What do monkeys and humans have in common? Mirror Neurons! As Giacomo Rizzolatti found out in his research, we share these mirror neurons with monkeys.
Mirror neurons are a distinct class of neurons that transform specific sensory information into a motor format.
These mirror neurons allow us to develop empathy towards others and understand what people around us are feeling and how they perceive different situations.
From the great book “The Marshmallow Test:”
These mirrors in our minds make us smile when someone friendly smiles at us. They make us afraid when others are frightened and cause us to feel pain or joy when others do. […] They are fundamental for our functioning and survival as interdependent social creatures living together in society.
Have you ever experienced how your own mood changed, even for a second, when you encounter someone in a particular mood? We tend to get worried when strangers look anxious and start looking around for something, and we also can feel a lot of joy when we see a laughing child in the park.
Sources: Walter Mischel, The Marshmallow Test
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18556470
http://gocognitive.net/interviews/mirror-neurons-monkeys-humans
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I found this interesting list to determine whether one is smarter than average. How many of these describe you?
A New Thing I Learned Today 