Reading Notes by Kelly McGonigal, Self-Control, p. 225.
Our actions also affect countless others, and every choice we make is also an encouragement or ** for others.As an independent person, an individual with the ability to act autonomously, we often think that our actions are our own business, that it is only about us, and that we are responsible for ourselves.
There is nothing wrong with this point of view, but as a social person, we are interacting with this society all the time, for example, at this moment, you see me writing this article, on the one hand, my content may have an impact on you, on the other hand, your feedback, likes, ** followers will also have an impact on me, and it will also have an impact on others who see this article.
We are born to connect with other people. Our brains have recently found an ingenious way to make sure we can make that connection. We have a special tube of brain cells called "mirror neurons". Its only task is to observe what other people are thinking, how they feel, and what they are doing.
For example, imagine that you and I are in a kitchen, and you see me chopping vegetables with my right hand, and your brain will automatically convert this action into some kind of information, and the mirror neurons that manage the movement and sensation of your right hand will be activated, so that your brain will analyze what I'm doing, what shape I've cut the leaves into?
We also have an instinct to imitate other people's actions, which means that when you see someone going to grab a snack, a drink, or play ball, or read a book, you yourself will unconsciously imitate their behavior. This is what we call "imperceptible". If the person you imitate is sexual, then you may also lose your willpower.
The book mentions a study in which researchers looked at the changes in smokers' brains when they saw someone smoking in a movie: the areas of their brain that control hand movements became active, as if the smoker's brain was preparing to light a cigarette. With such obvious changes in visual stimulation alone, if olfactory and tactile stimulation are added, I am afraid that the smoking cessation plan will be declared a failure immediately. So, if you want to quit smoking, it's best not to be around someone who is smoking.
In fact, it is not only behavior that can affect others, but also the book mentions that goals, emotions, and even physical weakness can affect each other, which is called "contagion" in the book. That's what we say: "Those who are close to Zhu are red, and those who are close to ink are black."
I saw a news item today that clearly shows this. The content of the news is roughly like this: a little girl on the side of the road is practicing lion dance alone, and a professional lion dance performance team happens to pass by, and the team members are enthusiastic after seeing the little lion, and spontaneously beat gongs and drums for the little girl, shouting and cheering, and the little lion also dances more energetically. The crowd of onlookers took a picture of this ** and uploaded it to the Internet, and countless netizens left messages below saying that they were greatly encouraged, and the inheritance of the intangible cultural heritage lion dance was promising, and they were even moved to tears.
This is a real example of positive emotions, behaviors being influenced, being "contagious".
What can we learn from this?
I think there are two things: first, we can be influenced by others at any time and at any time. Therefore, we should pay attention to whether the external environment we are in is conducive to achieving our goals and whether it is full of positive forces. Second, our actions can also affect countless others, and every choice we make is also an inspiration or ** to others.
From today, please do a good job of personal hygiene and housekeeping; The eyes are firm, the face is radiant, and the wind is in the wind, and we warm the world together.