Page 72 - Getting to the Heart of High Performance

move in a parallel manner. You can’t help yourself. The

“mirroring” is a reflecting back of the behavior you
observe in someone else. Feelings you unconsciously
perceive in the other individual are instantly sensed

inside, and your natural reflex is to mimic that person’s
emotional state.

Naturally, this mirroring process is a two-way street.
You’re always revealing yourself to other people’s mirror

neurons, sending out your own signals which immediate-
ly influence how they feel and behave. This happens
whether you’re connecting face-to-face, voice-to-voice,
or skin-to-skin. It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying

to come across a certain way, or if you’re oblivious to the
signals you’re sending. You’re under surveillance. Their
mirror neurons size you up in milliseconds, then mimic
you or at least create the impulse to do so. The result?

Your feelings aren’t felt by you alone, but also by any-
body within range. This helps explain why emotions are
so contagious.

56 DEEP STRENGTHS