Mirror Neurons - Written for school

If you have ever found yourself returning a smile and not quite understanding why, mirror neurons were most likely at work. Mirror neurons, as Daniel Goleman writes in his article, “Neural WiFi,” “reflect back an action we observe in someone else, making us mimic that action or have the impulse to do so.” Mirror neurons seem to represent a large part of the way two human brains can connect, or link, without any physical connection. When looking upon a smiling face, we instantly want to smile. According to Goleman, the synchronicity found in the connection made between two human brains is most functional when driven by low road processing – or quick, unconscious, thinking. Humans do not need to stop and think about the fear they feel as they are observing someone else’s behavior or expression in a scary situation. Goleman accurately describes mirror neurons as, “do-as-she-does” neurons. The name “Mirror” neuron no doubt came from the idea of mirroring, or copying, someone or something.

Daniel Goleman also states in his article that mirror neurons play a key role in both social skills and the way children learn. Empathy, therefore, relies heavily upon the use of mirror neurons. “Mirror neurons,” Goleman states, “make emotions contagious, letting the feelings we witness flow through us, helping us get in synch and follow what’s going on.” This is empathy. The same is true, also, for quick reactions to things people may not even actually do. Goleman believes that even the slightest hint of intention in a person can activate our mirror neurons, and thus, we begin to subconsciously plan our own actions in reaction to their possible future actions; we are reacting to that which hasn’t even happened yet. This emotional contagion is one of the key factors in a mob situation. Whenever emotions are running high, and there is a catalyst for violence, or hysteria, it would only take one person acting out violently to set off a chain reaction within the entire group. It is the wireless, or WiFi, connection that we share as humans, and the ease with which we can absorb and feel each other’s actions and reactions that enables us to act as a violent mob. My mother has said before, “When I’m at a baseball game, I leave myself at home and bring the warrior within out for the day,” of course referring to the fierce unison that one cannot help but feel in a crowd of thousands of other cheering fans with only victory in mind.

Personally, whenever I am in a situation in which I have absolutely no idea how to react – a group interview, the first day of class with a teacher I am not familiar with yet, or watching the local mentally unstable person declare war on the clouds in front of the supermarket, for example – I look to others around me for reaction advice subconsciously. If I should be alarmed, it is likely that others are alarmed and showing obvious signs of it. Working at Starbucks as a supervisor, I am often the one that my Baristas will turn to when they are not sure how to react to a situation, like an unsatisfied customer. The Baristas feel that they can look to me for reaction cues not only because I am their superior, but most likely because I have encountered a similar situation before, and will know the proper way to act. This, in its essence, is learning. It would seem that what Goleman has said about mirror neurons and their ability to help us interact with each other does in fact play a role in the way we learn.

Working at Starbucks, I have also encountered times when I was pressured to sell something. Normally it’s coffee, or brewing equipment, or even a new drink we’re featuring. I have learned, thanks to my job in retail, that in order to make a successful sale, you must read the customer’s reactions and act accordingly. If the customer is showing signs of annoyance, I understand that the best course of action is to relent. It is also possible, however, to prime the customer for the sale. If I know the customer prefers a certain type of coffee, I can mention that coffee when describing the product I am currently trying to sell them, guiding their way to a decision with confidence and a warm smile. Similarly, it is common knowledge that Baristas are constantly upbeat, happy, and very excited to make that latte for each and every customer. This is because we are priming the customer to expect this same happiness and excitement for the hand crafted beverage we are making for them.

As Daniel Goleman has explained, mirror neurons play a key role in our own understanding of emotions, particularly in relation to the emotions we see in others. These emotions, in turn, play a key role in our behavior and interaction with other humans. This behavior, in turn, is what defines humans as social creatures – the ability, and need, to not only communicate through learned behavior, but also to connect, and relate, through mirrored and learned emotions. The opportunities made available with an understanding of the way mirror neurons work opens up entirely new worlds of social experience and behavioral therapy that could never be achieved otherwise.