Mirror Thinking: How Role Models Make Us Human

Parents, friends, teachers, relatives, and even work colleagues – from the people close to us to those we never even meet – other people are constantly shaping who we are. The mirror neuron is a part of the brain that has shaped each and every one of us throughout our lifetimes. It is the very essence of what makes us human, but most of us have never even heard of it. Mirror Thinking explores how the mirror neuron has defined us through the role models we observe and interact with. All of the learning we take from our world is down to our brain's mirror system, but it doesn't stop there. This incredible system is also responsible for our emotional connections with others, how we pass on learning between the generations through stories, and how we imagine and innovate within our own minds. In Mirror Thinking, psychologist and award-winning author Fiona Murden looks at the mirrors that have shaped our lives: parents, friends, teachers, relatives, and even work colleagues. From the people close to us to those we never even meet – other people are constantly shaping who we are. By having a better understanding of this system we are able to take conscious control of it, encouraging us to have a more positive impact on the world around us and on society as a whole.