The magic of positivity resonance (DW#333)
As we discovered yesterday, Barbara Fredrickson’s new theory of love suggests that "Love blossoms virtually anytime two or more people – even strangers – connect over a shared positive emotion, be it mild or strong".
She explains that the feeling of love is a biological phenomenon, a phenomenon where three separate but interwoven events synchronize for a moment in your body to create the feeling of love.
These events are:
1) A shared positive emotion or emotions between two or more people. These emotions although momentary, create measurable changes in brain wave activity in your brain. For example, if you share a moment of happiness or a joke at the same time with someone, it would be a shared positive emotion between the two (or more) of you.
2) A biological response in the brains of those sharing these emotions (she calls this biobehavioral synchrony). In other words, what happens in your brain has an impact on the other person’s brain which is also measurable AND
3) A resulting feeling of caring about the wellbeing of the other/s. The sharing of emotions and resulting brain activity gives rise to a feeling of caring about the wellbeing of the other.
Fredrickson calls this momentary upwelling of three tightly interwoven events "positivity resonance".
To put it another way, she writes:
"Love is that micro-moment of warmth and connection that you share with another living being."
In the next few days, we will explore why "positivity resonance" is a good thing for our mental and emotional wellbeing.
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