On order, but first chapter looks good. Here is extract from SciAm review -
“We are wired to connect,” Goleman says. “Neuroscience has discovered that our brain’s very design makes it sociable, inexorably drawn into an intimate brain-to-brain linkup whenever we engage with another person. That neural bridge lets us affect the brain—and so the body—of everyone we interact with, just as they do us.” Each encounter between people primes the emotions. This neurological pas de deux stimulates our nervous systems, affecting hormones, heart rate, circulation, breathing and the immune system. Goleman peppers his discourse with anecdotes to illustrate the power of social intelligence. From the countertop of Rosie Garcia, a multitasking baker in New York’s Grand Central Terminal, to the tantrum-tainted class of a Texas teacher, he shows how social sensitivity and wisdom can profoundly reshape conflicts. In one encounter in Iraq, a quick-witted U.S. commander turned a Muslim mob’s threats into laughter when he ordered his soldiers to kneel, lower rifl es and smile—averting a potentially fatal clash. Goleman deftly discusses relevant neural pathways, including the thalamus and amygdala, which together regulate sensory and arousal stimuli. He speaks of spindle cells, which rapidly process social decisions; of mirror neurons, which sense another’s movements; of dopamine neurons, which react to pleasure-inducing neurotransmitters that flow freely while two lovers gaze. The author’s introductory tour through this emerging research landscape helps readers grasp core concepts of social neuroscience, illustrating abstractions with poignant anecdotes, without excessive jargon. Goleman also explains how such research may influence our lives. Given our socially reactive brains, we must “be wise,” he says, and be aware of the ways that our moods influence the biology of each life we touch.
That sounds worth looking into, Quirk, thanks for bringing it up. I’m intrigued by the kneeling soldiers defusing a volatile situation; would love to know more about that commander and his thought process.
This is a long shot, but I wonder if the process described above is at work when wearing large doses of 'none and hit-spotting. Is it possible that when one is initially in a bad mood none increases emotional arousal and leads to a downward spiral in state?
wow. interesting stuff about the 'none.
high amounts give me flight or fight anxiety,but not necessarily bad/good.
do you think this applies to good/sexy/or comforting feelings, and do you think there is an outside factor that decides whos emotional cues over rides and dominates anothers?