Notice what happens when you’re at a party with friends. If you approach a group that’s laughing, you’ll probably find yourself smiling or chuckling even before you’ve heard the joke. Or have you noticed that when you’re nervous or stressed out, your kids will often be that way, too? Scientists call this “emotional contagion.” The internal states of others—from joy and playfulness to sadness and fear—directly affect our own state of mind. We soak other people into our own inner world.
