The brain shows similar activity when a person acts on their own or watches someone else's behavior. The brain nerves that show activity are known as "mirror neurons."

The theory is that mirror neurons allow us to empathize with others, since we can literally experience the same activity and are able to understand their feelings. Studies have shown that imitating someone's behavior positively influences how people view you. If you are having a conversation with someone and you see them touch their face, then you naturally start to touch your face. When you imitate behavior, the other person feels that you are attentively listening and possibly assumes you care about the information that is being discussed.

	Created by Mary Moore about 8 years ago

People are Hard-Wired for Imitation and Empathy

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