowledge worker.

Despite this ignorance, we live saturated in metaphorical references to the heart. Most of them directly relate to the foundations of a meaningful life: truth, guidance, and love. Follow your heart, heart’s desire, open-hearted; the list is endless. Why do these kinds of idioms relate to our hearts and not the liver or kidneys? Western culture seemingly understands that the heart’s job is essential, but more as a plumber than a knowledge worker.