Comments on: Empathy and Mirror Neurons: Or, Monkey See, Monkey Yawn; Baby See, Baby Dance

By: Gina Pera

Gina Pera — Sat, 07 May 2011 01:15:11 +0000

Hi Helen,

Thanks for stopping in. Enjoy that baby!
g

By: Helen Ponych

Helen Ponych — Thu, 05 May 2011 19:20:00 +0000

Watching our 4-month-old mimic our movements is incredible. Simply because we put food in our mouth, she reaches out to do the same. The same holds true for emotions; she’s like a sponge, and would feel the same way we do.

I love those two baby videos, by the way.

By: Gina Pera

Gina Pera — Wed, 04 May 2011 19:48:23 +0000

Thanks for your thoughtful comment. Summer.

By: Summer Davis

Summer Davis — Wed, 04 May 2011 08:26:55 +0000

Hi!

Your post is very interesting and in some ways I believe it when you said that…”Mirror neurons in the brain, showing that empathy is brain-based. That is, humans are hardwired to share someone else’s feelings.” I guess this can also be connected to the nature vs. nurture theory. We all empathize or do things at a different level because we were born that way (nature). At some point, we also absorb the different things that are happening around us (nurture). Some other imporant aspects that should be considered is the fact that we are all born to interact with one another and that, not everyone is born normal.

Thanks for this post!

Summer

By: Arnold Peters

Arnold Peters — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:25:06 +0000

When I saw the dancing baby video earlier last week, all I could think of was, “what a cute baby”. Leave it to you, Gina, to bring toghether popular culture and neuroscience in a most entertaining way.
I’m assuming we may be ‘hard wired’ for empathy, but our predispositions can also be adjusted during early childhood development. Nature vs. Nurture.

By: Terry Minton

Terry Minton — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:40:39 +0000

The first particular reading I did on mirror neurons was in Social Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. It seemed immediately to be the key to understanding so much about Asperger’s/Autism. And, possibly, Republicans…