#inspiring essay: Happiness is contagious. And so is unhappiness. Read on… Have you ever noticed how being around nutsy/negative people can make you feel nutsy/negative? Psychologists call this “emotional contagion” – and there’s even evolutionary reasons for why someone else’s curmudgeonly ways can infect you. “The original form is the contagion of fear and alarm,” said Frans de Waal, a psychologist and primate expert at Atlanta’s Emory University. “You’re in a flock of birds. One bird suddenly takes off. You have no time to wait and see what’s going on. You take off, too. Otherwise, you’re lunch.” Translation: Getting caught up in another’s negativity is a hard-wired survival mechanism. “I have often noticed how primate groups in their entirety enter a similar mood,” de Waal said. “All of a sudden, all of them are playful, hopping around. Or all of them are grumpy. Or all of them are sleepy and settle down. In such cases, the mood contagion serves the function of synchronizing activities. The individual who doesn’t stay in tune with what everyone is doing will lose out, like the traveler who didn’t go the restroom when the bus stopped.” Translation: Contagion theory of happiness also explains the powerful energy of “mob mentality” and why there’s a tendency for groups of people in a movie theater or concert to share a similar feeling for the movie or concert. CLICK TO READ MORE & FIND OUT RESEARCH WHICH SUPPORTS WHY ITS GOOD TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE!
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 01:37:14 +0000
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