Empathy Haiku
Day 18 prompt: Feeling our way through the world of others…
The Other
Watch their eyes, posture.
Heart, open to your best friend.
Hand, on their shoulder.
Watch their eyes, posture.
Mind, closed to your enemies.
Hand, on the holster.
Watch their eyes, posture.
Soul, open to The Other.
Hand, over your heart.
Those studying the neurobiology of empathy suggest that the basis of empathy lies in hardwired neural circuitry. This circuitry, detected by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), enables us to unconsciously mimic the “postures, mannerisms, and facial expressions of others to a greater degree than individuals who are unempathetic.”
What happens then is that the observer unconsciously mimics the actions and facial expressions of the person who is suffering. The brain stimulates the same motor and sensory areas of the observer, so their brain mirrors the motor and sensory areas of the observed person.
The core circuitry for mimicry is essential for a wide range of social benefits such as cultural learning and language. And the presence and power of the…
