In this video I talk about emotional contagion, i.e. the fact that we tend to take on the emotions of people around us and explain about a fascinating British study that showed just how widespread the effect can be.
In this video I talk about emotional contagion, i.e. the fact that we tend to take on the emotions of people around us and explain about a fascinating British study that showed just how widespread the effect can be.
Even studies with lab rats have shown emotional contagion. Whenever a researcher laughs at something funny a lab rat does the other researchers start laughing too.
Garrison Kiellor
Sometimes there are people that will never ‘catch’ your happiness [I’ve met individuals who seem to work very hard at being unhappy], but going round happy gives you a kind of protective coating [endorphins?].
Yesterday, I told a friend how nice her hair looked, had she had it re-styled? Grumpily, she told me she had only dried it…
Once, I would have thought: ‘what did I do wrong?’ Yesterday, I just felt sorry for my friend for being in a grump.
Nothing had changed, but everything had changed [for me, at least]!
Today, for the first time since I have worked at my job (4 1/2 years) I acknowledged my boss’s birthday! Yup – just coffee and cookies and a little sign saying “Help celebrate __________’s special day” but I did it. We are only a two person office, mind you but I will have volunteers who will take a cookie AND benefit from my little bit of happiness that I am sharing. I don’t like my boss always. Sometimes he frustrates the bejeezus out of me! But I could have been sour about his birthday again this year or I could take the time to acknowledge the way I would like to be acknowledged. I’m pretty sure, I am taking away more happiness from the whole gesture and I am really, really good with that! Much thanks to you Alex, for helping me with working toward a much longer “Happy Hour” than I had a year ago!