If you could look into your brain while it works – you’d likely live differently. You’d watch people you’d like to emulate more, and live more ethical tips from empathetic people with positive perspectives. Simply put – you’d capitalize on more magic from your mirror neurons! How so?
Observe happy or positive faces and your brain is sent messages into its limbic system for well-being stirred in your own brain. Dynamite research surprises even the experts. Check out this video on mirror neurons to see how a place in your brain comes equipped to mimic other people’s feelings or reactions.
You can literally adopt another person’s point of view without recognizing the transition – all because of your mirror neurons. Or you may merely dance – because your mental mimicking kicks in like this video shows. Does that suggest to be mindful of your company?
Interestingly, brain waves that reflect mirror change for people with autism. How so? Whereas regular brains move the
same brain waves when a person does a thing as when that person watches a thing, that’s not so with autistic people.
Mirror neurons show how culture comes from imitation – and the video illustrates how we watch and mirror the culture others live. Deep inside your brain cells you are neurons that will fire in reaction to another’s emotions or activity. See new roots for compassion as it plays out in people’s lives? Wonder why even sports fans act out what they observe? It’s mirror neurons.
If you’re interested in hiring more empathetic workers, for instance, you’d likely also be interested in new research that tracks empathy neurons in people’s brains with startling revelations.
Can you imagine having the ability to gather empathetic teams who integrate designs from art with the precision of top science? Follow the recorded actions of these 286 individual neurons identified … and watch empathy’s wonder work to influence and teach as never seen before. What an amazing discovery that could enrich an era where problem solving across traditional disciplines could also work at the peaks with artists.
What do you think?
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Thanks Charles, when I read your thoughtful reflection here on a critical topic – I find myself wondering about the mental skills of empathy that can be taught and mirrored. What would it take to make that happen more — as you see it?
I think empathy might just be the most important skill we have for negotiating social environments. The discovery of mirror neurons gives us convincing data that this ability exists in virtually all of us, and it encourages us to attend to what they teach us. When we do, we become better at anticipating how others will respond to us, and how to approach people to enlist their support. In the business world, this can be the critical success factor.
Vreddy, this really is a fascinating topic — especially with so much new research out that has everybody quite excited about the results:-) Thanks for helping us to see the nuances!
Thanks for the response. what you said makes sense.
Vreddy, you raised an interesting insights about who we mirror, and the research shows that who we engage with is who we mirror. That person may be far different – yet we will likely learn from and mimic the person after time – and so we do learn from those alike and those different.
It suggests the power of real time communication — where we can see and interpret facial expressions though. That’s not possible online:-) What do you think?
I am wondering if this also means that people communicate with each other to fire up their mirror neurons? if so, the way we communicate is very critical, it is has to be framed in such a way that he/she can relate to the things the other person(whom we are communicating) understands already. That may be why people understand better when analogies are used
An interesting concept — and it’s also true that we tend to mimic those we spend most time with as well:-). Could be good — or could be rather dangerous I suppose:-)
As far as mirror neurons go, my niece once told me that we tend to pick friends because there is something about them that we admire. I can see that would help us to grow in some ways that we would desire just through the mirror imaging.
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