Wireless internet, Wi-Fi, is amazing technology.
Wi-Fi works via radio waves that allow for the free exchange of digital information from one device to another. Remaining unseen and unheard by our human senses, radio waves operate below our human perception. Information is invisibly exchanged.
The simplicity of Wi-Fi is great because it allows us to easily compare how Emotional Wi-Fi works.
Just like the invisible digital exchange, there is an invisible emotional exchange that occurs with every interaction we have with people.
The exchange can be with one person, or a whole group of people. Our emotions affect the people around us and their emotions affect us.
Emotions are contagious.
Have you ever noticed how a person can light up a room with a happy personality? They are upbeat and positive. Just being around that person makes everyone else happy.
Similarly, have you noticed how one person can bring a room down, quickly? Negative, anxious, angry-rage, ambiguity and even confusion, are exchanged. Setting a tense mood in a room.
We pick up on and start to mimic people’s emotions within milliseconds. Neuroscientists call this social synchrony.
If we are happy and meet another person who is also happy, the social synchrony is amplified. Literally, amplifying the happiness in both people.
If we are negative and meet another person who is also negative, again, the social synchrony is amplified. Both people will end up more negative and depressed than before they met. Wah, wah…
The amplification of social synchrony is what causes many relationships to blossom and even solidify. People feel a connectedness when there is social synchrony.
It doesn’t mater what emotions drive the synchrony, positive or negative, once synchrony occurs, amplification occurs, then connection occurs, and friendship is forged.
This fact is important considering healthy emotions means healthy friendships. Unhealthy and negative emotions, means unhealthy and negative relationships.
Because we pick up on emotions within milliseconds, our emotions are communicating long before our words do. And if our words don’t match what is going on inside us emotionally, we will come across as having something to hide, disingenuous, and even untrustworthy. Because people are reading the emotional disconnect.
It is also important to know that while emotions are contagious, certain people’s emotions have much greater influence than others.
A person having a strong sense of self, or a strong personality, or a boss running a meeting, or a leader, or all of the above, will be the person leading people emotionally.
That being said, we have a responsibility to become aware of our emotions and to bring them in line with what God says about Who He is and who we are and how we are to treat others. Primarily by our love and indebtedness to others and our responsibility to be changing our world with the message of hope, the Gospel.
If we have a lack of love for people in our heart, when we interact with them, there will be an emotional disconnect. People will know it. They are not dumb. They might not be able to put into words the emotional disconnect, but they sure felt the ambiguity, or our disingenuousness.
BUT when we truly love people, with integrity, without agenda, always preferring others, never taking offense, never even seeing faults, being instant in our forgiveness, then with every interaction we have with people, they will walk away happy, encouraged, lighter, inspired, open to the gospel. And themselves ready to be generous and loving toward others.
Why? Because love, although much more than just an emotion, is felt. It is tangible. People feel it. They know it. Love is contagious. Love changes everything.
We should look to lead people emotionally. We can change the atmosphere in a room, dominating a room with a warm and generous love. It changes peoples lives for good.
LOVE brings LIFE because when we love, it makes people open to JESUS.
