Our emotions are contagious.
That isn’t a metaphor.
Emotions are LITERALLY contagious.
Let me give you the science behind it.
Researchers at the University of Parma—which is in Italy and was founded in the 10th century—discovered that we have these things in our brains called “mirror neurons.” These mirror neurons fire when you experience an emotion or when you witness someone else experiencing that emotion. What that means is that when you feel sad, a specific neuron in your brain fires. When you see someone else sad, though, the same neuron fires, and you become sadder.
This—according to some researchers—is the neurological basis for empathy.
I don’t just imagine how you feel; I know how you feel, because I feel that way too!
Our brain is literally hard-wired to transmit our emotions to others.
Emotional contagion is so strong that human beings begin to “catch” the emotions of others before they have even reached their first birthday.
What can you do with this information?
The concept of emotional contagion has two practical implications for you:
- You are susceptible to catching the moods of others. When others are angry and aggressive, you need to guard against catching their moods.
- You can influence the emotional state of others by simply being in the state you want them to be in. If you are pleasant and calm, the pleasant and calm mirror neurons in the patron’s brain will start firing and they are more likely to calm down too.
Have a great week!
Peace,
Ryan
