Ever wondered how some people can “put themselves into another person's shoes” and some people cannot? Our ability to empathise with others seems to depend on the action of "mirror neurons" in the brain. Mirror neurons, known to exist in humans and in macaque monkeys, activate when an action is observed, and also when it is performed. “Each time you crunch a potato chip you hear yourself crunching the chip, and now when you hear someone else crunching it activates your own action neurons.” The phenomenon has been exploited by advertisers for years – think of the Coca-cola commercials comprising of just the noise of a bottle of Coke being opened, the fizz of the drink and the sound of the drinking.
“How empathetic we are seems to be related to how strongly our mirror neuron system is activated”, “It’s exciting because we can start to look at the diversity of experiences of other people. Some people see others through themselves, and some are more objective about it.”
“How empathetic we are seems to be related to how strongly our mirror neuron system is activated”, “It’s exciting because we can start to look at the diversity of experiences of other people. Some people see others through themselves, and some are more objective about it.”
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched ... but are felt in the heart.
Current Biology Journal (vol 16, p 1824)
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