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Shoutout to the morning walkers in my suburb for teaching me about mirror neurons
Honestly, seeing them smile and nod every day has made me realize how contagious emotions can be in shaping our daily mood.
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phoenix_gonzalez4h ago
That distinction between imitation and mood always trips me up. If mirror neurons fire both when we perform an action and see it, doesn't that directly influence our emotional state? The study zaraknight mentioned shows increased trust, which feels emotional. So is it really just imitation, or is the mood change a byproduct of the neural mapping? What's the latest research say about the emotional weight of these neurons?
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zaraknight5h ago
In a 2018 behavioral study, participants who exchanged daily greetings reported a 30% increase in perceived community trust. That's where mirror neurons get fascinating, they're not just copying smiles, they're building a neural map for expected social reciprocity. Your morning walkers are essentially conducting a low-key empathy bootcamp, reinforcing positive feedback loops every single day. Over time, that shapes the entire neighborhood's social fabric, making brief interactions feel genuinely supportive. It's this ANTICIPATION of friendly contact that can literally rewire how we experience shared spaces.
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kaid455h ago
Wait, mirror neurons are more about imitation than mood.
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henry_allen625h ago
Spot on, always get that mixed up myself. Such a frustrating field to keep straight sometimes.
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