Why do you yawn when you see someone else do it? The answer lies in ‘Mirror Neurons’—the brain’s biological foundation for empathy and social learning.
The Discovery
Discovered in the 1990s in monkeys, these neurons fire both when we perform an action and when we observe someone else performing that same action. It’s as if our brain is “mirroring” the experience of others.
The Power of Empathy
Mirror neurons allow us to understand the intentions and emotions of others without thinking. This “social glue” is what makes us feel sad during a movie or cringe when we see someone else get hurt.