Soup and fish explain half the emotions of human life.

The line suggests that a large portion of what people experience as “emotion” is influenced by physical state and ordinary comforts—hunger, satisfaction, conviviality, and the atmosphere of a meal. By choosing humble dishes (“soup and fish”), Smith deflates romantic or metaphysical accounts of feeling and points to the body’s role in shaping temperament. The wit lies in the exaggeration (“half the emotions”), but the underlying claim is serious: human psychology is often governed by material conditions and social rituals more than by abstract ideals. It is a reminder to look for simple causes behind grand emotional narratives.