Emotional Contagion: Feelings Actually Infect You Like Diseases
“It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.” ― Charles Dickens
MENTAL MODEL
Emotions spread like wildfire among individuals and groups. The laughter of a child infects us. The tension of a heated argument overtakes us. This phenomenon, known as emotional contagion, shapes our experiences and interactions in multifaceted ways. Its a facet of human psychology most people intuitively know but do not bat an eye at. Most of us have experienced walking into a room and immediately sensing the mood. Not a word was spoken. Nobody said anything to us. We just feel the atmosphere. And this tendency of emotions to leap from one person or group to another transforms social dynamics as we know them.
The concept of emotional contagion is especially relevant as today’s world is so interconnected. You can reach anyone, anytime, anywhere. Its important to grasp it so you protect yourself from harmful emotional influences and invest into beneficial ones. These are big cells in your brain called mirror neurons. They fire when you observe someone else perform a certain action. It’s how you learned to walk and talk as a child. But that’s not all. When you see someone express an emotion, your mirror neurons do their thing as well. Essentially, you get to feel into what somebody else is feeling. This is how humans formed complex social hierarchies long before language existed.
The subtlest of cues influence this process: facial expressions, body language, vocal tones. What we have experienced in the past also affects how we interpret these signals. Here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to be in the form of direct contact. We all have a friend who weeps at sad movies. Perhaps we ourselves are set on fire after listening to a motivating podcast. Stories have this unique ability to transfer us into the emotional landscape of another person. Hence the virtual and social media space has changed everything. One tweet can trigger outrage in millions of people within minutes. A single reel has the power to suddenly put a smile on the faces of crowds of people.
This matters because emotions have ripple effects. How we feel often dictates what we do. In the workplace, a positive emotional climate can make or break performance. A leader’s mood can affect the productivity of an entire office. At home, an unhappy parent at the dinner table can alter the social development of a child irreversibly. The enthusiasm of a passionate teacher at school can ignite a lifelong curiosity in students. Whereas a disengaged educator would dampen the drive to learn. A calm doctor would help alleviate a patient’s anxiety about their condition. Conversely, a stressed-out medical professional could unintentionally transfer negative emotions to the patient and affect their satisfaction with care.
Real-life examples of emotional contagion:
Workplace Environment: in a high-pressure work environment, if one team begins to show signs of stress and anxiety, others can subconsciously pick up on these cues. The overall team shifts towards stress. Productivity and creativity plummet.
Social Media and Online Communities: emotional posts or viral videos on social media often trigger emotional responses in viewers. This creates waves of collective happiness, anger, disappointment, fear, or sadness. These emotional cascades can influence public opinion. They might even lead to large-scale social movements if taken far enough.
Personal Relationships: in a family setting, a parent’s calm and positive demeanor can help soothe a child in distress. While a parent’s visible frustration would amplify their anxiety. The emotional state of one family member directly influences the mood and behavior of the others.
Political Rallying and Public Gatherings: at a political rally, a charismatic speaker can generate waves of enthusiasm among the crowd. The collective emotional uplift acts as a sense of unity that mobilizes voters.
How you can use emotional contagion as a mental model: (1) be wary of your feelings — recognize that your mood can be influenced by those around you and that those around you are influenced by your mood, and try to make sure that external emotions do not derail your decision-making; (2) leverage the feels — in settings when you feel supported and in a positive state, use that period as you are more likely to be productive and creative; (3) delete the negativity — identify sources of negative emotional contagion (e.g. complacent, demotivated, sad, or otherwise negative people) and take proactive steps to reduce their impacts (e.g. hang out around stressed and unproductive people less); (4) use it to lead — leaders have to be mindful of their emotional expressions as their mood sets the tone for the entire team, so transmit constructive, inspiring feels; (5) absorb it — listen for the emotional cues of others so that you get a deeper understanding of what they feel.