We were standing on the 13^th tee of our usual Sunday league golf course. The first member of our foursome fired off a great drive but landed just off the fairway on the right.  The second member’s ball took the same path. The next golfer lined up perfectly but her shot, too, landed in about the same spot.

Someone said, “Is there a magnet over there?”

It was my turn.  I knew I had to shake off what had gone before me and wipe my mind’s slate clean. 

Why?

Mirror neurons.  My body was poised to imitate what I saw.

As early as a few days old, babies learn to mimic facial expressions and gestures which supports how early social and motors skills develop, too.  Adults are equally susceptible with something as simple as a yawn.  Just talking about a yawn can trigger the action even without conscious intention.

Research on athletes and musicians shows that watching a skilled performance can activate mirror neurons in similar brain regions they’d use to perform those actions themselves.  Motor areas in the brain are activated as if they were executing the skill which means observing is a great way to improve performance.

But can it work against you?

What happens if those around you exhibit negative behaviours? Can bad habits also be socially contagious?

Aha! ~ Monkey see, monkey do.

One well-documented example is risk-taking behaviors. Studies have shown that when people see others engaging in risky actions, their mirror neurons activate in brain areas associated with decision-making, sometimes increasing the likelihood that they will take similar risks. This effect is particularly strong in adolescents but is still present in adults. Peer influence can lead to higher rates of behaviors like smoking, reckless driving, or other risky habits simply because we’re wired to unconsciously mirror others.

If you want to be healthy, hang out with healthy people.  If you want to ignite that entrepreneurial bug, find a group of strong-willed entrepreneurs.  If you want to improve yourself, take inventory of those around you with the same values and create a book club, a walking club or any kind of club that feeds the energy of your goals.

“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”  ~ Proverb

Find your new best friends in Human U, the ones, like you, who are advancing, the ones we all want to imitate.  P.S.  I hit my shot straight down the middle. 😊