The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #171885 Message #4158909
Posted By: MaJoC the Filk
27-Nov-22 - 09:58 AM
Thread Name: Memory Loss
Subject: RE: Memory Loss
--- Bingo! just worked it out. Empathy has a mechanical/psychological component: when we see a smile, we automatically smile slightly in response, and this raises happiness levels in us; similarly with frowns, crying etc. That's part of why victims of Botox treatment tend to not be empathic, as the rigidity of their face muscles breaks this mechanism, but that's part of a separate debate.
I deduce that yawning is simply an extreme case of this empathic feedback mechanism. We now return you to your regular discussion.