Recently, Scientific
American covered an interesting interview with scientist Matthew Lieberman,
who discussed ideas on the neuroscience of human connections, and the
implications behind how we live our lives. As human beings truly are such
social creatures, Lieberman took the initiative to explore the social needs we
have to connect with one another, analyzing this in regards to brain function.
So whether out at social events, hanging out with friends, or (surprisingly)
even when we’re alone – our brain is wired to be set on social interaction. In his interview, Lieberman reflects with his insight on these topics.
Our need to connect
socially is “powerful.” But just how powerful is it?
Lieberman asserts that our need to connect is as fundamental
as the need for food and water. Cultures around the world all have different
beliefs about how important community and social interdependence are to our
lives. Here in America, and in the West, we tend to believe that we are
relatively independent and self-focused, immune to the sway and opinion of
others around us. We like to think that we are driven to pursue our personal
goals – but according to Lieberman’s studies, we may be less socially
independent than we’d like to believe.
What is the
connection between physical pain and social pain?
When we experience social pain – a rejection, harsh words –
the feeling is as real as physical pain in our minds. Around the world, we use
physical pain language to describe emotional or social pains we feel (“he broke
my heart,” “she hurt my feelings”). This may be less of a metaphor than at
first glance. With respect to human nature and evolution, this finding is
pretty interesting… The things that cause us to feel physical pain are things that our brain recognizes as threats to
our survival. The existence of social
pain indicates that somewhere along the line, evolution treated social
connection as a necessity rather than a comfort. Social connection also
motivates us in behavior, influencing our decisions to revolve around praise
from others and alleviating social threats. Social pain and pleasure are wired
into our operating system, even though we never actually consider these as
factors motivating “who we are.”
Human mind reading –
what is it, and why is it important?
Not in reference to ESP psychic mind reading, this is a
skill we use each and every day in social interactions. It’s kind of strange to
think about, but humans have a tendency towards trying to understand the
thoughts and feelings in the minds of people we interact with. Lieberman
asserts that although we are far from perfect at deciphering the inner thoughts
of others, the fact that we can even do this at all gives us an “unparalleled
ability to connect and cooperate with others.” So in actuality, at times we are
using other’s goals to motivate our own behaviors. Strangely enough,
thinking about other people’s thoughts doesn’t feel any different from most
kinds of analytical thinking we do. Yet Lieberman’s studies of fMRI research
show that there are actually two distinct brain networks that support social
and non-social thinking. As one of these networks increases its activity, the
other one stops its functioning, like a “neural seesaw.” Here is the most fascinating part: whenever we finish doing some
kind of non-social thinking, the brain network for social thinking comes on
again almost immediately. Why would our brains be wired this way? Research has
recently suggested that perhaps this reflex prepares us to enter the next
moment of our lives focused on the thoughts behind the actions we see from
others. Evolution has placed social functioning highest in our brains, making a
major statement about the social nature of humans.
Shedding light on the
age-old question: where does the “self” come from, and what does the “self”
even mean?
Social psychologists have speculated for a long time that the
“self” is a much more social phenomenon than it feels like from the inside, and
neuroscience is bringing in new data to directly shed light on this. The region
of the brain called the medial
pre-frontal cortex, which sits right between your eyes, has been shown
repeatedly to become activated when people reflect on themselves. Because we
tend to think of the “self” as the thing that separates us from others, it is
surprising that the same medial
pre-frontal cortex is activated when we allow the beliefs of others to
influence our own. The more active your pre-frontal cortex is when someone is trying
to persuade you of something, the more likely you are to listen. Rather than
being a closed-off area that separates us from others, the “self” is actually a
socially-influenced idea, where the ideas of others are subconsciously
considered in order that we may have the same kind of beliefs and values as
those of the people around us. So the “self” we think of is truly much more an
incorporation of the people around us, although we don’t consciously realize
it.
So, according to Lieberman’s neuro-scientific research
regarding the social nature of the brain, you actually may care what others
think just a bit more than you realized… after all, we may be wired to care.
Scientific American, Mind Matters.
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